Command Chief Master Sgt. Bernard Cho

Chief Master Sgt. Bernard G. Cho is the 14th State Command Chief for the New Hampshire Air National Guard, Joint Force Headquarters, Concord, New Hampshire. The Chief is the Air National Guard senior enlisted advisor to the Adjutant General on quality-of-life issues and concerns of the state’s approximately 1,000 enlisted airmen. In addition, he acts as liaison with the assistant adjutants general for Air and Army, the state command chief warrant officer, the state command sergeant major, director of staff, and other staff members on matters of health, welfare, morale, professional development, good order and discipline and the effective employment of the state’s airmen.

CMSgt Cho enlisted in the Air Force in 1996. Following basic training, he attended the Aircraft Electro-Environmental Apprentice Course and he spent the next four years on active duty in aircraft maintenance working on EF-111s at Cannon AFB and KC-135Rs at Kadena AFB until he was assigned to the 909th ARS aircraft maintenance operations center in 2000. Upon separation from active duty, he palace chased to join the California Air National Guard in 2001, where he returned to KC-135R maintenance. He transferred to the New Hampshire Air National Guard in 2005 and continued to serve in the aircraft electro-environmental shop for nine years. He was selected to be first sergeant of the 260th Air Traffic Control Squadron in 2014, where he served as their first sergeant for four years. Sergeant Cho deployed as the 380th Expeditionary Operations Group First Sergeant for six months in 2017. Upon his return, he was selected to be the 157th Air Refueling Wing First Sergeant, where he served for two years. Sergeant Cho was hired as the 157th Maintenance Squadron Accessories Section Chief in 2019, selected as the Component Maintenance Flight Superintendent in 2020, and finally selected as the Group Senior Enlisted Leader in 2022. Sergeant Cho has deployed in support of Operations Northern Watch, Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, Freedom’s Sentinel, and Inherent Resolve.

EDUCATION

1996 Basic Military Training, Lackland AFB, TX
1996 Aircraft Electro-Environmental Apprentice Technical School, Sheppard AFB, TX
2008 Associate in Science degree, Aircraft Maintenance Technology, Community College of the Air Force, Maxwell AFB, AL
2011 Federal Air Marshal Training Program, Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Artesia, NM
2013 Bachelor of Science degree, Behavioral Science, Granite State College, Concord, NH
2014 First Sergeant Academy, Maxwell AFB, AL
2015 Master Resilience Trainer course, Joint Base McGuire-Dix, NJ
2016 Critical Incident Response Team Course, Freedom Center, Reston, VA
2018 SNCO Academy, Maxwell AFB, AL
2019 Maintenance Supervision and Production Course, USAF Expeditionary Operations School, Joint Base McGuire-Dix, NJ
2019 AF CPI Green Belt Facilitator Training Course, Hanscom AFB, MA
2022 Air National Guard Chief Master Sergeant Orientation Course, ANGRC, Andrews AFB, MD
2023 Compliance Safety and Health Officer Training, OSHA Training Institute, Chicago, IL
2024 Master of Public Health degree, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH

ASSIGNMENTS

1. Aug 1996 - Oct 1996, USAF Basic Military Training, Student, Lackland AFB, TX.
2. Oct 1996 – Mar 1997, Aircraft Electro-Environmental Apprentice Course, Student, Sheppard AFB, TX
3. Mar 1997 – Mar 1998, 27th Component Repair Squadron, EF-111 Electrician, Cannon AFB, NM
4. Mar 1998 - Jan 2000, 909th Air Refueling Squadron, KC-135R Electrician, Kadena AFB, Japan
5. Jan 2000 - Jun 2001 909th Air Refueling Squadron, Maintenance Operations Controller, Kadena AFB, Japan
6. Jun 2001- Jan 2005, 163rd Maintenance Squadron, KC-135R Electrician, March AFB, CA
7. Jan 2005 - Jan 2014, 157th Maintenance Squadron, KC-135R Electrician, Pease ANGB, NH
8. Jan 2014 – Apr 2017, 260th Air Traffic Control Squadron, First Sergeant, Pease ANGB, NH
9. Apr 2017 – Dec 2017, 380th Expeditionary Operations Group, First Sergeant, Al Dhafra AB, United Arab Emirates
10. Jan 2018 – Jan 2020, 157th Air Refueling Wing, First Sergeant, Pease ANGB, NH
11. Jul 2019 – Jun 2020, 157th Maintenance Squadron, Accessories Section Chief, Pease ANGB, NH
12. Jul 2020 – Sep 2022, 157th Maintenance Squadron, Component Maintenance Flight Senior Enlisted Leader, Pease ANGB, NH
13. Oct 2022 – Feb 2025, 157th Maintenance Group, Senior Enlisted Leader, Pease ANGB, NH
14. Mar 2025 – Present, New Hampshire Air National Guard, State Command Chief, Joint Force Headquarters, Concord, NH

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf cluster
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Air Force Overseas Long Tour Ribbon

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS

2014 Distinguished Graduate (Summa Cum Laude), Granite State College
2014 Honor Graduate, First Sergeant Academy
2018 Distinguished Graduate, SNCO Academy
2018 First Sergeant of the Year, 157th Operations Group
2019 First Sergeant of the Year, 157th Air Refueling Wing
2020 Gold Member, SALUTE Veterans National Honor Society

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION

Staff Sergeant – August 2002 Technical Sergeant – October 2006
Master Sergeant - February 2014 Senior Master Sergeant – April 2018
Chief Master Sergeant – November 2020
(Current as of March 2025)