Colonel RYAN J. GARLOW

Col. Ryan J. Garlow is the Commander, 100th Air Refueling Wing, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom, supporting four U.S. Air Force major command flying programs and more than 16,800 military, civilian, dependent, and retiree personnel. With 15 KC-135 aircraft, the wing is the only permanently assigned air refueling operation in the European theater.

Prior to assuming his current position, Col Garlow served as the Vice Commander, 60th Air Mobility Wing, Travis Air Force Base, Calif. There he assisted the commander in directing wing operations and support activities associated with the wing’s worldwide air mobility mission for the C-5M Super Galaxy, KC-10 Extender and C-17 Globemaster III.

Col. Garlow received his commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2001. He was a Distinguished Graduate of both the Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training and the U.S. Air Force Weapons School. He served on the Joint Staff as Chief of the Logistics Distribution Division and in Air Mobility Command as a Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Commander, Air Refueling Squadron Commander, and Operations Support Squadron Operations Officer.

EDUCATION
2001 Bachelor of Science, Management, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2006 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2009 Master of Business Administration, Webster University, Mo.
2010 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2013 Master of Arts, Counseling and Human Services, University of Colorado, Colo.
2020 Joint and Combined Warfighting School, National Defense University, Norfolk, VA
2021 Air Force Fellow – Harvard Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Cambridge, Ma.
2021 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace certificate, University of South Florida, Tampa, Fla.
2022 Machine Learning in Business certificate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management, Cambridge, Ma.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 2001 – February 2002, Current Operations Officer, 9th Special Operations Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
2. February 2002 – April 2003, Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Moody AFB and Columbus AFB, Miss.
3. September 2003 – September 2006, KC-135 Aircraft Commander, Squadron Executive Officer, Assistant Flight Commander, 351st Air Refueling Squadron, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom
4. September 2006 – June 2010, KC-135R/RT Standards and Evaluations Pilot, Flight Commander, Chief of Standards and Evaluations, Chief Group Executive Officer, 22nd Operations Group McConnell AFB, Kan.
5. June 2010 – May 2012, Chief of Tanker Integration, HQ AMC/A3D at 561st Joint Tactics Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
6. May 2012 – May 2013, Student, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colo.
7. May 2013 – August 2014, Air Officer Commanding, Cadet Squadron 30, US Air Force Academy, Colo.
8. June 2014 – May 2015, Executive Officer to the Superintendent, US Air Force Academy, Colo.
9. September 2015 – June 2016, Director of Operations, 6 Operational Support Squadron, MacDill AFB, Fla.
10. June 2016 – January 2017, Commander, 91st Air Refueling Squadron, MacDill AFB, Fla.
11. January 2017 – June 2018, Commander, 6th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, MacDill AFB, Fla.
12. September 2018 – July 2019, Operations Officer, Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications, Operations Directorate (J3), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
13. August 2019 – December 2020, Deputy Chief, Distribution Division, Directorate of Logistics (J4), Joint Staff, Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
14. January 2020 – July 2020, Chief, Distribution Division, Directorate of Logistics (J4), Joint Staff, Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
15. July 2020 – July 2021, Weatherhead Scholar, Harvard University Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Cambridge, Mass.
16. July 2021 – June 2023 - Vice Commander, 60th AMW, Travis AFB, Calif.
17. July 2023 – Present, Commander, 100th Air Refueling Wing, RAF Mildenhall, U.K.

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 2018 – July 2019, Operations Officer, Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications, Operations Directorate (J3), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a lieutenant colonel
2. August 2019 – December 2019, Deputy Chief, Distribution Division, Directorate of Logistics (J4), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a lieutenant colonel
3. January 2020 – July 2020, Chief, Distribution Division, Directorate of Logistics (J4), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a colonel

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight Hours: more than 2,800 (886 Combat Hours)
Aircraft Flown: T-6, T-1A, KC-135R/RT, KC-135R/T, T-53A, C-5M

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Recognition Ribbon
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2003 Distinguished Graduate (DG) & Flying Excellence Award, Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training
2003 AETC Commander’s Trophy Winner, Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training
2005 Very Important Patriot Award, Royal Air Force Base Mildenhall
2006 Top Third Graduate, Outstanding Contributor, Squadron Officer School
2007 384th Air Refueling Squadron Company Grade Officer of the Year
2008 Distinguished Graduate (DG) & Outstanding Graduate, Air Force Weapons Officer School
2008 Mobility Air Force Tactician of the Year
2008 Air Mobility Command Nomination for the Robbie Risner Trophy
2016 General Carl A. Spaatz Trophy, Top Air Refueling Squadron
2017 Air Force Lance P. Sijan Award, Senior Officer
2018 Dick Schram Award, World’s Top Military Airshow for Community Relations and Excellence
2020 Commandant’s Distinguished Writing Award, Joint Combined Warfighting School

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 30, 2001
First Lieutenant May 30, 2003
Captain May 30, 2005
Major Apr. 1, 2011
Lieutenant Colonel Jan. 1, 2016
Colonel Mar. 1, 2020

(Current as of July 2023)