Colonel Jay A. Sabia is the Commander, 370th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group, Baghdad, Iraq. In this position, he serves as the commander of the Advise and Assist mission for Iraqi aviation forces including the Iraqi Air Force, Army Aviation and Air Defense Commands, as well as oversees the five aerial ports in Iraq in direct support of Operation INHERENT RESOLVE.
Prior to assuming his current position, Colonel Sabia was the Special Assistant to the Special Envoy for Guantánamo Detention Closure, where he implemented the President’s directive to close the Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, detention facility.
Colonel Sabia received his commission from the United States Air Force Academy in 1995. While at his first assignment in the 555th Fighter Squadron, Aviano AB, Italy, he flew F-16CG combat missions in support of Operations Allied Force, Deliberate Forge, and Southern Watch. In 2002, Colonel Sabia attended the Air Force Intern Program serving as both a member of the Secretary of the Air Force’s Executive Action Group and on the Joint Staff, J-3, Joint Operations Division. From 2011 until 2013, he commanded the 4th Fighter Squadron at Hill AFB, Utah. Colonel Sabia is a command pilot with over 2,000 flying hours in the T-37, T-38 and F-16C/D.
EDUCATION
1995 Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO
2000 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base AL
2003 Master of Arts in Organizational Management, George Washington University, D.C.
2003 Air Force Intern Program, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
2007 Air Command and Staff College (Correspondence)
2009 Air War College (Correspondence)
2014 National Defense Fellow, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 1995 – September 1996, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Reese AFB, Texas
2. September 1996 – August 1997, Fighter Training Unit, 61st Fighter Squadron, Luke AFB, Ariz.
3. August 1997 – August 2000, F-16 Pilot, 555th Fighter Squadron, Aviano AB, Italy
4. September 2000 – May 2002, F-16 Instructor Pilot, 310th Fighter Squadron, Luke AFB, Ariz.
5. May 2002 – June 2003, Student, Air Force Intern Program, Headquarters, U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
6. August 2003 – August 2004, F-16 Instructor Pilot, Flight Commander, 80th Fighter Squadron, Kunsan AB, ROK.
7. September 2004 – May 2006, F-16 Pilot, Flight Commander, 23rd Fighter Squadron, then Wing Executive Officer, 52nd Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem AB, Germany
8. May 2006 – August 2007, Assistant Executive Officer to the Commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein AB, Germany
9. August 2007 – April 2009, Chief of Master Air Attack Planning Team, 603rd Air and Space Operations Center, Ramstein AB, Germany
10. April 2009 – March 2010, Director of Staff, 388th Fighter Wing, Hill AFB, Utah
11. March 2010 – May 2011, Director of Operations, 421st Fighter Squadron, Hill AFB, Utah
12. June 2011 – June 2013, Commander, 4th Fighter Squadron, Hill AFB, Utah
13. July 2013 – June 2014, Student, National Defense Fellow, Georgetown University, D.C.
14. July 2014 – June 2016, Special Assistant to the Special Envoy for Guantánamo Detention Closure, Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
15. June 2016 – Present, Commander, 370th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group, Baghdad, Iraq
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: 2,100, including 250 combat hours
Aircraft flown: F-16C/D, A/T-38, T-37
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 31, 1995
First Lieutenant May 31, 1997
Captain May 31, 1999
Major July 1, 2005
Lieutenant Colonel March 1, 2009
Colonel October 1, 2014
(Current as of August 2016)