Command Chief Master Sergeant Marlon K. Nation

Chief Master Sergeant Nation entered the United States Air Force on 14 October 1977. He was assigned to the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, Tactical Aircraft Command (TAC) Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas, until August of 1980. He served as an Aircraft Armament Technician and was selected as a member of the Loading Standardization Crew (LSC), charged with the formal training and certification of all assigned aircraft armament load crews. He was subsequently assigned to the 8th Aircraft Generation Squadron, Pacific Aircraft Command (PACAF), Kunsan Air Base, South Korea. During his active-duty career, Chief Nation was recognized for his performance and potential by receiving a Below-the-Zone promotion to Senior Airman. Without a break in service, he enlisted in the Texas Air National Guard in September of 1981, as a traditional Guardsman, Weapons Systems Specialist. Shortly thereafter, he was selected as a full-time Technician. He was subsequently named to the Loading Standardization Crew (LSC), overseeing the training of assigned load crews. Chief Nation was later selected as the shop chief charged with the day-to-day management of the Weapons, Loading, Release and Gun Services sections. In 1994, Chief Nation was selected as the NCOIC of Quality Assurance inspectors and a Technical Order Distribution office responsible for monitoring the maintenance practices of more than 200 Maintenance Technicians and Traditional Guardsmen. The Group Commander placed the Group Training office under his supervision as well. Chief Nation was later assigned as the Maintenance Operations Flight NCOIC where he was responsible for day-to-day operations of several sections including Group Training, Management Analysis, Plans and Programs, Maintenance Operations and Coordination and Budget oversight. Reporting directly to the Maintenance Group Commander, the Maintenance Operations Flight provided oversight and monitoring of all aspects of aircraft maintenance operations except for Quality Assurance. Chief Nation also served as the Chief Enlisted Manager for more than 300 enlisted personnel assigned to the 147th Operations Group. He also served as the 147th Reconnaissance Wing’s Command Chief from 2011 to 2015.

During his career, Chief Nation was very active in his organization, state, and community. He served as a Congressional Intern in the U.S. House of Representatives and two terms as President of the 147th Reconnaissance Wings Chief’s Council, President of the Texas State Chief’s Council, and as a National Guard Association of Texas Education committee member. Most notably, Chief Nation was the first Commandant of the Texas Airman Leadership Seminar, which was one of the most successful initiatives in the State.

Chief Nation was instrumental in drafting the charter for the 147th Reconnaissance Wing’s Joseph A. Briggs Memorial Award, which recognizes Wing members for outstanding service. He served as the Wing SORTS Manager, Equal Employment Opportunity Counselor, Ramp Coordinator (RAMPCO) and as a Wing Initial Investigating Officer. Chief Nation served as the Maintenance Group Project Manager for several deployments, including serving as a member of the site-survey and ADVON Team, NCOIC for a State Department deployment in Israel in 2002. He served as the 147th Maintenance Group NCOIC for their first deployment to Balad AB, Iraq in 2005, coordinating essential aspects of the deployment. He was selected as the State Command Chief on Mar 10, 2015. He also served on the Texas Air National Guard Executive Council and as the Office of Primary Responsibility (OPR) and mentor for the State Senior Enlisted Advisory Council, and the State Senior Enlisted Promotion regulation.

Texas Air National Guard

2024