Chief Master Sergeant - Wikipedia Chief Master Sergeant CMSgt insignia ( 1994 -- present ) Chief Master Sergeant ( CMSgt ) is the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force, just above Senior Master Sergeant, and is a senior non-commissioned officer rank. The official term is `` Chief Master Sergeant '' or `` Chief ''. Attaining the rank of Chief Master Sergeant is the pinnacle of an Air Force enlisted person 's career. Some Chief Master Sergeants manage the efforts of all enlisted personnel within their unit or major subsection while others run major staff functions at higher headquarters levels. All Chief Master Sergeants are expected to serve as mentors for non-commissioned officers and junior enlisted members, and to serve as advisers to unit commanders and senior officers. By federal law, roughly one percent of the Air Force enlisted force may hold the rank of chief master sergeant. Contents 1 Special duty positions 1.1 Command Chief Master Sergeant 1.2 Group superintendent 1.3 Squadron Superintendent 2 Historical notes 3 Use in the Philippines 4 See also 5 References Special duty positions This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( June 2011 ) E-9 first sergeant insignia CCM insignia ( 1998 -- present ) CMSAF insignia ( Nov 2004 -- present ) Command Chief Master Sergeant The position of Command Chief Master Sergeant ( CCM ) was renamed in November 1998. Formerly titled senior enlisted advisor, Command Chief Master Sergeants serve as senior advisors to commanders at key levels of command ; these include Wings, Numbered Air Forces, Field Operating Agencies, and Major Commands. In a Joint Command, when an Air Force Chief fills a DoD - nominated Command senior enlisted advisor position ( see note ), that individual is also designated as a Command Chief. Command Chiefs advise the unit commanders on all enlisted matters, including all issues affecting the command 's mission and operations, and the readiness, training, utilization, morale, technical and professional development, and quality of life of all enlisted members in the organization. Command Chiefs hold a reporting identifier of 9E000. CCMs provide leadership to the enlisted force and are the functional managers for group superintendents and first sergeants in their organizations. Group superintendent Group superintendents fall under special reporting identifier coding with a 9G100 Air Force specialty code. Group superintendents provide leadership, management, and guidance in organizing, equipping, training, and mobilizing groups to meet home station and expeditionary mission requirements. Group superintendents work closely with their group commanders and command chief master sergeants to prepare the enlisted force to best execute mission requirements. They manage and direct resource activities as well as interpret and enforce policies and applicable directives. They also establish control procedures to meet mission goals and standards. Additionally, they recommend or initiate actions to improve organizational effectiveness and efficiency as well as ensure that the management of personnel and resources are consistent with current practices and procedures in support of the wing 's mission. They resolve issues between subordinate sqrons, other groups, wing staff, and outside agencies as well as perform other duties as directed by their group commanders. Squadron superintendent The duty position of squadron superintendent is the senior enlisted advisor to a unit commander. Historical notes Obsolete CMSgt insignia ( 1958 -- 1994 ) Although the Air Force had been an independent service since 1947, the rank of chief master Sergeant did not come into being until the authorization of the Military Pay Act of 1958. This act established the pay grades of E-8 and E-9, but without specifying titles for those pay grades. It was n't until late 1958 that the title chief master sergeant ( and the accompanying rank insignia ) was decided upon. The original Chief Master Sergeant rank insignia ( 1958 -- 1994 ) consisted of 2 chevrons on top, 3 stripes in the middle, and 3 rockers on bottom. Until his retirement in 2003, Chief Master Sergeant Norman Marous was the Air Force 's senior-most chief master sergeant, having served in the Air Force since 1962. Marous left active duty in 1967 to spend 22 years in the USAF Reserve and National Guard before returning to active duty as a Chief Master Sergeant in 1989. He retired in 2003 with 411⁄2 years of service. He is the only person authorized to wear two longevity ribbons, due to the space required for the number of multiple award devices authorized. This article may be confusing or unclear to readers. Please help us clarify the article. There might be a discussion about this on the talk page. ( April 2013 ) Use in the Philippines Chief master sergeant is since 2004 and as part of the ongoing modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the highest possible rank attained by enlisted personnel of the Philippine Army, the Philippine Air Force and the Philippine Marine Corps ( under the Philippine Navy ). Above the rank is that of first chief master sergeant, created also in the same year and is bestowed on the most veteran NCO who has served in the aforementioned service branches. The rank stands above that of senior master sergeant. The equivalent naval rating is that of master chief petty officer. See also United States Air Force portal Sergeant United States military pay Chief master sergeant of the Air Force References Air Force Instruction 36 - 2618, The Enlisted Force Structure Technical Sergeant Spink, Barry L. `` A Chronology of the Enlisted Rank Chevron of the United States Air Force, 19 February 1992. '' Air Force Historical Research Agency. Jump up ^ `` 10 U.S.C. § 517 ''. law.cornell.edu. Retrieved 2013 - 07 - 05. Jump up ^ Air Force Instruction 36 - 2618, The Enlisted Force Structure Jump up ^ The Long and Winding Road, Airman Magazine, July 2003, by Scott Wagers Indelible impressions, Airman 's Notebook, July, 2003 United States enlisted ranks Pay grade → Branch of service ↓ E-1 E-2 E-3 E-4 E-5 E-6 E-7 E-8 E-9 Army PVT PV2 PFC SPC -- CPL SGT SSG SFC MSG -- 1SG SGM -- CSM -- SMA Marine Corps Pvt PFC LCpl Cpl Sgt SSgt GySgt MSgt -- 1stSgt MGySgt -- SgtMaj -- SgtMajMarCor Navy SR SA SN PO3 PO2 PO1 CPO SCPO -- CMDCS MCPO -- CMDCM -- FORCM, FLTCM -- MCPON Air Force AB Amn A1C SrA SSgt TSgt MSgt -- 1st Sgt SMSgt -- 1st Sgt CMSgt -- 1st Sgt -- CCM -- CMSAF Coast Guard SR SA SN PO3 PO2 PO1 CPO SCPO MCPO -- CMC -- Area CMC, CGRF - CMC -- MCPOCG Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chief_master_sergeant&oldid=862380039 '' Categories : Enlisted ranks of the United States Air Force United States military enlisted ranks Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from June 2011 All articles needing additional references Wikipedia articles needing clarification from April 2013 All Wikipedia articles needing clarification Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Français Italiano Русский Українська Edit links This page was last edited on 4 October 2018, at 00 : 48 ( UTC ). 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Question: what rank is a chief in the air force
Answer: the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank