Chief Master Sergeant Noah S. Vaughan is the Command Chief Master Sergeant for the 406th Air Expeditionary Wing, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. He is the senior enlisted advisor to the commander on all matters affecting the employment and effective utilization of 700 deployed personnel across four geographic locations. As the senior enlisted leader for the only U.S. Air Wing in Africa, the Chief champions theater security and directs enlisted efforts to deliver uninterrupted base operating support and force protection in austere environments. His focus ensures a ready force capable of enabling persistent Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), precision attack, tactical airlift, and personnel recovery, while strengthening rapid response for humanitarian, contingency, and strategic competition operations across Africa through a dedicated commitment to partner engagement.
Chief Vaughan grew up in the mountains of western North Carolina and entered the Air Force in July 2000. Following graduation from the military's sole meteorological training pipeline, he spent seventeen years in weather operations, establishing a deep foundation in joint warfighting across tactical, operational, and strategic levels. His stateside assignments include Mississippi, Georgia, Arizona, and Virginia. Building a diverse global career, his overseas service spans diplomatic, interagency, and joint roles across Germany, the Republic of Korea, Guam, South Africa, and Türkiye, alongside multiple contingency deployments in support of Operations IRAQI FREEDOM, ENDURING FREEDOM, and INHERENT RESOLVE. He is proudly married to the former Linda C. Rojas, and they have two children, Samuel (15) and Gemma (12). Prior to assuming his current position, he served in a critical defense diplomacy role as the Operations Coordinator for the Defense Attaché Office (DAO) at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Türkiye.
EDUCATION
2004 Airman Leadership School, Osan AB, South Korea
2007 Air Force Basic Instructor Course; Keesler AFB, Miss.
2008 Associate of Applied Science Degree, Weather Technology, Community College of the Air Force
2008 Associate of Applied Science Degree, Instructor Technology, Community College of the Air Force
2009 U.S. Air Force Mathies Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) Academy, Keesler AFB, Miss.
2009 Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Touro University International, Calif.
2009 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education, by correspondence
2011 Joint Firepower Course, Nellis AFB, Nev.
2013 Professional Manager Certification, Community College of the Air Force
2014 U.S. Air Force Kisling SNCO Academy, Maxwell AFB Gunter Annex, Ala.
2015 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education II, by correspondence
2016 Deliberate and Crisis Action Planning and Execution Segments (DCAPES), Robins AFB, Ga.
2018 Chief Leadership Course, Maxwell AFB Gunter Annex, Ala.
2022 Joint Military Attaché School, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, DC.
2023 Masters of Science in Organizational Leadership, National University, Calif.
2026 Pre-Command Team Training & Senior Enlisted Legal Orientation (SELO), Maxwell AFB, Ala
ASSIGNMENTS
1.July 2000 – September 2000, Trainee, Basic Military Training, Lackland AFB, Texas
2.September 2000 – March 2001, Student, Technical Training School, Keesler AFB, Miss.
3.March 2001 – August 2003, Weather Forecaster, USAFE Operational Weather Squadron, Sembach AB, Germany
4.December 2003 – December 2004, Weather Forecaster, Det 2, 607th Weather Sq, Camp Humphreys, South Korea
5.December 2004 – December 2006, Weather Technician, 36th OSS, Andersen AFB, Guam
(Deployed: September 2005 – January 2006, Weather Forecaster and Observer, 506th EOSS, Kirkuk AB, Iraq)
(Deployed: May 2006 – September 2006, Weather Forecaster and Observer, 332d EOSS, Balad AB, Iraq)
6.January 2007 – January 2011, Weather Instructor Supervisor, 335th Training Squadron, Keesler AFB, Miss.
7.January 2011 – June 2014, Chief, Operations Flight, Detachment 3, 18th Weather Sq., Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.
(Deployed: February 2012 – September 2012, NCOIC, Staff Weather Officer, Task Force Saber, FOB Fenty, Afghanistan) (Deployed: November 2013 – May 2014, NCOIC, RC East Staff Weather Officer, CJTF-10, Bagram AB, Afghanistan)
8.June 2014 – July 2016, Flight Chief, 25th Operational Weather Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
9.July 2016 – September 2017, MAJCOM Functional Manager, HQ Air Force Reserve Command, Robins AFB, Ga.
10.September 2017 – September 2018, Superintendent, 25th Operational Weather Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
11.September 2018 – December 2020, Superintendent, 355th Fighter Group, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
(Deployed: July 2019 – February 2020, Superintendent, 332d Expeditionary Operations Group, undisclosed location)
12.December 2020 – December 2021, Senior Enlisted Leader, 1st Operations Group, Joint Base (JB) Langley-Eustis, Va.
13.January 2022 – April 2022, Student, Joint Military Attaché School, Defense Intelligence Agency, JB Anacostia-Bolling, DC
14.June 2022 – January 2025, Operations Coordinator for Defense Attaché Office, Pretoria, South Africa
15.January 2025 – June 2026, Operations Coordinator for Defense Attaché Office, Ankara, Türkiye
16.June 2026 – present, Command Chief, 406th Air Expeditionary Wing, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Meritorious Service Medal with seven oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Army Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Air and Space Force Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Army Achievement Medal
Department of State – Meritorious Honor Award
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2009 Cum Laude Graduate, Touro University International
2009 Master Instructor Certification, Air Education and Training Command
2009 NCO of the Year, 2nd Air Force
2014 Distinguished Graduate, U.S. Air Force SNCO Academy
2014 SNCO of the Year, Air Force Weather Agency (FOA)
2023 Graduate with Distinction, National University
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Chief Master Sergeant Dec 1, 2017
(Current as of July, 2026)