Colonel Jonathan C. O’Dell is the Deputy Commander at 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.
Colonel O’Dell was commissioned from the Reserve Officer Training Corps in 2005 after graduating from Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering. Following pilot training, he completed two KC-10A operational assignments at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ and Travis AFB, CA. During that time, he served as Assistant Operations Officer to the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron in Southwest Asia, Chief Executive Officer to the 60th Operations Group Commander and logged 200 flight hours as an instructor pilot in the KC-10A Formal Training Unit. Additionally, he served a three-year tour as an Exchange Officer to the 334 Squadron within the Royal Netherlands Air Force.
After his exchange tour, Colonel O’Dell served as both the Operations Officer and Commander to the 305th Operations Support Squadron at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ. Prior to his current position, Colonel O’Dell served as the Deputy Division Chief, Intermodal Programs Division in the Strategic Plans, Policy, and Logistics Directorate, the Executive Officer to the Deputy Commander, and Chief of the Commanders Action Group at U.S. Transportation Command.
As an instructor aircraft commander in the KC-10, he has logged over 3,900 total flight hours with more than 1,600 hours of combat time in support of Operations IRAQI FREEDOM, ENDURING FREEDOM, and INHERENT RESOLVE.
EDUCATION
2005 Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
2005 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL
2011 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL
2013 Master of Business Administration in Aviation, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL
2015 Dutch Language Fluency, Defense Language Institute-ICA Language Services, Arlington, VA
2018 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2021 Marine Corps War College, Marine Corps Airfield Quantico, VA
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 2005 – October 2006, Student Pilot (Phases I & II), Moody AFB, GA
2. October 2006 – June 2007, Student Pilot (Phase III), Columbus AFB, MS
3. June 2007 – December 2011, Chief of Training, KC-10 Instructor, Aircraft Commander, 32d Air Refueling Squadron, Joint BaseMcGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ
4. July 2010 – December 2010, Student, 19th Weapons Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
5. December 2011 – October 2014, Executive Officer, 60th Operations Group, KC-10 Evaluator, Aircraft Commander, 60th Operations Group, Travis AFB, CA
6. October 2014 – June 2015, Dutch Language Student, Defense Language Institute-Washington, ICA Language Services, Arlington, VA
7. June 2015 – June 2018, Exchange Officer, Royal Netherlands Air Force, KDC-10 Instructor Aircraft Commander, Squadron 334, Eindhoven AB, The Netherlands
8. June 2018 – January 2020, Operations Officer, 305th Operations Support Squadron, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ
9. January 2020 – June 2021, Commander, 305th Operations Support Squadron, 305th Air Mobility Wing, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ
10. June 2021 – June 2022, Student, Marine Corps War College, Marine Corps University, Marine Corps Airfield Quantico, VA
11. June 2022 – February 2023, Deputy Chief Intermodal Programs Division, Strategic Plans & Policy Directorate, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, IL
12. February 2023 – May 2024, Executive Officer to the TRANSCOM Deputy Commander, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, IL
13. May 2024 – July 2025, Chief Commander’s Action Group, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, IL
14. July 2025– Present, Deputy Commander, 100th Air Refueling Wing, RAF Mildenhall, UK
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2022 – July 2025, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott AFB, IL, as a Colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: 3,900
Aircraft flown: T-6, T-1, KC-10, KDC-10 (RNLAF), KC-135R/T
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with seven oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal Air Force
Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with service star
Humanitarian Service Medal with service star
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION [MILITARY ONLY]
Second Lieutenant May 5, 2005
First Lieutenant June 1, 2007
Captain June 1, 2009
Major November 1, 2015
Lieutenant Colonel October 1, 2018
Colonel April 1, 2024
(Current as of July 2025)