SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- After 20 years of honorable service to her country, Master Sgt. Helena Cox is set to retire from the United States Air Force during a ceremony in Camden, S.C., scheduled for Sept. 28, 2026. A native of Elkins, W.V., Cox is currently stationed at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., where she serves as the Superintendent, Manpower & Organization, Headquarters Fifteenth Air Force.
Cox enlisted in the Air Force in November of 2006 as an Air Transportation specialist before transitioning to the human resources and administration field later in her career. Throughout her time as an Airman, Cox has held critical roles in aerial port operations, training, manpower management, and continuous process improvement.
Cox's military career includes assignments in Texas, Oklahoma, Delaware, New Mexico, and South Carolina as well as deployments in support of joint and coalition missions to Afghanistan, Quatar and Germany. Her personal awards and decorations include the Air and Space Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Air and Space Achievement medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Joint Service Achievement Medal and the Army Achievement Medal. During her time in the service, she earned a degree in Business Administration & Transport Management from the Community College of the Air Force.
In her current role, Cox serves as the senior enlisted advisor on manpower allocation, organizational structures, and continuous process improvement initiatives for Air Combat Command's largest Numbered Air Force. Prior to her current assignment, she served as the Superintendent, Continuous Improvement and Innovation, 27th Special Operations Wing, Cannon Air Force Base, N.M.