Colonel JUSTIN B. SPEARS

Col Justin B. Spears is the Commander, 49th Wing, Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. The wing serves as the primary F-16 and MQ-9 training schoolhouse for the United States Air Force, training more than 150 F-16 pilots and 700 MQ-9 pilots and sensor operators annually. Additionally, the wing provides support to more than 21,000 military and civilian personnel to include the 635th Materiel Maintenance Group (Basic Expeditionary Airfield Resources) and the 704th Test Group.

Col Spears was commissioned in 1998 from the U.S. Air Force Academy. He has command experience at the squadron and operations group level as well as serving in a variety of staff assignments; including Deputy Commander’s Action Group Director at Pacific Air Forces, Executive to the Commander, 11th Air Force and Alaskan Command, and Sensitive Activities Division Operations Officer, United States Indo-Pacific Command.

Col Spears is a command pilot with more than 100 hours of combat time in Operations SOUTHERN WATCH, NOBLE EAGLE, and IRAQI FREEDOM. He has more than 2500 hours in the T-6, F-16, and F-22. Prior to his current position, Col Spears was the 14th Operations Group Commander, Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi.

EDUCATION

1998 Bachelor of Science, English, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1998 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2002 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2009 Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2010 Master of Arts in Public Policy, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
2017 Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies, United States Naval War College, Newport, RI

ASSIGNMENTS

1. March 1999-March 2000, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin AFB, Texas
2. April 2000-June 2000, Student, Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals, Columbus AFB, Miss.
3. July 2000-March 2001, Student, F-16 Formal Training, Luke AFB, Ariz.
4. April 2001-April 2002, Deputy Chief of Tactics, 80th Fighter Squadron, Kunsan Air Base, South Korea
5. May 2002-April 2005, Chief of Stan/Eval, 23rd Fighter Squadron, Spangdahlem AB, Germany
6. June 2005-July 2007, Flight Commander, 27th Fighter Squadron, Langley AFB, Va.
7. July 2007-July 2010, Chief of Stan/Eval, 3rd Operations Group, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
8. July 2010-July 2011, Graduate Student, Georgetown University, Washington D.C.
9. July 2011-June 2012, Speechwriter to COMPACAF, Deputy CAG Director, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
10. July 2012-October 2013, Executive Officer to the Commander, 11 Air Force and Alaska Command, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
11. October 2013-June 2014, Director of Operations, 525th Fighter Squadron, JBER, Alaska
12. June 2014-June 2016, Commander, 19th Fighter Squadron, JBPH-H, Hawaii
13. June 2016-June 2017, Student, U.S. Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
14. June 2017-September 2018, Deputy Chief of Combat Operations, 613th Air Operations Center, JBPH-H, Hawaii
15. September 2018-July 2020, Operations Officer, Sensitive Activities Division, USINDOPACOM, Hawaii
16. July 2020-June 2022, Commander, 14th Operations Group, Columbus AFB, Miss.
17. June 2022-Present, Commander, 49th Wing, Holloman AFB, N.M.

FLIGHT INFORMATION

Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: More than 2,500
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-38, F-16, F-22, T-6 and MQ-9

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal
Air Force Combat Action Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION

Second Lieutenant May 27, 1998
First Lieutenant May 27, 2000
Captain May 27, 2002
Major November 1, 2007
Lieutenant Colonel March 1, 2013
Colonel June 1, 2019

(Current as of June 2022)