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COLONEL THOMAS C. KIRKHAM

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Colonel Thomas C. Kirkham is Commander, 7th Maintenance Group, Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. As commander, he is directly responsible for overseeing the combined production efforts of 1,400 aircraft and munitions maintenance personnel assigned to four squadrons, as well as a fleet of 33 B-1B aircraft. In addition, He provides maintenance support for 27 C-130J aircraft. Prior to his current assignment he was Commander, 5th Maintenance Group, 5th Bomb Wing, Minot AFB, North Dakota. Colonel Kirkham was born in Houston, Texas on 28 July 1964. 

He enlisted in the Air Force Reserves in April 1987 where he spent five years as a Crew Chief on the C-5A Galaxy. He was then commissioned through the Reserve Officer Training Corps in 1993 and attended the Aircraft Maintenance Officers Course where he was a distinguished graduate. He has since served in a variety of maintenance and logistics assignments at squadron, wing, major command, and unified command levels. He is a master aircraft/munitions maintenance officer with experience on the B-2A, B-52H, F-15E, MQ-1 and B-1B aircraft, as well as numerous tactical nuclear and conventional weapons.  

Colonel Kirkham is married to the former Maribel Carrasquillo of Chicago, Illinois.

He has three daughters, Nicole, Megan, and Sarah.

EDUCATION:
1991 Bachelor of Science in Business Management, Texas State University, Texas
1998 Master of Aeronautical Science, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida
1999 Squadron Officer School, Residence, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2007 Master of Military Arts and Sciences, Air Command and Staff College, Residence, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2008 Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk Naval Base, Virginia
2014 Master of Strategic Studies, Air War College, Residence, Maxwell AFB, Alabama

ASSIGNMENTS:
1.February 1994 – July 1994, Aircraft Maintenance Officer Course (DistinguishedGraduate), Sheppard AFB, Texas
2.July 1994 – July 1997, Munitions Flight OIC and Commander, B-2 Flight TestMaintenance, 31st Test and Evaluation Squadron, Edwards AFB, California
3.July 1997 – June 1999, Quality Assurance Flight Chief and Sortie Generation FlightCommander, 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman AFB, Missouri
4. June 1999 – July 2001, Chief, Maintenance and Munitions, B-2 Weapons System
Team, Langley AFB, Virginia
5. July 2001 – June 2004, Weapons Safety Officer and Deputy Commander, 752nd
Munitions Support Squadron, Volkel AB, The Netherlands
6. June 2004 – August 2006, Commander, 509th Munitions Squadron, 509th Bomb Wing,
Whiteman AFB, Missouri
7. August 2006 – June 2007, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB,
Alabama
8. June 2007 – May 2011, Branch Chief, Joint Munitions Office, HQ United States Central
Command, MacDill AFB, Florida
9. June 2011 – July 2013, Deputy Commander, 2d Maintenance Group, 2d Bomb Wing,
Barksdale AFB, Louisiana
10. July 2013 – May 2014, Student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
11. May 2014 – Jun 2015, Chief, Air Force Weapons Safety, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico
12. June 2015 – May 2018, Commander, 5th Maintenance Group, 5th Bomb Wing,
Minot AFB, North Dakota
13. June 2018 – Present,Commander, 7th Maintenance Group, 7th Bomb Wing, Dyess AFB, TX

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
AF Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
AF Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Meritorious Unit Award with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with three oak leaf clusters
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:
Second Lieutenant 23 September 1993
First Lieutenant 23 September 1995
Captain 23 September 1997
Major 1 February 2004
Lieutenant Colonel 1 January 2009
Colonel 1 April 2015

(Current as of June 2018)