CMSgt. Manuel H. Garibay is the Command Chief at 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing, Hickam Field, Hawaii. The 515 AMOW provides forward deployed command and control, aerial port operations and aircraft maintenance support to Department of Defense organic and contracted commercial aircraft executing airlift, air refueling and aeromedical evacuation missions throughout the Indo-Pacific theater. He serves as the Senior Enlisted Advisor responsible to the Commander of approximately 1,600 U.S. military, civilian and local national personnel assigned from two Air Mobility Operations Groups, six geographically separated squadrons, three detachments, six operating locations, and eleven air terminals spanning from Alaska to Diego Garcia.
Chief Garibay hails from Ewa Beach, Hawaii and enlisted in the Air Force on April 29, 2003. Throughout his career, he has maintained KC-135 R/T, C-17, C-40B, and MC-130H aircraft. Chief Garibay has held assignments in four Major Commands including Air Combat Command, Air Force Special Operations Command, Pacific Air Forces, and Air Mobility Command. He has served in a multitude of positions such as Flying Crew Chief, Aircraft Section Chief, Lead Production Superintendent, Flight Chief, Flying Crew Chief Manager, and Senior Enlisted Leader. He's deployed numerous times in support of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM, INHERENT RESOLVE, SOUTHERN GUARD, as well as various combat support exercises and missions across the globe.
Prior to assuming his current position, he served as the Senior Enlisted Leader, 821st Contingency Response Group, Travis AFB, California. He is married and has three children.
EDUCATION
2007 Airman Leadership School, Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington
2013 Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
2015 Associate of Applied Science, Aircraft Maintenance Technology, Community College of the Air Force
2015 Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education I, Air University
2017 Federal Aviation Administration, Airframe and Powerplant Certification, Panhandle Aero Academy, FL
2018 Air Commando Leadership Development Course, Air Force Special Operations School, Hurlburt Field, FL
2019 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education II, Air University
2020 Advanced Maintenance and Munitions Operations School, Advanced Sortie Production Course, Nellis AFB, Nev
2022 Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Gunter Annex, Ala
2024 Chief Leadership Academy, Gunter Annex, Ala
2025 Group Senior Enlisted Leader Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala
2025 Command Team Integration Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala
2025 Bachelor of Science, Aeronautics (Magna Cum Laude), Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
2026 Wing Command Team Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala
2026 Senior Enlisted Legal Orientation Course, Judge Advocate General School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala
ASSIGNMENTS
1. April 2003 - June 2003, Basic Military Training, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas
2. June 2003 - September 2003, Technical Training, Sheppard AFB, Texas
3. October 2003 - June 2006, Hydraulic Systems Journeyman, 92nd MXS, Fairchild AFB, Washington
4. June 2006 - September 2009, Aircraft Hydraulic Systems Craftsman, 92nd AMXS, Fairchild AFB, Washington
(June 2006 - August 2006, Deployed Aircraft Hydraulic Systems Journeyman, 379th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar)
(September 2007 - February 2008, Deployed Aircraft Hydraulic Systems Craftsman, 376th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan)
5. September 2009 - September 2010, NCOIC, Maintenance Operations Center, 5th Reconnaissance Sq, Osan AB, South Korea
6. October 2010 - September 2011, Aircraft Hydraulics Systems Craftsman, 15th AMXS, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
7. October 2011 - October 2014, C-17 Flying Crew Chief, 15th AMXS, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
8. October 2011 - September 2015, C-40B Special Air Missions Flying Crew Chief, 15th AMXS, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
9. January 2013 - September 2015, C-17/C-40B Flying Crew Chief Manager, 15th AMXS, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
10. September 2015 - October 2016, C-17 Aircraft Section Chief, 15th AMXS Hickam AFB, Hawaii
11. November 2016 - July 2017, MC-130H Production Superintendent, 901st SOAMXS, Hurlburt Field, Florida
(July 2017 - December 2017, Deployed Lead Production Superintendent, 15th Expeditionary Special Operations Squadron, Ali Al Salem AB, Kuwait)
12. August 2017 - June 2020, MC-130H Lead Production Superintendent, 901st SOApril 2003 - June 2003, Basic Military Training, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas
13. June 2020 - June 2021, Accessories Flight Chief, 1 SOMXS, Hurlburt Field, Florida
14. June 2021 - November 2023, Superintendent, eTools Logistics Branch, ACC/A4, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia
15. November 2023 – February 2025, Senior Enlisted Leader, 821 CRS, Travis AFB, California
(February 2025 - April 2025, Deployed Senior Enlisted Leader, 821 Contingency Response Element, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba)
16. April 2025 - June 2026, Senior Enlisted Leader, 821st Contingency Response Group, Travis AFB, California
17. June 2026 – Present, Command Chief, 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing, Hickam Field, Hawaii
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with six oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award with valor and two oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Korean Defense Service Medal
Air and Space Overseas Service Ribbon Short
Air and Space Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border with one oak leaf cluster
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon with one service star
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2004 92nd MOS Academic Excellence Award (Amn), Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington
2004 92nd MXS Airman of the Quarter, Fairchild AFB, Washington
2008 92ndMXG Maintenance Professional of the Year (NCO), Fairchild AFB, Washington
2012 15th MXG Lance P. Sijan Leadership Award of the Year (NCO), Hickam AFB, Hawaii
2013 15th WG Flying Crew Chiefs Team of the Year, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
2017 901st SOAMXS Maintenance Professional of the Year (SNCO), Hurlburt Field AFB, Florida
2018 901st SOAMXS Lt Gen Leo Marquez of the Year(SNCO), Hurlburt Field AFB, Florida
2019 AFSOC Gen Lew Allen of the Year (SNCO), Hurlburt Field AFB, Florida
2020 Graduate, Advanced Maintenance and Munitions Operations School, Nellis AFB, Nevada
2022 Distinguished Graduate, Senior Noncommissioned Academy, Gunter AFB, Alabama
EFFECTIVE DATE OF PROMOTION
Chief Master Sergeant Sept. 1, 2023
(Current as of May 2026)