Chief Master Sergeant William L. Cupp is the Command Chief, 18th Wing, Kadena Air Force Base, Japan. The 18th Wing, the largest combat wing in the U.S. Air Force, provides the Commander, U.S. Pacific Command trained and equipped tactical air superiority forces; combat search and rescue forces; command and control platforms; aeromedical evacuation capability; and global mobility resources for contingency operations. Chief Cupp serves as the installation's senior enlisted liaison between the 18th Wing and enlisted personnel from five other Air Force major commands and joint partner units. The wing flies the KC-135, HH-60 and E-3 aircraft. Additionally, the wing provides the 5th Air Force Commander a responsive, staging and operational air base with integrated, deployable, forward-based air power. Chief Cupp is the principal advisor to the commander and senior staff on operational matters and issues affecting the morale, welfare, safety compliance, readiness, and effective utilization of more than 6,000 total force personnel.
Chief Cupp is from Monterey, California, and enlisted in May of 1999. He has expertise across a wide range of special operations, special mission, and mobility airframes and mission sets, including MH-53J/M, MC-130H, RC-135V/W, C-130H3, C-17, KC-135R/T, MC-130J, and C-130J employment and sustainment tactics. Additionally, he has held leadership positions in Operations Groups, Maintenance Groups, Air Expeditionary Groups, and Task Forces. He has significant experience in joint and combined operating environments across deployments to Operations ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM, INHERENT RESOLVE and other named operations and exercises.
Prior to this assignment, the Chief was the Command Chief for the 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing at Eglin AFB, Florida.
EDUCATION
1999 Electronic Warfare Systems Apprentice Course, Keesler Air Force Base (AFB), Miss.
2003 Airman Leadership School, Kadena Air Base (AB), Japan
2007 Non-Commissioned Officer Academy, Kadena AB, Japan
2007 Associate in Applied Science, Avionics Systems Technology, Community College of the Air Force
2011 Senior Non-Commissioned Officer Academy, Course 14, by correspondence
2012 Maintenance Supervision and Production Course, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
2012 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education, by correspondence
2015 Senior Non-Commissioned Officer Academy, Gunter Annex, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2017 Jet Engine Mishap Investigation Course, Sheppard AFB, Texas
2017 Mission Generation Course, Sheppard AFB, Texas
2019 Advanced Maintenance and Munitions Operations School, Advanced Sortie Production Course, Nellis AFB, Nev.
2019 Theory of Constraints, Haslam College of Business, University of Tennessee, Tenn.
2020 Chief’s Leadership Course, Gunter Annex, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2022 Air Force Special Operations Command Pre-Command Course, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2022 Special Operations Command, Joint Special Operations Forces Pre-Command Course, Macdill AFB, Fla.
2023 Wing Command Team Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2023 Senior Enlisted Legal Orientation Course, Judge Advocate General School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2023 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Kegan-Flagler Business School, UNC Chapel Hill, N.C.
2025 China, East Asia, Oceania, and INDO-PACOM Seminar, Alan Freed Associates, Washington DC
ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 2000 – March 2003, Electronic Warfare Systems Journeyman, 16th Component Repair Squadron, Hurlburt
Field, Fla.
2. April 2003 – June 2009, Electronic Warfare Systems Craftsman, 390th Intelligence Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan
3. July 2009 – June 2010, Expediter, 82d Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan
4. June 2010 – July 2011, Section Chief, Flightline Maintenance, 390th Intelligence Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan
5. July 2011 – June 2015, Maintenance Superintendent, 30th Airlift Squadron, Wyoming ANG Base, Cheyenne, Wyo.
6. July 2015 – August 2016, Lead Production Superintendent, 62d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Joint Base Lewis-
McChord, Wash.
7. July 2016 – April 2017, Assistant Aircraft Maintenance Unit Superintendent, 62d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron,
Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
8. April 2017 – June 2018, Quality Assurance Superintendent, 62d Maintenance Group, JB Lewis-McChord, Wash.
9. June 2018 – July 2019 Superintendent, 733d Air Mobility Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan
10. July 2019 – March 2021, Superintendent, 909 AMU, 718th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan
(September 2019 – July 2020, Group Superintendent, 447th Air Expeditionary Group, Iraq and Syria)
11. March 2021 – July 2022, Senior Enlisted Leader, 353d Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Kadena
AB, Japan
12. July 2022 –July 2023, Senior Enlisted Leader, 86th Maintenance Group, Ramstein AB, Germany.
13. July2023 – July 2025, Command Chief, 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing, Eglin AFB, Fla.
14. July 2025 – Present, Command Chief, 18th Wing, Kadena AB, Japan
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with six oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with “C” device
Air Force Commendation Medal
Army Achievement Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1999 Basic Military Training Honor Graduate
2003 Distinguished Graduate, Kadena Airman Leadership School
2003 Academic Achievement Award, Kadena Airman Leadership School
2004 Air Intelligence Agency Sensor Olympics Silver Medal
2007 John L. Levitow Award, Erwin PME NCOA
2010 55th Wing Lt Gen Leo Marquez Award
2010 55th Wing Maintenance Professional of the Year
2010 55th Wing Outstanding Electronic Warfare NCO of the Year
2010 Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Agency Sensor Olympics Gold Medal
2012 153d Airlift Wing Senior Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year
2012 State of Wyoming Outstanding Service Ribbon
2013 153d Airlift Wing General Lew Allen Award
2014 153d Airlift Wing Lt Gen Leo Marquez Award
2014 153d Airlift Wing General Lew Allen Award
2019 Advanced Maintenance and Munitions Operations School Distinguished Graduate
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Airman Basic May 12, 1999
Airman First Class June 25, 1999
Senior Airman Oct. 25, 2001
Staff Sergeant July 1, 2003
Technical Sergeant July 1, 2006
Master Sergeant Nov. 1, 2011
Senior Master Sergeant Jan. 1, 2016
Chief Master Sergeant May 1, 2019
(CURRENT AS OF JULY 2025)