Chief Master Sergeant Joseph Arce is the Command Chief Master Sergeant of Eighteenth Air Force, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. Eighteenth Air Force ensures the readiness and sustainment of 36,000 active duty, Air Force Reserves, and civilian Airmen at 12 wings and one direct reporting unit. Eighteenth Air Force supports Air Mobility Command's mission with over 400 aircraft providing rapid global mobility to America’s armed forces through airlift, aerial refueling and aeromedical evacuation.
Chief Arce enlisted in the Air Force in February 2000 as a Weapons Load Crew Chief before cross training into Air Traffic Control in 2004. Throughout his career he has held diverse leadership positions including First Sergeant, and key leadership positions at the squadron, group, wing and staff levels. He has led joint operations across multiple bases including Guam, Portugal, and Kuwait and has deployed to Turkey, Iraq, Kuwait and Qatar to support operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, and Allies Refuge. Prior to assuming his current assignment Chief Arce previously served as Command Chief, Senior Leader Management, Deputy Chief of Staff, Manpower, Personnel, and Services, Headquarters United States Air Force.
EDUCATION
2003 Airman Leadership School, Shaw AFB, S.C.
2004 Associate of Applied Science, Aircraft Armament System Technology, Community College of the Air Force
2006 Associate of Applied Science, Airway Science, Community College of the Air Force
2009 Air Force Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Tyndall AFB, FL
2010 Bachelor of Science, Professional Aeronautics, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Worldwide Campus, Daytona Beach, FL
2011 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education Course I, National Defense University
2012 Professional Manager Certification, Community College of the Air Force
2014 Air Force Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Maxwell-Gunter Annex, AL
2016 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education Course II, National Defense University
2018 Chief Leadership Course, Maxwell-Gunter Annex, AL
2018 Leadership Team Awareness Seminar, Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute, Patrick AFB, FL
2018 Master of Arts, Homeland Security, American Military University, Charles Town, W.V.
2019 Command Chief Master Sergeant Training Course, Joint Base Andrews, MD
2020 Senior Enlisted Legal Orientation, Maxwell-Gunter Annex, AL
2020 Air Force Nuclear Enterprise Orientation Course, Air Force Nuclear College, OL-Kirtland AFB, N.M.
2021 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N.C.
2021 Global/Regional Seminar: China and the Far East Seminar, Alan L. Freed Associates, Washington, D.C.
2024 KEYSTONE, National Defense University, Ft. Leslie J. McNair, Washington, D.C
2024 ASCENT, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. February 2000 – December 2003, Aircraft Armament Journeyman, Weapons Load Crew Chief, 20th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Shaw AFB, S.C. (November 2002 May 2003, 55th Air Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, Incirlik AB, Turkey)
2. January 2004 – January 2005, Weapons Academic Instructor, 8th Maintenance Group, Kunsan AB, Republic of Korea
3. February 2005 – August 2010, Watch Supervisor, Eglin Radar Control Facility, 46th Operations Support Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla. (October 2008 – April 2009, 506th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron, Kirkuk AB, Iraq)
4. August 2010 – June 2014, Tower Chief Controller and Additional Duty First Sergeant, 36th Operations Support Squadron, Anderson AFB, Guam (May 2012- December 2012, 386th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron, Ali Al Salem AB, Kuwait)
5. June 2014 – November 2016, Tower Chief Controller, 14th Operations Support Squadron, Columbus AFB, Miss. (April2015 -September 2015, Airfield Operations Division, Al Udeid AB, Qatar)
6. November 2016 – December 2017, Complex Chief Controller & Superintendent, 65th Operations Support Squadron, Lajes AB, Azores, Portugal
7. December 2017 – December 2018, Chief Controller, 366th Operations Support Squadron, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho
8. January 2019 – November 2019, Group Superintendent, 370th Air Expeditionary Advisory, Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center, Iraq
9. December 2019 – June 2020, Superintendent & Radar Approach Chief Controller, 366th Operation Support Squadron, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho
10. June 2020 – May 2022, Command Chief Master Sergeant, 62d Airlift Wing, Joint Base Lewis-McCord, Wash.
11. May 2022 – June 2023, Command Chief Master Sergeant, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, Al Udeid AB, Qatar
12. June 2023 – July 2025, Command Chief Master Sergeant, Air Force Senior Leader Management Office, Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower, Personnel, and Services, Headquarters United States Air Force, Pentagon, Washington D.C.
13. August 2025 – Present, Command Chief Master Sergeant, Headquarters Eighteenth Air Force, Scott AFB, IL
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit with one oak leaf cluster
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with Combat device and four oak leaf clusters
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one Bronze Star device
Iraqi Campaign Medal with one Bronze Star device
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2001 Senior Airman Below the Zone
2012 36th Wing, Lance P. Sijan Noncommissioned Officer of the Year Nominee
2016 AETC Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Chief Master Sergeant December 1, 2017
(Current as of August 2025)