Chief Nick Walker-Potts is the Command Chief Master Sergeant, Cadet Wing at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado. He is the principle enlisted advisor to the Commandant on training, education, standards and personnel matters for a 4,400-personnel Cadet Wing and 236 total force permanent party members. He also provides mentorship to cadets, four group commanders, 40 squadron commanders, and 102 respective senior enlisted leaders and staff in their mission to build and inspire the next generation of warfighters prepared to lead with character for our U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force.
Chief Walker-Potts has spent his Air Force career serving in Special Operations, Combat Search and Rescue, and Fire Protection. His background includes Senior Enlisted Leader assignments at the Detachment, Squadron, Group, Taskforce, Major Command, and multiple humanitarian operations, as well as joint and multi-national combat operations in support of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM, INHERENT RESOLVE, and others. During his most recent deployment in 2024, he was the Command Senior Enlisted Leader (CSEL) of Joint Special Operations Task Force Indo-Pacific.
Prior to assuming his current assignment, CMSgt Walker-Potts was the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) Headquarters Senior Enlisted Leader, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
EDUCATION
2001 Honor Graduate, Basic Military Training, Lackland AFB, Tx.
2005 Distinguished Graduate, Airman Leadership School, Peterson AFB, Colo.
2006 National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians
2012 Distinguished Graduate, Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
2013 Air Advisor Academy, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
2013 Personnel Recovery Planning, Joint Personnel Recovery Education & Training Center
2014 Honor Graduate, Mi-17 Crewmember Course, C Company, 1-223rd Aviation Regiment, Fort Rucker, Ala.
2014 USSOCOM Joint Fundamentals, Joint Special Operations University, by correspondence.
2015 Associate's degree in Applied Science, Fire Science and Aviation Operations, Community College of the Air Force.
2017 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education I & II, Joint Forces Staff College, Wash. by correspondence.
2017 Professional Managers Certification, Community College of the Air Force.
2017 USAF Weapons School Superintendent Course, Nellis AFB, Nev.
2018 USSOCOM Enterprise Management, Joint Special Operations University, by correspondence.
2020 Joint Special Operations Forces Senior Enlisted Academy, Joint Special Operations University, MacDill AFB, Fla.
2020 Associate’s degree, Instructor of Technology and Military Science, Community College of the Air Force.
2021 Dynamics in International Terrorism Course, USAF Special Operations School, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2021 Negotiations for Special Operations Forces, USAF Special Operations School, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2021 Anti-Terrorism Level II, USAF Special Operations School, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2021 Combat Aviation Advisor Mission Qualification Course, 492nd Special Operations Training Group, Hurlburt Field, Fla
2021 Bachelor of Science Degree, Strategic Leadership, Excelsior College, Albany, N.Y.
2021 Executive Leadership Course: People, Teams and Organization Seminar, Columbia Business School, N.Y.
2022 USAF Chief Leadership Academy, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2022 Joint Special Operations Forces Pre-Command Course, Joint Special Operations University, MacDill AFB, Fla.
2022 Small Unmanned Aviation Systems (sUAS) Operator Course, 371 SOCTS, Det 1, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2023 USAF Strategic Leader Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2023 Joint and Combined Warfighting School (JPME II), Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, VA.
2023 Building Partner Aviation Capacity Seminar, USAF Special Operations School, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2024 USSOCOM Summit Course, Joint Special Operations University, MacDill AFB, Fla.
2025 Ubiquitous Technical Surveillance Training, 720th Special Tactics Group, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2025 USAF Pre-Command Team Training, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2025 Leading Strategically, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2025 SOF Sensitive Activities Course, Joint Special Operations University, MacDill AFB, Fla.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. February 2001 - July 2009, Fire Protection, 21st Civil Engineering Squadron, Peterson AFB, Colo.
3. July 2007 - August 2010, Student, Formal Training, Various Locations.
4. August 2010 - December 2013, HH-60G Flight Engineer, 41st Rescue Squadron, Moody AFB, Ga.
5. December 2013 - December 2014, Senior Enlisted Advisor, Mi-17 Flight Engineer, Kabul, Afghanistan.
6. December 2014 - July 2015, Flight Chief, HH-60G Special Missions Aviator, 41st Rescue Squadron, Moody AFB, Ga.
7. July 2015 - July 2018, Flight Chief/ Operations Superintendent, Various H-60 Squadrons, Nellis AFB, Nev.
8. July 2018 - July 2019, Senior Enlisted Leader, 58th Training Squadron, 58th Special Operations Wing, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
9. July 2019 - August 2020, Senior Enlisted Leader, 512th Rescue Squadron, 58th Special Operations Wing, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
10. August 2020 - May 2022, Senior Enlisted Leader, 492nd Special Operations Training Support Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
11. May 2022 - June 2023, Chief Enlisted Manager, 4th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
12. May 2022 - June 2023, Interim Group Superintendent, 492nd Special Operations Training Group, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
13. June 2023 - November 2023, Senior Enlisted Leader, Air Commando Development Center, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
14. November 2023 - June 2024, Command Senior Enlisted Leader, Joint Special Operations Task Force – Indo-Pacific.
15. July 2024 – August 2025, Headquarters Senior Enlisted Leader, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
16. September 2025 – Present, Command Chief, USAFA Cadet Wing, USAFA, Colo.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Chief Enlisted Aircrew
Aircraft flown: HH-60G, Mi-8/17/171, AC-130J, and C-145
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2009 Firefighter of the Year, Peterson AFB Fire Department
2009 NCO of the Year, 14th Air Force
2010 Distinguished Graduate, Enlisted Aircrew Undergraduate Course
2016 Henry "Red" Erwin Outstanding Enlisted Aircrew Nominee, Air Combat Command
2016 SNCO of the Year, 563rd Rescue Group
2017 Henry "Red" Erwin Outstanding Enlisted Aircrew Nominee, Air Combat Command
2017 SNCO of the Year, 66th Rescue Squadron
2019 AETC Master Instructor Badge, 58th Special Operations Wing
2020 Lance P. Sijan Leadership Award, 58th Special Operations Wing
2023 Lieutenant General Paul G. Cerjan Distinguished Writing Award, Joint Forces Staff College
EFFECTIVE DATE OF PROMOTION
Chief Master Sergeant Sept. 1, 2022
(Current as of September 2025)