Colonel Dennis C. Cummings is the Deputy Commander, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. In this capacity, he supports the readiness and effective utilization of 7,800 Air Force, joint, and coalition forces as well as 55 mission partners at the largest composite wing within the Middle Eastern theater of operations. This Wing encompasses command and control assets in support of Headquarters, Air Force Central, strike, mobility, aeromedical evacuation, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations which support Operations INHERENT RESOLVE, SPARTAN SHIELD, and ENDURING SENTINEL.
Col Cummings enlisted in the Air Force in 1989 as an in-flight maintenance technician. Upon graduation from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, he commission through Officer Training School. After earning his wings in 2001, Col Cummings was selected to fly the B-52H and spent tours with the 23d Bomb Squadron, 5th Operations Group, 340th Weapons Squadron, and Headquarters, Air Force Global Strike Command. His leadership roles include Commander of the 20th Bomb Squadron, Branch Chief and Presidential Strike Advisor in the Joint Staff J-36 Deputy Directorate for Nuclear and Homeland Defense Operations, Director of the Air Force Global Strike Command, Commander’s Action Group, and most recently the Chief of Training, Test, and Standardization/Evaluation for Air Force Global Strike Command. He has deployed six times for combat operations in support of Operation’s ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM, FREEDOM’S SENTINEL, INHERENT RESOLVE, and USINDOPACOM’s Continuous Bomber Presence Mission.
EDUCATION
1998 Associate of Applied Science, Avionics, Community College of the Air Force
1999 Bachelor of General Studies, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, Neb.
2006 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2006 B-52 Weapons Instructor Course, USAF Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
2011 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2013 Naval Command and Staff College, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
2013 Master of Arts, National Security and Strategic Studies, Naval Command and Staff College, Newport, R.I.
2013 Maritime Advanced Warfighting School, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
2020 Air War College, National Defense Fellow, The Henry Stimson Center, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
- November 1990 – June 1992, (Enlisted); Airborne Command Post Inflight Radio Technician, 305th Field Maintenance Squadron, Grissom AFB, Ind.
- July 1992 – April 2000, (Enlisted), Standardization/Evaluation Flight Examiner & Communications Systems Operator, 1st Airborne Command and Control Squadron, Offutt AFB, Neb.
- April 2000 – July 2000, Candidate, Officer Training School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
- July 2000 – November 2001, Student, Joint Undergraduate Navigator Training, NAS Pensacola, Fla.
- December 2001 – September 2002, Student, B-52H Initial Navigator Training, 11th Bomb Squadron, Barksdale AFB, La.
- September 2002 – July 2008, Flight Commander, Instructor/Evaluator Radar Navigator, Executive Officer, 23d Bomb Squadron & 5th Operations Group, Minot AFB, N.D.
- July 2008 – June 2011, Weapons Instructor, Chief, Standardization Evaluation, Assistant Operations Officer-Academics, 340th Weapons Squadron, Barksdale AFB, La.
- June 2011 – June 2012, Chief, Targeting Effects Team & Deputy Director, Combat Plans Division, 609th Air and Space Operations Center, Al Udeid AB, Qatar.
- July 2012 – September 2013, Student, Naval Command and Staff College & Maritime Advanced Warfighting School, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
- September 2013 – August 2014, Jr. Executive Officer to the Commander & Chief, Strategic Plans Branch, Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB, La.
- August 2014 – June 2015, Director of Operations, 340th Weapons Squadron, Barksdale AFB, La.
- June 2015 – June 2017, Commander, 20th Bomb Squadron, Barksdale AFB, La.
- June 2017 – July 2019, Branch Chief, Operations, Training and Standardization Division, Presidential Strike Advisor, and Assistant Deputy Director for Operations, Joint Staff, J-3, Pentagon, Va.
- July 2019 – June 2020, National Defense Fellow, The Stimson Center, Washington, DC
- June 2020 – July 2021, Director, Commander’s Action Group, Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB, La.
- July 2021 – June 2022, Division Chief, Training, Test and Standardization/Evaluation, Operations Directorate, Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB, La.
- June 2022 – present, Deputy Commander, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, Al Udeid AB, Qatar
FLIGHT HOURS
Rating: Master Navigator
Flight hours: more than 5,000, to include 570 combat hours
Aircraft flown: B-52H, RC-135, EC-135 (A/G/L), E-4B, T-1, T-34C, T-39
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with six oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Aerial Achievement Medal with ten oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters Distinguished Graduate, Officer Training School
Outstanding Graduate/Flying Award, B-52 Weapons Instructor Course
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant July 7, 2000
First Lieutenant July 7, 2002
Captain July 7, 2004
Major June 1, 2010
Lieutenant Colonel October 1, 2015
Colonel April 1, 2021
(Current as of June 2022)