CMSgt Nathan L. Parks is the Command Chief Master Sergeant, 442d Fighter Wing, Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. He serves as the principle advisor to the wing commander on all issues regarding the welfare, readiness, morale, professional development, and proper utilization and progress of approximately 1,300 Air Force reservists at Whiteman AFB and a geographically separated unit; the 476th Fighter Group at Moody AFB, Ga.
Chief Parks was born in Osage Beach, Missouri and is a 1996 graduate of Warsaw High School. He entered the Air Force in August that same year as a C-5 Loadmaster. In August of 2000, then Senior Airman Parks left the active duty and joined the Air Force Reserves. During his time in the Air Force Reserve he has served as a Traditional Reservist, Air Reserve Technician, spent time in the Inactive Ready Reserve, and is currently an Active Guard Reservist. His varied background includes Presidential support team loadmaster, Noncommissioned Officer in Charge of Squadron Aviation Resource Management, Kansas City Missouri Police Officer, Proactive Officer Unit,Community Officer, Air Force Special Operations Command Sensor Operator, Formal Training Unit Squadron Operations Superintendent, Instructor Sensor Operator, Squadron Chief Enlisted Manager, and Group Superintendent and graduated Wing Command Chief.
Prior to this assignment, he served as the Chief, Air Force Reserve Chiefs’ Group, Air Force Reserve Senior Leader Management Office, the Pentagon, Washington D.C
EDUCATION
1996 Basic Military Training, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas 1996 Aircrew Fundamentals, Sheppard AFB, Texas
1996 Basic Loadmaster School, Sheppard AFB, Texas 1996 C-5 Loadmaster School, Altus AFB, Okla.
1997 Air Force Combat Survival School, Fairchild AFB, Wash. 1997 Air Force Water Survival School, Fairchild AFB, Wash.
2001 Noncommissioned Officer Preparatory Course, by correspondence 2005 Kansas City Regional Police Academy, Kansas City, Mo.
2009 Undercover Survival and Tactics, Ft. Dodge, Iowa
2011 Noncommissioned Officer Academy, by correspondence
2014 Associates in Applied Science Degree in Space Technology, Community College of the Air Force 2014 Associates in Applied Science Degree in Aeronautics and Aviation Management, CCAF
2014 USAF Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, by correspondence 2016 Air Force Reserve Command Chief Orientation Course, Robins AFB, Ga. 2017 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education, by correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS
- August 1996–August 2000, C-5 A/B Loadmaster, 9th Air Lift Squadron, Dover AFB, Del.
- August 2000–February 2002, Aviation Resource Management, 18th Air Refueling Squadron, McConnell AFB, Kan.
- March 2002–June 2012, SARM NCOIC, 303rd Fighter Squadron, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
- July 2012–September 2015, Superintendent, 429th Air Combat Training Squadron, Holloman AFB, N.M.
- September 2015–December 2017, Chief Enlisted Manager, 78th Attack Squadron, Creech AFB, Nev.
- December 2017–November 2020, Superintendent, 726th Operations Group, Creech AFB, Nev.
- December 2020–September 2022, Command Chief Master Sergeant, 434th Air Refueling Wing, Grissom ARB, Ind.
- November 2022-September 2024, Chief, Air Force Reserve Chiefs’ Group, Air Force Reserve Senior Leader Management Office, the Pentagon, Washington D.C
- September 2024-Present, Command Chief Master Sergeant, 442d Fighter Wing, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
FLlGHT INFORMATION
Rating: senior career enlisted aviator Flight hours: more than 3,412 Aircraft flown: MQ-9 and C-5 A/B
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters Aerial Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster Air and Space Achievement Medal
Meritorious Unit Award with oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award with Valor Device and three oak leaf clusters Air Reserve Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal with two oak leaf clusters Humanitarian Service Medal with two service stars
EFFECTIVE DATE OF PROMOTION
Airman Basic Aug. 28, 1996
Airman Feb. 28, 1997
Airman First Class Dec. 28, 1997
Senior Airman Aug. 28, 1999
Staff Sergeant July 1, 2001
Technical Sergeant July 1, 2006
Master Sergeant Nov. 1, 2011
Senior Master Sergeant March 1, 2014
Chief Master Sergeant March 1, 2016
(CURRENT AS OF October 2024)