Chief Master Sergeant Derek Neill is the Command Chief Master Sergeant, 17th Training Wing, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas. He serves as the principal advisor to the wing commander on all issues concerning morale, health, welfare, training, readiness, effective utilization and career progression of Airmen. He liaises with and provides recommendations to the wing’s group and joint service commanders, key staff members, and senior enlisted in leading more than 5,300 personnel. A joint center of excellence, Goodfellow is the home for the Department of Defense Fire Academy and multi-service intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance technical training. The wing is responsible for training more than 14,000 professionals annually for the United States Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Space Force, Coast Guard, and other government agencies and allied nations. In addition to Goodfellow AFB, the wing is home to geographically separated units located in Arizona, California, Florida, and Virginia.
CMSgt Neill hails from Harrison, Michigan and entered the Air Force in April 2004. Throughout his career, he has been assigned in Texas, Korea, Ohio, and the National Capitol Region, providing direct intelligence support to air, space, cyber, and special operations, to include joint experience with the National Security Agency, United States Cyber Command and Joint Special Operations Command. Additionally, he has deployed multiple times in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and other Joint Task Force overseas contingency operations.
Prior to his current position, CMSgt Neill served as the Senior Enlisted Leader, of the 365th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group, Nellis AFB, Nevada.
EDUCATION
2004 Signals Intelligence Analysis Apprentice Course, Goodfellow AFB, Texas
2006 Basic Digital Network Analysis Course, Naval Technical Training Center-Corry Station, Fla.
2006 Associate of Applied Science, Communications Applications Technology, Community College of the Air Force
2008 Airman Leadership School, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
2008 Space & Missiles Intelligence Formal Training Unit, National Space Security Institute, Colo.
2009 Bachelor of Arts, Intelligence Studies, American Military University
2012 Master of Arts, Management & Leadership, Liberty University
2012 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education, by correspondence
2014 Military Intern Signals Analysis Program, National Security Agency, Fort George G. Meade, Md.
2015 Cyber Operations Fundamentals Course, by correspondence
2015 Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Peterson AFB, Colo.
2016 Professional Manager Certification, Community College of the Air Force
2019 Senior Enlisted Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance Master Skills Course, Goodfellow AFB, Texas
2019 Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Gunter Annex, Ala.
2020 Executive Education, Crisis Management & Leadership, Columbia University, N.Y.
2020 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education II, by correspondence
2023 Chief Master Sergeant Leadership Course, Gunter Annex, Ala.
2024 Senior Enlisted Legal Orientation, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2024 Group Command Team Training Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2025 Wing Command Team Training Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
June 2004 - Dec. 2004, Student, Signals Intelligence Analysis Apprentice Course, 316th Training Squadron, Goodfellow AFB, Texas
Dec. 2004 - Dec. 2005, Signals Intelligence Analyst Apprentice, 93d Intelligence Squadron, Lackland AFB, Texas
Dec. 2005 - May 2007, Information Assurance Analyst, 33d Information Operations Squadron, Lackland AFB, Texas
May 2007 - May 2008, Conventional Systems Analyst, then Datalink Operations Manager, 303d Intelligence Squadron, Osan AB, Republic of Korea
May 2008 - Aug. 2011, Sensor Event Analyst, then Space Systems Analyst, National Air & Space Intelligence Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. (February 2010- July 2010, Airborne Cryptologic Operator, 362d Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron, Joint Base Balad, Iraq)
Aug. 2011 – Sept. 2014, Military Intern Signals Analysis Program (MINSAP) Intern, 70th Operations Support Squadron, Fort George G. Meade, Md. (April 2014-August 2014, Digital Network Intelligence Analyst, Joint Task Force, Bagram AB, Afghanistan)
Sept. 2014 - Oct. 2018, NCOIC, Digital Network Intelligence Team, then Senior Enlisted Leader, B-Troop, Joint Communications Integration Element, Arlington, Va.
Oct. 2018 - Sept. 2019, Operations Superintendent, Joint Cyber Operations Group, Arlington, Va.
Sept. 2019 - Sept. 2020, Superintendent, 41st Intelligence Squadron, Fort George G. Meade, Md.
Sept. 2020 - Apr. 2021, Superintendent, 341st Cyberspace Operations Squadron, Fort George G. Meade, Md.
April 2021 - June 2022, 1N4XX Deputy Career Field Manager, Headquarters Air Force, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C.
July 2022 - July 2023, Senior Enlisted Leader, Special United States Liaison Advisor Korea, United States Army Garrison-Humphreys, Republic of Korea
Aug. 2023 – July 2025, Senior Enlisted Leader, 365th Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance Group, Nellis AFB, Nev.
July 2025 – Present, Command Chief, 17th Training Wing, Goodfellow AFB, Texas
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2006 33d Information Operations Squadron Airman of the Year
2008 John L. Levitow Award, Airman Leadership School
2010 National Air & Space Intelligence Center Senior Technician of the Year
2019 Distinguished Graduate, Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Chief Master Sergeant Nov. 1, 2022
(Current as of July 2025)