Chief Master Sergeant Louis J. Ludwig is the Command Chief, 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait. The wing, comprised of over 4,300 Airmen, coalition, and joint partners at six geographically separated locations, provides air mobility, precision strike, personnel recovery, electronic attack, logistics operations, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets in support of operations throughout Southwest Asia. Approximately 300 of the wing’s Airmen are filling Joint Expeditionary Taskings in support of U.S. Army combat support requirements at forward operating bases in Southeast Asia.
Chief Ludwig grew up in Warminster, Pennsylvania and Zephyrhills, Florida and entered the United States Air Force in March 1996. His professional background includes serving as an Instructor and Evaluator Aircraft Loadmaster with various leadership positions within the operations community, including MAJCOM A3 Staff, Group Superintendent, Senior Enlisted Leader, and multiple Squadron Superintendent positions. He also has extensive deployment experience in support of Operations SOUTHERN WATCH, JOINT GUARDIAN, JOINT FORGE, IRAQI FREEDOM, ENDURING FREEDOM, and INHERENT RESOLVE.
Prior to his current position, Chief Ludwig was the Senior Enlisted Leader, 347th Rescue Group, Moody AFB, Georgia.
EDUCATION
2000 Airman Leadership School, Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark.
2000 Phoenix Stripe Program, Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
2002 Associates of Applied Science, Aviation Operations, Community College of the Air Force
2003 Occupational Instructor Certificate, Community College of the Air Force
2003 Associates of Applied Science, Instructor of Technology and Military Science, Community College of the Air Force
2005 Bachelors of Science, Professional Aeronautics, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
2009 Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Keesler AFB, Miss.
2011 Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, by correspondence Course
2012 Professional Manager Certification, Community College of the Air Force
2013 Senior Enlisted Joint PME, Joint Forces Staff College, by correspondence Course
2017 Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Maxwell AFB-Gunter Annex, Ala.
2017 Senior Enlisted Joint PME II, Joint Forces Staff College, by correspondence Course
2018 Chief Leadership Course, Maxwell AFB-Gunter Annex, Ala.
2021 Command Chief Training Course, Andrews AFB, Md.
2021 Senior Enlisted Legal Orientation, USAF Judge Advocate General’s School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2022 AFCENT Senior Leader Orientation, Shaw AFB, S.C.
2022 Senior Leader Security Seminar, Montross, Va.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. March 1996 - April 1996, Trainee, Basic Military Training, Lackland AFB, Texas
2. December 1996 - April 2000, C-130E/H Instructor Loadmaster, 40th Airlift Squadron, Dyess AFB Texas
3. May 2000 - February 2004, C-130 DoD FTU Evaluator Loadmaster, 53d Airlift Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
4. March 2004 - March 2007, C-130E AWADS Evaluator Loadmaster, 37th Airlift Squadron, Ramstein AB, Germany
5. April 2007 - August 2008, C-130H Evaluator Loadmaster, 50th Airlift Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
6. August 2008 - August 2009, NCOIC Training/Instructor Loadmaster, 41st Airlift Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
7. September 2010 - June 2011, C-130J Chief Evaluator Loadmaster, 19th Operations Group, Standardization and Evaluation, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
(January-May 2011, Superintendent/First Sergeant, 772nd Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, Kandahar Air Base, Afghanistan)
8. July 2011 - June 2014, Career Enlisted Aviator Operations and Training Manager, HQ AFMC Detachment 1, Eglin AFB, Fla.
9. Jun 2014 - August 2015, Squadron Superintendent, 413th Flight Test Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
10. August 2015 - July 2018, Squadron Superintendent, 79th Rescue Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
(July-October 2016, Superintendent, 26th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, 8th Main Jet Base, Diyarbakir, Turkey)
11. July 2018 – June 2022, Group Superintendent/Senior Enlisted Leader, 347th Rescue Group, Moody AFB, Ga.
(September 2019, Superintendent, 334th Air Expeditionary Group, Patrick AFB, Fla.)
(May-November 2020, Superintendent, 1st Expeditionary Rescue Group, Al Asad Air Base, Iraq)
12. July 2022 – Present, Command Chief, 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, Ali Al Salem AB, Kuwait
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Chief Enlisted Aircrew/Evaluator Loadmaster
Flight hours: 5,300
Combat hours: 934
Aircraft flown: C-130E/H/J, MC-130E/P/J, AC-130J, HC-130J
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with one silver oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with “C” Device, one silver oak leaf cluster, and one bronze oak leaf cluster
Aerial Achievement Medal with two oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2003 AETC Instructor Loadmaster of the Year, 19th AF, Randolph AFB, Texas
2004 USAFE SSgt Henry “Red” Erwin Award, NCO, USAFE, Ramstein AB, Germany
2006 USAFE ASEV Outstanding Performer, 86th Airlift Wing, Ramstein AB, Germany
2007 NCO Outstanding Aircrew of the Year, 463d Airlift Group. Little Rock AFB, Ark.
2008 AMC ORI Outstanding Performer, 19th Airlift Wing, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
2013 Lance P. Sijan Nominee, SNCO, HQ AFMC/A3V, Eglin AFB, Fla.
2013 AFMC SSgt Henry “Red” Erwin Award, SNCO, AFMC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
2014 AFMC SSgt Henry “Red” Erwin Award, SNCO, AFMC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
2014 Lance P. Sijan Nominee, SNCO, 96th Operations Group, Eglin AFB, Fla.
2015 Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, 79th Rescue Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
2017 CMSgt Fred Archer Nominee, SNCO, 563d Rescue Group, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
2017 Lance P. Sijan Nominee, SNCO, 563d Rescue Group, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Chief Master Sergeant, 01 July 2018
(Current as of August 2022)