Chief Master Sergeant Dillon is Career Field Manager at The United States Air Force Honor Guard, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, District of Columbia. He oversees the scheduling and performance of 320 ceremonial guardsmen over a four state area of responsibility. He manages more than three thousand missions per year from Air Force Funerals to Joint Service ceremonies honoring the President of the United States, Foreign Heads of State and senior Department of Defense and Air Force leaders. Additionally, he performs ceremonial guardsman duties for ceremonies ranging from Presidential and Joint Service events, Air Force arrivals and wreath-laying ceremonies at the Tomb of the Unknowns and the Air Force Memorial, as well as military funerals in Arlington National Cemetery.
Chief Dillon entered the Air Force in 1996. He graduated from the Louis F. Garland Fire Academy at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, in August 1996. Throughout his career, he has filled a myriad of roles including noncommissioned officer in charge of Base Honor Guard, Master Military Training Instructor, First Sergeant, President Eglin First Sergeant Council and President Misawa Top 3. His assignments include bases in Mississippi, Texas, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina with leadership roles at the squadron and group levels. He also served overseas in Honduras, Portugal, Japan, and South Korea and deployed in support of Operations SOUTHERN WATCH, ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM and Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa.
Prior to this assignment, he served as the Installation Fire Chief, 628th Civil Engineer Squadron, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina.
EDUCATION
2002 Bachelor of Science, Aeronautical Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, Ala.
1998 Associate of Arts, Occupational Education, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
2000 Airman Leadership School, Lajes Field, Azores, Portugal
2000 Associate of Applied Science, Fire Science, Community College of the Air Force
2002 Military Training Instructor School, Lackland AFB, Texas
2003 Associate of Applied Science, Instructor of Technology and Military Science, Community College of the Air Force
2004 Bachelor of Science, Fire Science, University of Maryland University College, Adelphia, Maryland
2007 Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida
2007 Master of Science, Executive Fire Service Leadership, Grand Canyon University, Phoenix, Arizona
2008 Joint Senior Enlisted Professional Military Education (Correspondence)
2010 First Sergeant Academy, Maxwell-Gunter AFB, Alabama
2010 Associate of Applied Science, Human Resource Management, Community College of the Air Force
2012 U.S. Navy Senior Enlisted Academy, Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island
2017 Chief Leadership Course, Maxwell-Gunter AFB, Alabama
2019 Chief Fire Officer, Commission on Professional Credentialing, Center for Public Safety Excellence
ASSIGNMENTS or CAREER CHRONOLOGY
- September 1996 – February 1999, Firefighter, 81st Civil Engineer Squadron, Keesler AFB, Mississippi (May 1998 – October 1999, Firefighter, 386 Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, Ali Al Salem, Kuwait)
- February 1999 – February 2000, Fire Rescue Technician, 612th Air Operations Group, Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras
- February 2000 – February 2002, NCOIC Base Honor Guard and Fire Inspector, 65th Civil Engineering Squadron, Lajes Field, Azores, Portugal
- February 2002 – March 2004, Military Training Instructor, 320d Training Squadron, Lackland AFB, Texas
- March 2004 – May 2005, MTI, Academics Flight, 737 TRSS, Lackland AFB, Texas
- May 2005 – December 2005, Master Military Training Instructor, 322d TRS, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas
- January 2006 – May 2008, NCOIC Emergency Communications Center, 96th Civil Engineer Squadron, Eglin AFB, Florida (May 2008 – September 2008, Assistant Fire Chief, 380th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates)
- May 2008 – Jan 2009, Station Chief, 96th Civil Engineer Squadron, Eglin AFB, Florida
- January 2009 – January 2010, District Fire Chief, 96th Civil Engineer Squadron, Eglin AFB, Florida
- January 2010 – January 2012, First Sergeant, 53d Electronic Warfare Group, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida
- January 2012 – December 2012, First Sergeant, 96th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida
- January 2013 – June 2015, Deputy Fire Chief, 35th Civil Engineering Squadron, Misawa AB, Japan
- June 2015 – June 2016, Installation Fire Chief, 35th Civil Engineer Squadron, Misawa AB, Japan
- July 2016 – Sep 2017, Installation Fire Chief, 23d Civil Engineer Squadron, Moody Air Force Base, Georgia
- October 2017 – October 2018, Installation Fire Chief, 51th Civil Engineer Squadron, Osan AB, Republic of Korea
- October 2018 – November 2019, Installation Fire Chief, 628 Civil Engineer Squadron, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina
- November 2019 – Present, Career Field Manager & Chief Enlisted Manager, The USAF Honor Guard, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1997 Airman of the Year, 81st Civil Engineer Squadron
1998 Promoted Senior Airman Below-the-Zone
2000 Airman of the Year, 65th Air Base Wing
2001 Honor Guard Member of the Year, 65th Air Base Wing
2002 Excellence in Instruction Award, Military Training Instructor School
2003 Military Training Instructor Rookie of the Year, 320th Training Recruit Squadron
2004 Master Military Training Instructor (Blue Rope), Air Force Basic Training
2005 Air Education & Training Command Master Instructor
2005 Training Manager of the Year, 737th Training Group
2005 Master Military Training Instructor of the Year, 322d Training Recruit Squadron
2007 Commandant’s Leadership Award, NCO Academy
2008 Okaloosa County Fire Officer of the Year
2008 NCO of the Year, 96th Civil Engineer Group
2010 Air Combat Command First Sergeant of the Year
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Airman First Class Mar 1996
Senior Airman (BTZ) Jan 1998
Staff Sergeant Feb 2001
Technical Sergeant Jun 2005
Master Sergeant Jun 2009
Senior Master Sergeant Jan 2013
Chief Master Sergeant Jul 2016
(Current as of December 2020)