Colonel Joshua W. Ehmen 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. The 379th AEW encompasses airlift; aerial refueling; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; and aeromedical evacuation assets which support operations INHERENT RESOLVE and SPARTAN SHIELD.
Col Ehmen earned his commission upon graduating with academic and military honors from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2002. He began Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training at Vance Air Force Base, OK, and graduated in 2003 with Distinguished Graduate honors. He has served in various C-17 mobility and training organizations in Air Mobility Command, Air Combat Command, and Pacific Air Forces, and following his graduation from the Advanced Studies of Air Mobility program at the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center, he served as Joint Plans Officer in the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command Strategy, Policy & Plans Directorate. Prior to this role, Col Ehmen was hand-selected for the two-year CSAF Leader Development Course Instructor and Air War College SDE program at Maxwell Air Force Base, AL, with a follow-on as the Deputy Commander of the Thomas N. Barnes Center for Enlisted Education
EDUCATION
2002 Bachelor of Science, Behavioral Science, U.S. Air Force Academy, CO
2008 United States Air Force Weapons School (Academic Award), Nellis AFB, NV
2008 Distinguished Graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL
2009 Distinguished Graduate, Tactical Electronic Warfare Operations Course, Fort Huachuca, AZ
2010 Masters of Science, Aeronautical Science, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, FL
2012 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL (correspondence)
2015 Master of Science, Logistics, Advanced Study of Air Mobility (ASAM), Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ
2015 JPME Phase II – Joint and Combined Warfighting School, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, VA
2020 Accelerated Aircraft Maintenance Officer Course, Sheppard AFB, TX
2023 Master of Science, Strategic Studies, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, AL
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1998 – May 2002, Cadet, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO
2. July 2002 – October 2003, Student, Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training Student (Distinguished Graduate), 71st Flying Training Wing, Vance AFB, OK
3. November 2003 – April 2004, Student, C-17A Co-Pilot Initial Qualification, Altus AFB, OK
4. April 2004 – December 2007, C-17A Instructor Aircraft Commander, Deputy Director of Wing Tactics and Executive Officer to the Commander, 7th Airlift Squadron, McChord AFB, WA
5. January – June 2008, Student, C-17A Weapons Instructor Course (WIC), 57th Weapons Squadron, McGuire AFB, NJ
6. June 2008 – April 2011, C-17A Weapons Officer and Evaluator Pilot, Chief of Standardization and Evaluation and Flight Commander of Training, 57th Weapons Squadron, McGuire AFB, NJ
7. May 2011 – June 2012, Assistant Director of Operations and Airlift Operations Chief, 353rd Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 1, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, AK
8. June 2012 – April 2014, C-17A Weapons Officer and Evaluator Pilot, Airlift Division Chief at 3rd Operations Group Standardization and Evaluation, and Chief Pilot for the 517th Airlift Squadron, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, AK
9. April 2014 – July 2015, IDE Student, ASAM, U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ
10. July 2015 – July 2017, Joint Plans Officer, NORAD and USNORTHCOM J5, Peterson AFB, CO
11. July 2017 – May 2019, Director of Operations and C-17A Evaluator Aircraft Commander, 535th Airlift Squadron, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, HI
12. June 2019 – June 2021, Commander, 733d Air Mobility Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan
13. June 2021 – July 2022, Instructor, CSAF Leader Development Course, Eaker Center, Maxwell AFB, AL
14. July 2022 – May 2023, SDE Student, Air War College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, AL
15. June 2023 – May 2024, Deputy Commander, Thomas N. Barnes Center for Enlisted Education, Maxwell-Gunter AFB, AL
16. May 2024 – Present, Deputy Commander, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2015 – July 2017, Joint Plans Officer, NORAD and USNORTHCOM J5, Peterson AFB, CO (Lt Col)
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: Over 3,800; 800 combat hours
Aircraft flown: T-37B, T-1A, C-17A
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air and Space Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Combat Readiness Medal with two oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with service star
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal with service star
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal
(Current as of May 2024)