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Chief Master Sergeant JUSTIN G. APTICAR

CMSgt Justin “Appy” Apticar is the Command Chief Master Sergeant, Nineteenth Air Force, Joint Base San Antonio- Randolph, Texas. He advises the commander and staff on all matters influencing the health, welfare, morale, and effective utilization of more than 36,000 total force personnel and 1,608 aircraft assigned to 17 Total Force wings located across the United States. Nineteenth Air Force is responsible for all aspects of aviation training for officer and enlisted Airmen encompassing entry-level undergraduate, rotary wing and remotely piloted aircraft pilots, combat systems officers, advanced 4th and 5th generation fighter pilots, air mobility and special operations combat crew training which ultimately provides fully qualified aircrew personnel to warfighting commands.

Chief Apticar grew up in Luxembourg, Luxembourg and enlisted in the Air Force in September 1994. He began his career as an Aerospace Propulsion Apprentice. He has extensive back shop and flightline maintenance experience having served in multiple leadership positions at the Group, Squadron, and Flight level. Chief Apticar has been stationed at locations in Louisiana, Japan, Texas, Arizona, North Carolina, Florida and Korea. He was selected to perform a special duty as a Military Training Instructor and was awarded the Master Military Training Instructor “Blue Rope” in 2006. Prior to this assignment, he served as the Command Chief Master Sergeant, 51st Fighter Wing, Osan AB, ROK. He assumed his current leadership position as the Nineteenth Air Force Command Chief in August 2022.

EDUCATION
1997 Airman Leadership School, Barksdale AFB, LA 2005 Military Training Instructor School, Lackland AFB, TX
2006 Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Lackland AFB, TX
2007 Associates of Applied Science, Aircraft Maintenance Technology, Community College of the Air Force
2008 Associates of Applied Science, Instructor Technology and Military Science, Community College of the Air Force
2011 Professional Manager Certification, Community College of the Air Force
2012 Senior Noncommissioned Academy, Maxwell-Gunter AFB, AL
2012 Bachelor of Arts in Organization Management, Ashford University, IA
2013 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education Course
2016 Chief Leadership Course, Maxwell-Gunter AFB, AL
2018 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military II Education Course
2019 Command Chief Candidate Training Course, JB Andrews, MD 2019 Master of Science in Leadership, Trident University, CA
2020 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, University of North Carolina
2021 Enterprise Perspective Seminar (China, North Korea, Russia), Alan L. Freed Associates Inc.
 
ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 1994 – October 1994, Trainee, Basic Military Training, Lackland AFB, TX
2. January 1995 – March 1995, Student, Propulsion Systems Apprentice Course, Sheppard AFB,TX
3. March 1995 – August 2000, Propulsion Technician, 2d Maintenance Squadron, Barksdale AFB,LA
4. August 2000 – August 2004, Noncommissioned Officer in Charge, Aerospace Propulsion, 82nd Reconnaissance Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan (November 2001 – March 2002, Propulsion Craftsman, Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia)
5. August 2004 – December 2007, Military Training Instructor, 331st Training Squadron, Lackland AFB, TX (March 2007 – October 2007, Air Advisor, Coalition Forces Transition Team, Camp Taji, Iraq)
6. December 2007 – August 2009 Standardization and Evaluation Team Member, 737th Training Group, Lackand AFB, TX
7. August 2009 – January 2011, Section Chief, 354th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, 355th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, DavisMonthan AFB, AZ
8. January 2011 – September 2011, Production Superintendent, 354th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, 355th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ (March 2011 – September 2011, Lead Production Superintendent, 354th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, Osan AB, SouthKorea)
9. September 2011 – April 2012, Lead Production Superintendent, 354th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, 355th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ
10. April 2012 – June 2013, Superintendent, 354th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, 355th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ (September 2012 – April 2013, Superintendent, 354th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, Bagram AB, Afghanistan)
11. June 2013 – October 2014, Propulsion Flight Chief, 18th Component Maintenance Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan
12. October 2014 – May 2015, Maintenance Superintendent, 18th Component Maintenance Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan
13. May 2015 – June 2016, Superintendent, Quality Assurance, 18th Maintenance Group, Kadena AB, Japan
14. June 2016 – January 2017, Chief Enlisted Manager, Propulsion Flight, 4th Component Maintenance Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, NC
15. January 2017 – November 2017, Chief, 335th Aircraft Maintenance Unit and Chief Enlisted Manager, 4th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, NC
16. November 2017 – November 2018, Superintendent, 438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group, FOB Oqab, Kabul, Afghanistan
17. December 2018 – April 2019, Superintendent, 704th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, NC
18. April 2019 – October 2020, Command Chief, 53d Wing, Eglin AFB, FL
19. October 2020 – August 2022, Command Chief, 51st Fighter Wing, Osan AB, ROK
20. August 2022 – Present, Command Chief, Nineteenth Air Force, Joint Base San Antonio- Randolph, Texas
 
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal Air and Space Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with service star
Iraqi Campaign Medal with service star
Korean Defense Service Medal
 
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2006 Distinguished Graduate and Commandant’s Award, NCO Academy
2007 Master Military Training Instructor of the Year, 37th Training Wing 2008 Stripes To Exceptional Performers promotion to Master Sergeant
2012 Distinguished Graduate, SNCO Academy
 
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Chief Master Sergeant 1 March 2016
 

(Current as of August 2022)