Ronald W. Schmitz has been promoted to the rank of chief master sergeant in the U.S. Air Force. A chief master sergeant is the highest enlisted ranking in the Air Force. Only 1 percent of the enlisted corps reach this top grade. Schmitz is a security forces manager assigned to the 354th Security Forces Squadron at Eielson Air Force Base, Fairbanks, Alaska. In this position he serves as the commander’s primary advisor on enlisted matters involving personnel utilization, management, enlisted leadership concerns, training, operations tempo and quality of life issues. In his 23 years of military service, the chief master sergeant has been decorated with five Meritorious Service Medals, a Join Service Commendation Medal, three Air Force Com-mendation Medals, three Air Force Achievement Medals, eight Good Conduct Medals, two National Defense Service Medals, a Southwest Asia Service Medal and two Humanitarian Service Medals. A native of Watkins, Schmitz is the son of Harold and Dorothy Schmitz of Kimball. He is a 1975 alumnus of Eden Valley-Watkins High School. His wife Karen is the daughter of Kathleen Schulte of Waukon, Iowa.
