CMSgt Karen E. Fetherston is the Command Chief Master Sergeant, Air Force Accessions Center and Command Chief, Air Force Recruiting Service, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas. She is the senior enlisted advisor to the AFAC commander and oversees the Air Force and Space Force’s largest officer accession sources: Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, Reserve Officer Training Corps and Officer Training School, as well as all enlisted accession sources. She leads 6,315 military and civilian personnel responsible for training and leadership development of 98,640 cadets across 1,012 global locations and accessing more than 45,000 individuals each year.
Prior to her current position, Chief Fetherston served as the Command Chief and was the Senior Enlisted Leader, Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Programs, Headquarters Air Force. In this capacity, she served as the principal advisor to the senior Air Force officers responsible for the development, integration, evaluation, and analysis of the Air Force Program across the Future Years Defense Plan, ensuring the Air Force built and employed effective air, space and cyber forces to achieve national defense objectives. Chief Fetherston also served as an executive advisor to the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force and the Air Force Senior Enlisted Leader Council.
Chief Fetherston entered the Air Force in March 1997. She completed Command and Control Apprentice Course at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. She has led at multiple levels and advised on all issues concerning discipline, health, morale, welfare, and mentorship of Airmen. As the 1C3 MAJCOM Functional Manager, Chief Fetherston developed, implemented, and evaluated command and control policy within Air Force Space Command's five wings. While stationed at Anderson AFB, Guam she served as the 36th Operations Group Superintendent where she led 2,100 Airmen and expeditionary squadrons to provide multiple diverse U.S. based lethal war-fighting platforms for the deployment, reception, and through put of air and spaces forces in the Indo-Pacific and Southeast Asia Region. Chief Fetherston also served as the Command Chief for the 388th Fighter Wing, and subsequently for the 20th Fighter Wing. In these roles, she advised the wing commander on matters influencing readiness, training, education and resiliency of more than 8,000 Airmen and civilians, and their families. Her efforts ensured each wing's mission success and provided multiple diverse U.S. based lethal war-fighting platforms.
EDUCATION
1997 Command and Control Apprentice Course, Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi
1998 United States Air Forces in Europe Nuclear Command and Control Course, Ramstein Air Base, Germany 2001 Airman Leadership School, Hurlburt Field, Florida
2003 Associate of Applied Science Degree in Information Systems Management, Community College of the Air Force, Montgomery, Alabama by correspondence
2006 Military Training Leader Course, Lackland AFB, Texas 2007 Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Lackland AFB, Texas
2008 Associate of Applied Science Degree in Education and Training Management, CCAF, Montgomery, Alabama by correspondence 2009 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education, National Defense University, Washington, D.C., by correspondence
2012 Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Gunter Annex-Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2013 Bachelor of Arts Degree in Emergency/Disaster Management, American Military University, Charles Town, West Virgina 2016 Joint Nuclear Command and Control Course, Offutt AFB, Nebraska
2020 Senior Enlisted Joint Leader Professional Military Education II Course, National Defense University, Washington, D.C., by correspondence 2021 Leading Strategically, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2021 Emerging Technologies Seminar, Alan L. Freed Associates, Old Town Alexandria, Virginia 2021 master’s degree, Human Resources Management, American Military University
2022 Enterprise Perspective Seminar, Alan L. Freed Associates, Washington D.C.
2023 Air Force Strategic Leadership, Air University, Gunter Annex-Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2024 Senior Leader Security Seminar, O'Gara Training, Special Investigations Academy, Montross, Virginia 2024 Ascent, Pentagon, Washington D.C.
2025 KEYSTONE, National Defense University, Washington D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
- March 1997-April 1997 Trainee, 320th Training Squadron, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas
- April 1997-August 1997 Student, 334 TRS, Keesler AFB, Mississippi
- August 1997-August 2000 Emergency Actions Controller, 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano Air Base, Italy
- August 2000-August 2006 Noncommissioned Officer-in-charge, Operations Reports & Analysis, Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Florida
- August 2006-October 2008 Asst. Flight Chief, Military Training, 344 TRS, Lackland AFB, Texas
- October 2008-August 2010 Flight Chief, Military Training, 345 TRS, Lackland AFB, Texas
- August 2010-June 2013 Superintendent, Hill Command Post, Hill AFB, Utah (September 2011-March 2012 Superintendent, Command Post, 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, Al Dhafra, UAE)
- June 2013-June 2016 Superintendent, Aviano Command Post, 31 FW, Aviano AB, Italy
- October 2015-June 2016 Superintendent, Wing Staff Agencies, 31 FW, Aviano AB, Italy
- July 2016-June 2017 Superintendent, Minot Command Post, Minot AFB, North Dakota
- June 2017-August 2018 Command and Control Operations Functional Manager, Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colorado
- September 2018-May 2020 Superintendent, 36th Operations Group, Andersen AFB, Guam
- May 2020-November 2021 Command Chief, 388 FW, Hill AFB, Utah
- November 2021- June 2023 Command Chief, 20 FW, Shaw AFB, South Carolina
- June 2023 - June 2025 Senior Enlisted Leader, Headquarters Air Force Plans and Programs, Pentagon, Washington D.C.
- July 2025 - Present Command Chief, Air Force Accessions Center, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Air Force Base, Texas
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Air Force Legion of Merit Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters Air Force Commendation medal with three oak leaf clusters Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Combat Readiness Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Recognition Ribbon with oak leaf cluster
Humanitarian Service Medal Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with “N” device and oak leaf cluster
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1997 United States Air Forces in Europe Command and Control School Top Team Award
2004 Air Force Special Operations Command Air Operations Noncommissioned Officer of the Year
2007 Noncommissioned Officer Academy Distinguished Graduate 2007 344th Training Squadron Military Training Leader of the Year 2009 United States Air Force Military Training Leader of the Year
2011 75th Air Base Wing Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year 2012 Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy Distinguished Graduate
2013 Aviano Air Base Command Post Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year
2013 Aviano AB Command Post Command and Control Operations Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year 2015 31st Fighter Wing Staff Agency Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year
2015 USAFE Command Post Unit Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year 2015 USAF Command Post Unit Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Airman Basic March 12, 1997
Airman September 12, 1997
Airman First Class July 12, 1998
Senior Airman March 12, 2000
Staff Sergeant March 1, 2002
Technical Sergeant July 1, 2005
Master Sergeant July 1, 2009
Senior Master Sergeant March 1, 2012
Chief Master Sergeant February 1, 2017
(Current as of July 2025)