Chief Master Sergeant Sonia T. Lee is the Command Chief for Fifteenth Air Force, Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. She advises the commander and staff on matters influencing the health, welfare, morale and effective utilization of all assigned personnel. Fifteenth Air Force organizes, trains, and equips its subordinate commands to prepare for and execute expeditionary taskings. Additionally, Fifteenth Air Force commands 13 wings and three direct reporting units in the U.S., ensuring the operational readiness of about 800 aircraft and more than 47,000 active duty and civilian members.
Chief Lee is from Union, South Carolina and entered the Air Force in August 1992. Her background includes several duties in personnel management at the unit and major command levels. Throughout her career, she has filled a myriad of roles including Additional-Duty First Sergeant, Airman Leadership School Commandant, and Command Chief. Her assignments include bases in Texas, South Carolina, Florida, Utah, South Dakota, Guam, Germany and deployments in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM and Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.
Prior to assuming her current position, she served as the Senior Enlisted Leader, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.
EDUCATION
1997 Airman Leadership School, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas
2001 Associate in Human Resource Management/Personnel Administration, Community College of the Air Force
2004 Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Lackland AFB, Texas
2005 Bachelor of Science, Occupational Education in Human Services, Wayland Baptist University, Plainview, Texas
2006 Senior NCO Academy Correspondence Course
2008 Associate in Applied Science in Instructor of Technology and Military Science, CCAF
2009 Senior NCO Academy, Maxwell AFB-Gunter Annex, Ala.
2011 Professional Manager Certification, Community College of the Air Force
2012 Chief Leadership Orientation, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio
2012 Master of Science in Psychology in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Capella University, Minneapolis, Minn.
2013 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education Correspondence Course I
2015 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N.C.
2015 Air Force Smart Operations 21 (AFSO21) Executive Leaders Course, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn.
2016 Senior Enlisted Legal Orientation Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2016 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education Correspondence Course II
2016 Keystone, Command Senior Enlisted Leadership Course, National Defense University, Washington, D.C.
2018 Leading Strategically, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2021 Diversity and Inclusion Certificate, Cornell University
2021 Managing for Inclusion: Leveraging Diversity in the Workplace Certificate, Georgetown University
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 1992–September 1992, Trainee, Basic Military Training, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas
2. October 1992–December 1992, Student, Personnel Specialist, Keesler AFB, Miss.
3. December 1992–October 1995, Unit Personnel Office Clerk, 384th Training Squadron, Sheppard AFB, Texas
4. November 1995–October 1996, Customer Service Specialist, 82nd Mission Support Squadron, Sheppard AFB, Texas
5. November 1996–October 1997, Personnel Employment Journeyman, 82nd Mission Support Squadron, Sheppard AFB, Texas
6. December 1997–October 1998, Assistant Team Leader, Personnel Employment, 20th Mission Support Squadron, Shaw AFB, S.C.
7. November 1998–September 2000, NCOIC, Assignments, 20th Mission Support Squadron, Shaw AFB, S.C. (August 1999–November 1999, Deployed, Reception Control Center, Operation Bright Star, Cairo, Egypt)
8. October 2000–October 2002, NCOIC, Retirements and Separations, 36th Mission Support Squadron, Andersen AFB, Guam
9. October 2002–November 2003, NCOIC, Operations and Logistics Instructor Assignments, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Randolph AFB, Texas
10. November 2003–March 2005, NCOIC, Instructor and Special Duty Assignments, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Randolph AFB, Texas
11. March 2005–October 2005, NCOIC, Enlisted Support Assignments Branch, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Randolph AFB, Texas
12. November 2005–August 2007, Superintendent, Satellite Personnel Agency, Detachment 1, 325th Fighter Wing, Corry Station, Pensacola, Fla. (August 2006–November 2006, Deployed, Superintendent, Personnel, 557th Expeditionary RED HORSE Squadron, Balad Air Base, Iraq)
13. August 2007–July 2010, Commandant, Airman Leadership School, 1st Special Operations Force Support Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
14. August 2010–May 2012, Superintendent, Military Personnel Section, 75th Force Support Squadron, Hill AFB, Utah
15. May 2012–March 2013, Superintendent, 75th Force Support Squadron, Hill AFB, Utah
16. August 2012–September 2012, Interim Command Chief, 75th Air Base Wing, Hill AFB, Utah
17. March 2013–July 2015, Chief Enlisted Manager Personnel Division/Personnel Functional Manager, Headquarters United States Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
18. August 2015–October 2016, Command Chief, 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth AFB, S.D.
19. October 2016–October 2018, Superintendent, Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Staff of the Air Force Executive Action Group, Headquarters Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
20. October 2018–June 2020, Command Chief Master Sergeant, Air Force Recruiting Service, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas
21. July 2020–September 2021, Senior Enlisted Leader, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
22. September 2021–Present, Command Chief, 15th Air Force, Shaw AFB, S.C.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit with one oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with one silver and one bronze oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1993 Sheppard Air Force Base Air Force Sergeants Association First Term Airman of the Year
1996 Sheppard AFB Personnel Manager of the Year
1997 Leadership Award, Airman Leadership School
1997 Shaw AFB Airman of the Year
1998 Shaw AFB Personnel Manager of the Year
2000 Shaw AFB Outstanding Woman of the Year
2001 Andersen AFB Personnel Manager of the Year
2004 Distinguished Graduate, Noncommissioned Officer Academy
2004 Headquarters Air Education and Training Command Personnel Technician of the Year
2004 HQ AETC Director of Manpower and Personnel NCO of the Year
2006 Detachment 1, Corry Station, SNCO of the Year
2008 Air Force Special Operations Command Airman Leadership School Commandant of the Year
2009 AFSOC ALS Commandant of the Year
EFFECTIVE DAT ES OF PROMOTION
Chief Master Sergeant 1 August 2012
(Current as of September 2021)