Chief Master Sergeant Raun M. Howell is the Command Chief Master Sergeant for the 6th Air Refueling Wing, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. The Wing's overall mission is to provide worldwide combat air refueling and installation support to Headquarters U.S. Central Command, Headquarters U.S. Special Operations Command and 31 other Joint mission partners that call MacDill home. As the host Command Chief, he is responsible for the security and well-being of the Base’s 16,900 employees and their families, along with $2.8 billion in Base property and capital assets.
CMSgt Howell is a native of Gainesville, Florida, and entered the Air Force in July of 1997. He has held a variety of positions as a personnelist, and has also served as a technical training instructor, Professional Military Education instructor, and in various Senior Enlisted Leader positions throughout his tenure in the Air Force. He has also served as the Special Advisor and Senior Executive Assistant to the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, Headquarters Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
Prior to his current assignment, he served as the Command Chief Master Sergeant of the 437th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina.
EDUCATION:
2001 Airman Leadership School, Randolph AFB, TX
2004 Associate Degree in Human Resource Management, CCAF, Maxwell AFB, AL
2007 Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Keesler AFB, MS
2007 Enlisted Professional Military Education Instructor Course, Maxwell AFB, AL
2010 Associate Degree in Instructor in Technology, CCAF, Maxwell AFB, AL
2010 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education (Correspondence)
2013 CCAF Professional Manager Certification, Maxwell AFB, AL
2014 Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Maxwell AFB, AL
2015 Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management (honors), American Military University, WV
2016 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education v2 (Correspondence)
2018 Chief Leadership Course, Maxwell AFB, AL
2018 AF Leading Strategically Course, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, CO
2019 Masters of Science in Organizational Performance (honors), University of Bellevue, NE
2019 Command Chief Training Course, Andrews AFB, MD
2020 Senior Enlisted Legal Orientation, Maxwell AFB, AL
2021 USAF Enterprise Leadership Seminar, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
ASSIGNMENTS:
1. November 1997 – April 2000, Customer Service Technician, 4 MSS, Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina
2. April 2000 – November 2003, Reenlistment Program Manager, AFPC, Randolph AFB, Texas
3. November 2003 – October 2007, Personnel Instructor, 335 TRS, Keesler AFB, Mississippi
4. October 2007 – November 2009, PME Instructor, Mathies NCO Academy, Keesler AFB, Mississippi
5. November 2009 – December 2011, Superintendent, Training and Curriculum, Mathies NCO Academy, Keesler AFB, Mississippi
6. January 2012 – January 2014, Superintendent, Career Development, 55 FSS, Offutt AFB, Nebraska
7. January 2014 – September 2014, Superintendent, Military Personnel Section, 19 FSS, Little Rock AFB, Arkansas
8. September 2014 – May 2015, Superintendent, Manpower & Personnel Flight, 19 FSS, Little Rock AFB, Arkansas
9. May 2015 – June 2017, Superintendent, Force Support Squadron (interim), 19 FSS, Little Rock AFB, Arkansas
10. June 2017 – June 2018, 3F0 MFM & Chief, Military Personnel Programs and Recognition Branch, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas
11. June 2018 – July 2020, AETC/A1 Chief Enlisted Manager, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas
12. July 2020 – Jan 2022, Senior Executive Assistant to the CMSAF, Headquarters Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
13. Jan 2022 – June 2023, Command Chief, 437th Airlift Wing, JB Charleston, South Carolina
14. June 2023 – present, Command Chief, 6th Air Refueling Wing, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida
AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:
Legion of Merit with one bronze oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters
Commendation Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters
Achievement Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
Outstanding Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters
Organizational Excellence Award
Humanitarian Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS:
2001 John L. Levitow Award Recipient, Airman Leadership School
2007 Distinguished Graduate, Noncommissioned Officer Academy
2007 Commandant’s Award Recipient, Noncommissioned Officer Academy
2010 SNCO of the Year, Keesler NCO Academy
2014 Distinguished Graduate, Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy
2015 SNCO of the Year, 19th Airlift Wing
2015 A1 FSS SNCO of the Year, Headquarters Air Force
EFFECTIVE DATE OF PROMOTION
Chief Master Sergeant - November 1, 2017
(Current as of July 2023)