JAMES M. (JIM) MC COY Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force (Retired)

USAF OCS Class 57C, OC TSGT, 6th Squadron

Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force James M. McCoy was advisor to Secretary of the Air Force Hans Mark and Chief of Staff, General Lew Allen, Jr. on matters concerning welfare, effective utilization, and progress of the enlisted members of the Air Force. He was the sixth chief master sergeant appointed to this ultimate noncommissioned officer position.

Chief McCoy was born in Creston, Iowa and he graduated from Maur High School, Atchison, Kansas in 1948. He entered the US Air Force in January 1951 after attending St Benedict’s College in Atchison and St Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Centenary College of Louisiana in 1966. He is an honor graduate of the Second Air Force Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) Academy and graduated with the first class of the US Air Force Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy at Gunter Air Force Station, Alabama in March 1973.

After basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, Chief McCoy served with the Air Defense Command as a radar operator and instructor until 1956. He then returned to Lackland to become an instructor in the basic military training program. In 1957, he transferred to Clark Air Base, Philippines, where he served as the base training noncommissioned officer. During the Taiwan crisis of August 1958, he was instrumental in establishing and operating the wing command post, which coordinated all inbound combined Air Strike Force aircraft. In 1959, he was assigned as the assistant commandant of cadets, Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps Detachment 225, University of Notre Dame, Indiana.

Chief McCoy was assigned in 1960 as Commandant, Strategic Air Command (SAC) NCO Preparatory School, 305th Bombardment Wing, at Bunker Hill Air Force Base, Indiana. Two years later, he was selected as an instructor with the Second Air Force NCO Academy at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. He supervised the development of a proposed course of study for NCO leadership schools. Prior to the academy’s closure in 1966, he had become the academy’s sergeant major.

In April 1966, Chief McCoy was assigned as Chief, Training Branch, Deputy Chief of Staff/Personnel, Headquarters, Second Air Force, where he was responsible for the command’s on-the-job training and special training programs. He transferred to Headquarters SAC in June 1967, where he was the NCO professional military education monitor for the DCS/Personnel. While there, he established and monitored the SAC NCO Academy and NCO Leadership School programs.

In 1970, Chief McCoy transferred to the 41st Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii as NCO in charge of operations training. He supervised and monitored all training programs for H-3, H-43, H-52, and HC-130 aircraft crews assigned to wing units throughout the Pacific and Southeast Asia. As an additional duty, he served as Senior Enlisted Advisor to the wing commander.

Chief McCoy was assigned in April 1973 as Chief, Military Training Branch, Deputy Chief of Staff/Personnel, Headquarters, Pacific Air Forces. He revitalized the on-the-job training program and represented the command at several worldwide conferences, which helped to improve Air Force-wide training programs. During this assignment, he was selected as one of the twelve Outstanding Airmen of the Air Force in 1974.

Returning to SAC in March 1975, Chief McCoy became its first senior enlisted advisor. During this period, he served as the personal representative of the Commander in Chief to the enlisted men and women of the command. In addition to traveling extensively throughout the command, he also served as chairman of two worldwide senior enlisted advisor conferences for the Air Force Association. Their efforts helped to identify issues affecting quality of Air Force life. On August 1, 1979, he became Chief Master Sergeant of the US Air Force. He retired from the Air Force November 1, 1981.

Active in many business and civic organizations, he has served on several councils and boards of directors within the Omaha, Nebraska area and on the national level. He has served two terms as the Air Force Association National President and two terms as its Chairman of the Board.

Military major awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with oak leaf cluster, and Air Force Outstanding Airman of the Year Award with bronze service star.

Civilian awards include US Air Force Civilian Exceptional Service Medal, US Air Force Recruiting Service America Spirit Award, Air Force Association Presidential and Special Citations, Hoyt S. Vandenberg and Stortz Individual Membership Award.

Chief McCoy’s professional memberships and affiliations are as a Permanent Member, Air Force Association; Board of Directors, Air Force Association; Board of Directors, Airmen Memorial Foundation; Chairman, Air Force Retiree Council; Air Force Sergeants Association; Aerospace Education Foundation; American Legion; Disabled American Veterans.