Chief Master Sgt. Karen L. Grider is the Command Chief of the 363d Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Wing, headquartered at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. She serves as the personal advisor to the commander on all issues regarding the welfare, readiness, morale, professional growth, training, and quality of life of more than 2,500 Total Force military, civilian and contractor personnel executing operations at locations across the world. The core missions of the wing include analysis for air, space, and cyber operations; full-spectrum targeting, special operations ISR; and ISR testing, tactics development and advanced training.
Grider enlisted in the Air Force in December 1992 as a Persian-Farsi Airborne Cryptologic Language Analyst. During her career, she has served as an instructor/evaluator on nine airborne platforms and has amassed 4,300 flight hours and over 20 deployments in support of United States Central Command, United States European Command, and United States Africa Command operations. She has spent seven years working in the joint service environment and with multiple foreign military services.
Prior to her current assignment, Grider served as the 338th Combat Training Squadron Superintendent at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.
EDUCATION
1998 Airman Leadership School, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona
2000 Associate in Applied Science, Communications Application Technology, Community College of the Air Force
2003 Associate of Arts, Persian-Farsi, Defense Language Institute, Monterey, California
2003 Bachelor of Science, Finance & Management (summa cum laude), Park University Kansas City, Missouri
2004 Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Gunter Annex, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2010 Senior NCO Academy, Gunter Annex, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2012 Masters of Science, Strategic Intelligence, National Intelligence University, Bolling AFB, Washington, D.C.
2012 Professional Manager Certification, Community College of the Air Force
2013 Senior Enlisted Intelligence Master Skills Course, Goodfellow, AFB, Texas
2013 Chief Leadership Course, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2017 Associate in Applied Science, Business Administration, Community College of the Air Force
ASSIGNMENTS
1. December 1992 – January 1993, Student, Basic Military Training, Lackland AFB, Texas
2. January 1993 – February 1994, Student, Persian-Farsi Language Course, Defense Language Institute, Monterey, California
3. February 1994 – May 1994, Student, Middle East Cryptologic Linguist Apprentice Course, Goodfellow AFB, Texas
4. May 1994 – June 1996, Airborne Cryptologic Linguist, 94th Intelligence Squadron, Fort George G. Meade, Maryland
5. June 1996 – January 1998, Mission Reporter and Analyst, 97th Intelligence Squadron, Offutt AFB, Nebraska
6. January 1998 – June 2001, Technical Language Instructor, Detachment 2, 67th Intelligence Group, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona
7. June 2001 – June 2006, NCOIC, Special Plans and Group Standardization and Evaluations
8. June 2006 – July 2010, Flight Chief, Reconnaissance Operations, 488th Intelligence Squadron, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom
9. July 2010 – September 2011, Graduate Student, National Intelligence University, Bolling AFB, Washington, D.C.
10. October 2011 – May 2013, Superintendent, Standards & Evaluations, 488th Intelligence Squadron, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom
11. May 2013 – December 2014, Squadron Superintendent, 41st Electronic Combat Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona
12. January 2015 – May 2015, Student, Joint Military Attaché School, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C.
13. May 2015 – March 2017, Operations Coordinator, Defense Attaché Office, U.S. Embassy Abuja, Nigeria
14. March 2017 – July 2018, Squadron Superintendent, 338th Combat Training Squadron, Offutt AFB, Nebraska
15. October 2018 – April 2019, Group Superintendent, 380th Expeditionary Operations Group, Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates
16. July 2019 – present, Command Chief, 363d ISR Wing, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with 15 oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1999 Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, Base-Level, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona
2003 NCO of the Year, Squadron-Level
2004 Distinguished Graduate and Academic Achievement, NCO Academy
2004 AFSOF HHQ Aircrew Member of the Year, Wing-Level
2008 Academic Excellence, Senior NCO Academy, Correspondence
2015 Distinguished Graduate, Joint Military Attaché School, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C.
2016 Department of State Meritorious Honor Award
2017 Department of State Meritorious Honor Award
EFFECTIVE DATE OF PROMOTION
Chief Master Sergeant August 2013
(Current as of July 2019)