Colonel Luke Teel is the Commander of the 332d Air Expeditionary Wing, in Southwest Asia, where he commands a composite wing that includes a wide array of combat Air Force capabilities including precision strike, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and combat search and rescue in direct support of U.S. Air Forces Central and U.S. Central Command priorities. The wing is comprised of three Mission Generation Force Elements, an Expeditionary Air Base Group, two Staff directorates and 13 additional operational and support function squadrons with more than 2,600 total force Airmen.
Colonel Luke “Shack” Teel commissioned in 2001 from the U.S. Air Force Academy, graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics. After completing a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, he attended the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot training at Sheppard AFB, Texas. He has served as an evaluator pilot and squadron and wing weapons officer. He has commanded at the squadron and wing level, and has served in the Pentagon as an Aide-de-Camp to the Secretary of the Air Force and a Senior Plans Advisor to the Secretary of Defense.
Colonel Teel is a Command Pilot with over 2,700 hours. He has over 500 combat hours in two combat tours in Afghanistan, and as the squadron weapons officer and mission commander during Operation ODYSSEY DAWN and UNIFIED PROTECTOR, as well as in the Horn of Africa. Prior to assuming his current position, Colonel Teel was the Commander of the 4th Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina.
EDUCATION
2001 Bachelors of Science Degree in Economics, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO 2003 Masters of Public Policy, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
2006 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL 2010 Air Command and Staff College (Correspondence)
2014 Masters of Operational Studies, Marine Corps Univ. School of Advanced Warfighting, Quantico, VA
2018 Masters of National Security Strategy, National Defense University, Washington, DC
2023 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2001 - June 2003, Graduate Student, JFK School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
2. July 2003 - January 2005, Student, Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training, Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals, Sheppard AFB, Texas
3. February 2005 - November 2005, F-15E Student Pilot, 334th Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, Goldsboro, N.C.
4. November 2005 - June 2009, F-15E Evaluator Pilot/Training Officer, Weapons Officer and Flight Commander, 335th Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
5. July 2009 - December 2009, Student, U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
6. January 2010 - April 2011, Weapons and Tactics Flight Commander, 492nd Fighter Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom
7. May 2011 - December 2011, Wing Weapons Officer, 48th Operation Support Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom
8. January 2012 - June 2013, Aide-de-Camp to the Secretary of the Air Force, Pentagon, Va.
9. July 2013 - June 2014, Student, School of Advanced Warfighting, Marine Corps University, Quantico Va. 10.
10. August 2014 - June 2015, Director of Operations/ F-15E Evaluator Pilot, 335th Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, Goldsboro, N.C.
11. June 2015 - June 2017, Commander/F-15E Evaluator Pilot, 336th Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, Goldsboro, N.C.
12. July 2017 - May 2018, Student, National War College, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C.
13. June 2018 - June 2020, Senior Plans Advisor to the Secretary of Defense. Pentagon, Va.
14. July 2020 - March 2022, 366 Fighter Wing Deputy Commander for Operations, 366th Fighter Wing, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho
15. March 2022 - May 2022, Vice Commander, 366th Fighter Wing, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho
16. May 2022 - March 2024, Commander, 4th Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, Goldsboro, N.C.
17. April 2024 - Present, Commander, 332d Air Expeditionary Wing, Southwest Asia
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENT
1. June 2018 – June 2020, Senior Plans Advisor to the Secretary of Defense, Pentagon, Va., as a Colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot Flight hours: more than 2,700 Aircraft flown: F-15E
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster
Defense Superior Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters Air Medal with five Oak Leaf Clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster Air Force Combat Action Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2009 Weapons School Flying Award
2010 United States Air Forces in Europe Instructor of the Year
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant 30 May 2001
First Lieutenant 30 May 2003
Captain 30 May 2005
Major 1 January 2011
Lieutenant Colonel 1 February 2015
Colonel 1 March 2019
(Current as of April 2024)