US Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Michael Venning Fired as Command Chief of 81st Training Wing

Chief Master Sgt. Michael Venning Fired as Command Chief of 81st Training WingPhoto by2nd Life Media US Army

Chief Master Sgt. Michael Venning was removed from his position by Col. Billy Pope, the 81st Training Wing commander. The senior noncommissioned officer had been reassigned earlier this summer as officials investigated him. The command chief of the 81st Training Wing at Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi was removed from his leadership role this week following an internal investigation into the senior noncommissioned officer, according to the Air Force.

Col. Pope temporarily reassigned Chief Master Sgt. Venning on July 30 to allow for a command-directed investigation to take place," Capt. Paige Skinner, a spokesperson for the 81st Training Wing, per a release on Military.com. "Col. Pope determined the findings of the investigation warranted the removal of Chief Master Sgt. Venning from his position."

There are no charges filed in his case as of yet, a service member's administrative disciplinary history can't be released and is protected under the Privacy Act of 1974.

In accordance with Air Force regulations, removal from a position for cause may be used as a basis to support subsequent collateral adverse administrative action in some situations.

A command-directed investigation is an administrative probe and is described as "an extension of the commander's authority to investigate and to correct problems within the command," according to the Department of the Air Force manual.

Per his military biography, Chief Venning entered the Air Force in May of 2000 and received his U.S. citizenship in 2005. He served six years in a combat communications unit as a power production specialist with many temporary duties and deployments around the country and in the Middle East. In 2006, Chief Venning retrained into the contracting career field and spent 11 years in various non-commissioned officer, squadron Senior Enlisted Leader, and major command staff positions, in addition to being warranted as a contracting officer. He has also served as commandant of an NCO Academy and Airman Leadership School. Before assuming his current position, Chief Venning was the Command Chief for the 100th Air Refueling Wing, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom.

Chief Venning has deployed four times in support of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM, and NEW DAWN.

EDUCATION
2003 Airman Leadership School, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla.
2008 Associate degree in Mechanical & Electrical Technology, Community College of the Air Force
2009 Associate degree in Contracts Management, Community College of the Air Force
2011 Non-Commissioned Officer Academy, McGhee-Tyson Air National Guard Base, Tenn.
2011 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education I (correspondence)
2013 Senior Non-Commissioned Officer Academy, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2013 Professional Manager Certification, Community College of the Air Force (correspondence)
2014 Bachelor of Science in Organizational & Human Resource Management, Colorado Christian University
2015 Acquisition Professional Development Program, Contracting Level III Certification
2016 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education II, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2018 Chief Master Sergeant Leadership Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2021 Command Chief Master Sergeant Training Course, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
2022 Leading Strategically, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2022 Eurasia Seminar, Alan L. Freed Associates, Washington D.C.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 2000 – September 2006, Power Production Crew Member/NCOIC, 33rd Combat Communications Squadron, Tinker AFB, Okla. (July 2003 – August 2003, Power Production Specialist, 5th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron, Kuwait City International Airport, Kuwait) (February 2004 – July 2004, Power Production NCOIC, 5th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron, Kuwait City International Airport, Kuwait)
2. September 2006 – December 2009, NCOIC/Construction Contracting Officer, 21st Contracting Squadron, Peterson AFB, Colo. (December 2009 – July 2010, Contingency Contracting Officer, Joint Contracting Command Iraq/Afghanistan, Baghdad, Iraq)
3. July 2010 – November 2010, Base Support Contracting Officer, 21st Contracting Squadron, Peterson AFB, Colo.
4. November 2010 – September 2012, Superintendent, 770th Business Support Squadron, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio (December 2012 – June 2013, J-3 Operations Superintendent, CENTCOM Joint Theater Support Contracting Command, Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar)
5. September 2012 – June 2013, AFMC Contracting Command Training Manager, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
6. June 2013 – April 2014, AFMC Contracting Functional Area Manager, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
7. May 2014 – August 2017, Superintendent, 673d Contracting Squadron, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
8. September 2017 – July 2020, Commandant, Elmendorf Professional Military Education Center, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
9. July 2020 – August 2021, Superintendent, 422d Air Base Group, RAF Croughton, United Kingdom
10. August 2021 – July 2023, Command Chief, 100th Air Refueling Wing, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom 11. July 2023 – Present, Command Chief Master Sergeant, 81st Training Wing, Keesler AFB, Miss.

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Commendation Medal
Air and Space Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Combat Readiness Medal with oak leaf cluster
Outstanding Airman of the Year Ribbon with bronze service star

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2003 John L. Levitow Award, Airman Leadership School
2011 John L. Levitow Award, Non-Commissioned Officer Academy
2011 Enterprise Sourcing Group Senior Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year
2012 AFMC Contingency Contracting Officer of the Year
2013 Distinguished Graduate, Senior Non-Commissioned Officer Academy
2013 Commandant’s Leadership Award, Senior Non-Commissioned Officer Academy
2013 AFMC Contracting Senior Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year
2013 AFMC Senior Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year
2014 USAF 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year
2016 PACAF Contracting Superintendent of the Year

Venning's firing comes after several major leadership changes across the Air Force in recent months.

Earlier this month, the commander of the 28th Force Support Squadron at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota was fired from his leadership role. In August, the 28th Operations Group commander at Ellsworth was also removed from his command.