Colonel Seth P. Schwesinger is the deputy commander, 317th Airlift Wing, Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. He assists the Commander in ensuring the readiness of over 1,100 active-duty military and civilian personnel, along with 28 C-130J aircraft engaged in worldwide combat aerial delivery operations. Prior to his current assignment, Colonel Schwesinger served as a student at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.
Colonel Schwesinger was commissioned through the United States Air Force’s Officer Training School in 2004. His flying assignments include the 61st Airlift Squadron, 40th Airlift Squadron, and the 317th Operations Support Squadron with staff assignments at U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Air Forces in Europe.
Colonel Schwesinger is a senior pilot with over 2,800 hours flight time. He has deployed conducting combat airdrop, medevac, and airland operations in Operations ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM and NEW DAWN, logging over 1,100 combat hours.
EDUCATION
2002 Bachelor of Arts, Business Administration, University of Cincinnati, OH
2010 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL
2012 Master of Business Administration, Trident University, CA
2016 Master of Liberal Arts, Defense and Strategic Studies, Naval War College, Newport RI
2016 Maritime Advanced Warfighting School, Naval War College, Newport RI
2018 Joint and Combined Warfighting School (JPME II), Joint Forces Staff College, VA
2024 Master of Liberal Arts, National Security and Strategic Studies, Naval War College, Newport RI
ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 2004 – May 2005, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Columbus AFB, MS
2. May 2005 – Dec 2005, Student, C-130 Formal Training Unit, Little Rock AFB, AR
3. Jan 2006 – Jan 2010, C-130 Instructor Pilot and Strategic Integration Officer, 61 AS, Little Rock AFB, AR
4. Jan 2010 – Nov 2011, Evaluator Pilot and Assistant Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, 40 AS, Dyess AFB, TX
5. Nov 2011- Nov 2012, Executive Officer, 317th Airlift Group, Dyess AFB, TX
6. Nov 2012 – May 2013, Assistant Director of Ops and C-130J Instructor Pilot, 40 AS, Dyess AFB, TX
7. May 2013 – Sep 2014, Group Training Flight Commander, 317 OSS, Dyess AFB, TX
8. Sep 2014 – Feb 2015, Assistant Director of Operations, 317 OSS, Dyess AFB, TX
9. Feb 2015 – Jun 2015, Commander, 317 AMXS, Dyess AFB, TX
10. Jun 2015 – Sep 2016, Student, College of Naval Command and Staff and Maritime Advanced Warfighting School , Newport, RI
11. Sep 2016 – Sep 2018, Contingency Planning Branch Chief, Strategy and Plans Division, USAFRICOM J5, Stuttgart, Germany
12. Sep 2018 – Apr 2019, Chief of Safety, 19 AW, Little Rock AFB, AR
13. Apr 2019 – Jun 2021, Commander, 41st Airlift Squadron, Little Rock Air Force Base, AR
14. Jun 2021 – Jun 2023, Executive Officer to the Commander Third Air Force, Ramstein, DE
15. Jul 2023 – Aug 2024, Student, Naval War College, Newport, RI
16. Aug 2024 – Present, Deputy Commander; 317th Airlift Wing, Dyess AFB, TX.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. Sep 2016 – Sep 2018, Contingency Planning Branch Chief (J5), U.S. Africa Command, Stuttgart, Germany as a Lieutenant Colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight Hours: more than 2,800
Aircraft Flown: T-37, T-1, C-130E, C-130H, C-130J
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Bronze Star
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with eleven oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant February 20, 2004
First Lieutenant February 20, 2006
Captain February 20, 2008
Major February 01, 2014
Lieutenant Colonel November 01, 2017
Colonel July 01, 2023
(Current as of June 2024)