Senior Master Sgt. John L. Mitchem is the acting Senior Enlisted Leader and Operations Superintendent at 1st Weather Group, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. In this capacity, Sergeant Mitchem advises the Group Commander on operational, training, and personnel issues affecting over 950 active duty and civil service personnel assigned to six Operational Weather Squadrons across the globe. The Group is responsible for providing decision-quality forecasts, weather threat assessments, alerts, aviation hazard products, and aircrew mission briefings to Air Force, Army, Guard, and Reserve forces located at 542 DoD installations across all unified commands supporting mission planning and execution, flight safety, and resource protection for more than 2 million military personnel and their families and almost a trillion dollars in DoD assets. Additionally, Sergeant Mitchem manages the enlisted professional development, awards recognition programs & deployment rotations.
Sergeant Mitchem is from Montgomery, Alabama and enlisted in the Air Force in July 2002. He has held various leadership roles in the weather career field and has supported diverse mission areas while serving in Air Force and Army commands. Prior to his current position, was the Weather Flight Chief, 48th Operations Support Squadron, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, United Kingdom.
EDUCATION
2007 Airmen Leadership School, Dyess AFB, Texas
2009 Associate of Applied Science in Meteorology, Community College of the Air Force, Alabama
2010 Bachelors of Arts, Earth Sciences, Thomas Edison University, New Jersey
2014 Noncommissioned Officer Academy, McGhee Tyson ANGB, Tennessee
2014 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education Course, Correspondence
2015 Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Correspondence
2017 Professional Managers Certification, Community College of the Air Force, Alabama
2019 US Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Academy, California
2021 Masters of Business Administration, Columbia Southern University, Alabama
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2002 - August 2002, Trainee, 324th BMTS, Lackland AFB, Texas
2. August 2002 - February 2003, Student, 335th Training Squadron, Keesler AFB, Mississippi
3. February 2003 - November 2004, Weather Forecaster, USSOUTHCOM Ops, 25th OWS, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona
4. November 2004 - November 2007, Battlefield Weather Forecaster, 3d Weather Squadron, Fort Hood, Texas
(November 2005 - May 2006, Battlefield Weather Forecaster, 4 ID CAB, Al Taji, Iraq)
5. November 2007 – February 2011, Weather Forecaster, Luke AFB, Arizona
(Jun 2009 - Jan 2010), Weather Forecaster, 332 EOSS, JBB Balad, Iraq)
6. February 2011 – May 2016, Integration NCOIC & Flight Chief, 3d Weather Squadron, Fort Hood, Texas
(February 2012 - August 2012), NCOIC, Weather Team, TF Corsair 82nd Airborne, FOB Shank, Afghanistan)
(January 2014 - July 2014, NCOIC, Weather Team, TF Tigershark 229 AVN REGT, Kandahar, Afghanistan)
7. May 2016 – June 2018, Training/Operations Flight Chief & Additional Duty 1Sgt, 28th OWS, Shaw AFB, South Carolina
8. June 2018 – June 2021, Flight Chief, 48th Operations Support Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom
9. June 2021-Current, Operations Superintendent, 1st Weather Group, Offutt AFB, Nebraska
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air & Space Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Army Commendation Medal one oak leaf cluster
Army Achievement Medal one oak leaf cluster
Air & Space Achievement Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2006 3d Weather Squadron Battlefield Airman of the Year
2012 3d Weather Squadron Battlefield Noncommissioned Officer of the Year
2013 Distinguished Graduate, Noncommissioned Officer Academy
2014 3d Weather Squadron Army Weather Noncommissioned of the Year
2017 28th Operational Weather Squadron Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year
2017 Shaw AFB Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year
2019 48th Operations Support Squadron Team of the Year
2019 HQ Air Force Weather Organization (below Squadron) of the Year
2021 557th Weather Wing Weather Small Team of the Year
2022 557th Weather Wing Weather General Larry O. Spencer Innovation of the Year
2022 1st Weather Group Chief Master Sergeant Fred Archer Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year