Chief Master Sergeant James S. Cutshaw serves as the Command Chief Master Sergeant, 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates. He is the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Wing Commander on all matters affecting readiness, training, health, welfare, morale, quality of life, and professional development of more than 1,800 assigned joint warfighters. The wing is comprised of 12 squadrons and provides dynamic combat capabilities in support of U.S. Central Command. Specifically, the wing provides armed overwatch, encompassing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and command and control reporting center assets, as well as theater security cooperation and agile combat employment/dynamic force employment missions in direct support of 9th Air Force (Air Forces Central) and U.S. Central Command priorities.
Chief Master Sergeant Cutshaw entered the United States Air Force in May 2003. He graduated from the Security Forces Apprentice Course at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas in January 2004. While assigned to the 134th Air Refueling Wing in Knoxville, Tennessee, his various duties included Security Forces Flight member, Unit Training Manager, Base Physical and Electronic Security NCOIC, Combat Arms Superintendent, Security Forces Flight Chief, and Installation Emergency Manager. In 2010, Chief Cutshaw deployed to Sather Air Base, Iraq in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM where he served as the Investigations NCOIC for the 447th Security Forces Squadron. He then retrained and graduated from Emergency Management Apprentice course at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri in 2015. His Emergency Management background consists of a myriad duties where he led the 134th Civil Engineer Squadron’s Debris Team through five domestic operations, providing disaster relief in response to wildfires, tornados, floods, and hurricanes. Prior to his current assignment he served as the Chief Enlisted Manager for the 134th Civil Engineer Squadron.
EDUCATION
2003 U.S Air Force Basic training, Lackland AFB, Texas
2004 Security Forces Apprentice Course, Lackland AFB, Texas
2005 Security Forces Combat Leaders Course, Camp Bullis, Texas
2005 Instructor Certification Program, I.G Brown Air National Guard Training and Education Center, McGhee Tyson, Tennessee
2005 Airman Leadership School, Correspondence Course
2008 Security Forces Craftsman Course, Lackland AFB, Texas
2008 Associates in Applied Science degree in Criminal Justice, Community College of the Air Force
2008 Inter-Service Non-Lethal Individual Weapons Instructor Course, Marine Corps Det., Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri
2010 Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Correspondence Course
2010 Counterinsurgency and Stability Operations Center Course, Camp Taji, Iraq
2010 Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice, Liberty University
2011 Combat Arms Instructor Course, Lackland AFB, Texas
2012 Combat Arms Supervisors Course, Lackland AFB, Texas
2015 Emergency Management Apprentice Course, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri
2015 Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Correspondence Course
2017 Emergency Management Craftsman Course, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri
2017 Associate in Applied Science Degree in Emergency Management, Community College of the Air Force
2020 WMGT 570 Civil Engineer Superintendent Course, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio (Virtual)
2021 Civil Engineer Operations Management Apprentice Course, Sheppard AFB, Texas
2023 Chief Master Sergeant Orientation Course, Andrews AFB, Washington D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 2003 – January 2004, Student, Security Forces Apprentice Course, Lackland AFB, Texas
2. January 2004 – April 2005, Security Forces Fire team member, 134th SFS McGhee Tyson ANGB, Tennessee
3. November 2005 – December 2005, Student, Combat Leaders Course, Camp Bullis, Texas
4. April 2005 – July 2007, Security Forces Unit Training Manager, 134th SFS McGhee Tyson ANGB, Tennessee
5. August 2007 – January 2008, Physical Security NCOIC, 134th SFS McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base, Tennessee
6. February 2008 – January 2010, Security Forces Unit Training Manager, 134th SFS McGhee Tyson ANGB, Tennessee
7. January 2010 – August 2010, Investigations Officer, 447th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, Sather AB, Iraq
8. January 2011 – March 2011, Student, Combat Arms Apprentice Course, Lackland AFB, Texas
9. March 2011 – April 2013, Security Forces Combat Arms Superintendent,134th SFS McGhee Tyson ANGB, Tennessee
10. April 2013 – September 2014, Security Forces Flight Chief, 134th SFS McGhee Tyson ANGB, Tennessee
11. September 2014 – February 2015, Emergency Manager, 134th Civil Engineer Squadron, McGhee Tyson ANGB, Tennessee
12. February 2015 – June 2015, Student, Emergency Management Apprentice Course, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri
13. June 2015 – June 2019, Installation Emergency Manager, 134th Civil Engineer Squadron, McGhee Tyson ANGB, Tennessee
14. June 2019 – January 2022, Base Facility Manager, 134th Civil Engineer Squadron, McGhee Tyson ANGB, Tennessee
15. January 2022 – Mar 2024, Chief Enlisted Manager, 134th Civil Engineer Squadron, McGhee Tyson ANGB, Tennessee
16. March 2024 – Present, Command Chief Master Sergeant, 134th Air Refueling Wing McGhee Tyson ANGB, Tennessee
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters
Air & Space Commendation Medal
Air & Space Achievement Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2005 Airman of the Quarter
2005 Certificate of Achievement Leadership Award Combat Leaders Course
2008 United States Marine Corp Certificate of Commendation
2011 Distinguished Graduate Combat Arms Course
2015 Distinguished Graduate Emergency Management Course
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Airman First Class May 6, 2003
Senior Airman August 9, 2004
Staff Sergeant May 1, 2007
Technical Sergeant May 1, 2009
Master Sergeant June 15, 2013
Senior Master Sergeant December 1, 2016
Chief Master Sergeant January 15, 2022