Colonel Chad M. Lynch is the 185th Air Refueling Wing Operations Group Commander. In this role, he is responsible for flight operations of Wing’s KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft as well as the training and readiness of aircrew members, Airfield Management, Aircrew Flight Equipment, Military Intelligence, and administrative support areas within the Operations Group.
Colonel Lynch earned his commission in 1994 through the Air Force ROTC program at the University of St Thomas. He has most recently served as the 185th ARW Deputy Mission Support Group Commander. Colonel Lynch has served as the Communication, Computer Systems Analyst 2d Space Warning Squadron at Buckley Air National Guard Base. Following Undergraduate Pilot Training he served as the Training Officer and as Deputy Chief of Group Training at Grand Forks AFB. Colonel Lynch was assigned as the Command Liaison Officer for Air Mobility Command when he oversaw the 185th ARW transition from flying F-16 fighter aircraft to the KC-135 air refueling mission. Colonel Lynch has supported combatant commands on six of seven continents, including Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, Unified Protector, Freedom Sentinel, Odyssey Dawn, and Inherent Resolve, as well ongoing operations in the United States Pacific Command and Southern Command.
Col Lynch is an Instructor and Evaluator Pilot. He has accumulated more than 5,300 hours in the KC-135 E/R/T and has extensive deployment experience as a Detachment Commander, Director of Operations and pilot with over 1340 combat and combat support hours.
EDUCATION
1994 Bachelor of Science in Quantitative Methods and Computer Science, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minn.
1999 Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas
2001 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, Ala.
2007 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2008 Air War College, by correspondence
2017 Master of Business Administration and Management, Briar Cliff University, Sioux City, Iowa
2017 Squadron Commanders Course, Andrews AFB, Wash.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 1994 – August 1995, Communication Computer System Analyst, 2nd Space Warning Squadron, Buckley ANGB, Colo.
2. August 1995 – December 1997, Communication Computer System Chief, 2nd Space Warning Squadron, Buckley ANGB, Colo.
3. December 1997 – June 1999, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin AFB, Texas
4. June 1999 – September 2001, Assistant Flight Commander, 911th Air Refueling Flight, Grand Forks AFB, N.D.
5. September 2001 – December 2002, Flight Commander, 911th Air Refueling Flight, Grand Forks AFB, N.D.
6. December 2002 – May 2003, Chief of Training, 911th Air Refueling Flight, Grand Forks AFB, N.D.
7. May 2003 – July 2005, Deputy Chief of Training, 319th Operations Support Squadron, Grand Forks AFB, N.D.
8. July 2005 – April 2007, Command Liaison Officer, 185th Operations Group, Sioux City, Iowa
9. April 2007 – September 2012, Deputy Chief of Training, 185th Operations Support Squadron, Sioux City, Iowa
10. September 2012 – March 2016, Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, 185th Operations Group, Sioux City, Iowa
11. March 2016 – August 2018, Squadron Commander, 174th Air Refueling Squadron, Sioux City, Iowa
12. August 2018 – May 2019, Chief of Wing Plans, 185th Air Refueling Wing, Sioux City, Iowa
13. May 2019 – 30 December 2020, Wing Inspector General, 185th Air Refueling Wing, Sioux City, Iowa
14. 1 January 2021 – 31 July 2021, Deputy, Mission Support Group Commander, 185th Air Refueling Wing, Sioux City, Iowa
15. 1 August 2021 – Present, Operations Group Commander, 185th Air Refueling Wing, Iowa
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: more than 5,200
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-1 and KC-135 E/T/R
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with nine oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 21, 1994
First Lieutenant July 25, 1996
Captain July 25, 1998
Major January 1, 2005
Lieutenant Colonel January 1, 2012
Colonel July 1, 2021
(Current as of March 2022)