Colonel Justin L. Diehl serves as the Commander of the 317th Operations Group, Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. He commands three squadrons, 400 personnel, and 28 C-130J aircraft engaged in worldwide combat aerial delivery and airland operations. Colonel Diehl earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management and his commission from the United States Air Force Academy in 2001. He commanded the 386th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait during Operation Inherent Resolve, and has flown 880 combat hours over six deployments executing missions for OPERATION Iraqi Freedom and OPERATION Enduring Freedom, as well as leading the bed down of the 28 C-130J aircraft at Dyess AFB from 2010-2013. Colonel Diehl has held multiple staff positions during two tours at U.S. Indo-Pacific Command as the Deputy Executive Assistant, then Executive Assistant, to the Commander, and then Chief of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s All-Domain Training Division. Additional staff tours include Headquarters Air Force and Air Mobility Command. Finally, he attended the Australian Defence College in 2020 and received a Masters Degree in International Relations from Australia’s Deakin University. He is a command pilot with over 3,100 flight hours, and is married with two children.
EDUCATION
2001 Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado
2007 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
2010 Masters Degree in Business Administration with Strategic Leadership concentration, TUI University, Cypress, California
2011 Air Command and Staff College, Correspondence
2014 Joint Mobility Fellowship, Air Force Research Institute, Headquarters Air Mobility Command and John Cook School of Business, St. Louis University, Missouri
2020 Defence Strategic Studies Course, Australian Defence College, Canberra, Australia
2020 Masters Degree in International Relations, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia
2021 Joint and Combined Warfighting School, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, VA
ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 2002 - July 2003, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Moody Air Force Base, GA and NAS Corpus Christi, TX
2. August 2003 - January 2004, Student, C-130E Initial Qualification Training, Little Rock Air Force Base, AR
3. January 2004 - February 2008, Flight Commander and Chief Central Scheduler, C-130E/H3 Instructor Pilot, 61st Airlift Squadron, Little Rock Air Force Base, AR
4. February 2008 - June 2008, Student, C-130J Initial Qualification Training, Little Rock Air Force Base, AR
5. June 2008 - February 2010, Senior Executive Officer and C-130J Instructor Pilot, 41st Airlift Squadron, Little Rock Air Force Base, AR
6. February 2010 - July 2012, C-130J Transition Officer, Group Executive Officer and C-130J Evaluator Pilot, 317th Airlift Group, Dyess Air Force Base, TX
7. July 2012 - July 2013, Director of Operations, 40th Airlift Squadron, Dyess Air Force Base, TX
8. July 2013 - May 2014, Joint Mobility Fellow, Air Force Research Institute, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, IL; St. Louis University John Cook School of Business
9. May 2014 - July 2015, Assistant Executive Officer to the Commander of Air Mobility Command, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, IL
10. July 2015 - May 2017, Exercise Planner (J3), US Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, HI
11. May 2017 - May 2018, Commander, 386th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron, Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait
12. May 2018 - December 2019, Deputy Director, SecAF/CSAF Strategic Execution Group, Headquarters Air Force, Pentagon, Arlington, VA
13. January 2020 - December 2020, Student, Defence Strategic Studies Course, Australian Defence College, Canberra, Australia & Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia
14. January 2021 - August 2022, Deputy Executive Assistant, then Executive Assistant to the USINDOPACOM Commander, US Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, HI
15. September 2022 - June 2023, Chief All-Domain Training Division, US Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, HI
16. June 2023 - Present, Commander, 317th Operations Group, Dyess Air Force Base, TX
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2015 - May 2017, Exercise Planner (J3), US Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii, as a Major and Lieutenant Colonel
2. January 2021 - August 2022, Deputy Executive Assistant, then Executive Assistant to the Commander, US Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, HI
3. September 2022 - June 2023, Chief All-Domain Training Division, US Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, HI
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: 3,100 hours including 880 combat hours
Aircraft Flown: T-6A, TC-12, C-130E, C-130H3, C-130J
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with seven oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one device
Iraqi Campaign Medal with two devices
Operation Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal
Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Global War On Terrorism Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
NATO Medal
PUBLICATIONS
“Indo-Pacific Deterrence and the Quad in 2030,” Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs, 2021
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 30, 2001
First Lieutenant May 30, 2003
Captain May 30, 2005
Major May 1, 2011
Lieutenant Colonel June 1, 2016
Colonel April 1, 2022
(Current as of July 2023)