Senior Master Sergeant Sandra H. Wellman is the Senior Enlisted Leader for the United States Band of the West. The unit is composed of sixty-one personnel, five flights, and maintains thirteen performance teams that execute more than 350 missions each year in support of the Department of Defense and Air Force strategic communication initiatives, Presidential support, civic outreach, internal partnership building, recruiting, and troop support across an eight state region and at deployed locations around the world. Senior Wellman is the principal advisor to the commander on good order and discipline, health and wellness, readiness, professional development, and training of the unit’s enlisted personnel.
Prior to entering the Air Force in 2001, Sergeant Wellman was a sought after guest artist, clinician, and music educator throughout Texas. Her Air Force background includes various assignments with the Air Force Bands, Professional Military Education and the Air Force Inspector General at bases in Texas, United Arab Emirates and Germany. She has deployed in support of Operations: INHERENT RESOLVE, FREEDOM’S SENTINEL, SPARTAN SHIELD and COMBINED JOINT TASK FORCE – HORN OF AFRICA.
Prior to her current position, Sergeant Wellman was the Vice-Commandant, Robert D. Gaylor Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.
Education:
1998 Bachelors of Music, Clarinet Performance, Magna Cum Laude, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas
2000 Masters of Music, Clarinet Performance, Summa Cum Laude, Texas Christian University, Ft. Worth, Texas
2005 Airman Leadership School, Kelly Air Force Base, Texas
2008 Associate’s Degree in Fine and Applied Art-Music, Community College of the Air Force
2012 Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Kapaun Air Station, Germany
2012 Enlisted Professional Military Education Instructor Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2013 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education, by distance learning
2013 Associate’s Degree in Instructor of Technology & Military Science, Community College of the Air Force
2015 Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Course 14, by distance learning
2016 Professional Managers Certificate, Community College of the Air Force, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2016 Masters of Education, Educational Leadership and Curriculum Design, Summa Cum Laude, Oklahoma University, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
2017 Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education II, by distance
2019 Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2019 USAF Continuous Process Improvement Black Belt Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2020 Women in Leadership Executive Certificate, University of Notre Dame, Indiana
Assignments:
August – October 2001, Trainee, Basic Military Training, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas
October 2001 – July 2009, Regional Band Journeyman, Clarinet, Band of the West, Lackland AFB, Texas
July 2009 – July 2012, Music Performance Team NCOIC, United States Air Forces in Europe Band,
Ramstein AB, Germany
July 2012 – February 2016, Senior Flight Instructor, Kisling Noncommissioned Officer Academy, Kapaun Air Station, Germany
February 2016 – August 2016, Commandant Support Superintendent, Kisling NCOA, Kapaun AS, Germany
August 2016 – April 2018, Operations Section Chief, Band of the West, JBSA-Lackland AFB (April – October 2018, Superintendent and Director of Inspections, Inspector General, 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, Al Dhafra Air Base)
November 2018 – October 2020, Superintendent, Band of the West, JBSA-Lackland AFB
October 2020 – July 2021, Vice-Commandant, Robert D.Gaylor Noncommissioned Officer Academy, JBSA-Lackland AFB
July 2021 – present, Senior Enlisted Leader, Band of the West, JBSA-Lackland AFB
Major Awards and Decorations:
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Humanitarian Service Medal
Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal with bronze star
Other Achievements:
2004 USAF Band of the West Airman of the Year
2013 Tuskegee Airman “SMSgt BarBour” Award
2013 HQ USAFE Command Section NCO of the Year
2015 Kisling Lance P Sijan Award, Junior Enlisted
2018 380th Air Expeditionary Wing SNCO of the Quarter, July –September
2019 Distinguished Graduate, Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy
2019 Presidential National Medal of the Arts
2019 USAF Band of the West SNCO of the Year
2020 Wing Staff Agency Lance P. Sijan Award, Senior Enlisted
2021 Air Education and Training Command Master Instructor Badge
Effective Date of Promotion:
Senior Master Sergeant February 2019