Colonel Thomas A. Walsh is Commander of the 21st Air Task Force (ATF), Dyess Air Force Base, TX. An ATF is a pathfinding Unit of Action, optimized for combat effectiveness in the era of Great Power Competition. He is responsible for training and presentation of forces across fifty-five Air Force specialties to execute mission command, optimize combat effectiveness, and execute novel schemes of maneuver that advance USAF and Joint Force Commander objectives.
Col Walsh entered the Air Force upon graduation from Officer Training School in 2004. He has served as a B-1B Instructor Weapon System Officer, a T-1A Instructor Combat System Officer, and the 7th Bomb Wing Inspector General. Additionally, Col Walsh was an Olmsted Scholar in Ljubljana, Slovenia where he earned a Master’s Degree in Defense Studies from the University of Ljubljana. He is a Senior Navigator with 985 hours of combat time in the B-1B.
EDUCATION
2004: Bachelor of Arts in Leadership Studies and Political Science, University of Richmond, VA
2012: Master of Arts in International Relations, American Military University, WV
2016: Master of Arts in Defense Studies, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
2017: Master of Philosophy in Military Strategy, SAASS, Air University, Maxwell AFB, AL
2022: Master of Arts in Joint Campaign Planning & Strategy, JAWS, National Defense University
2024: Fellow, SEMINAR XXI, Center for International Studies, MIT, Cambridge, MA
ASSIGNMENTS
1. April 2004-April 2006: Student, Joint Undergraduate Navigator Training, Naval Air Station Pensacola, FL
2. April 2006-February 2007: Student, B-1B Initial Qualification Course, 28th Bomb Squadron, Dyess AFB, TX
3. February 2007-October 2010: Instructor Weapon Systems Officer, Squadron Exec, and Squadron Weapons & Tactics Officer, 9th Bomb Squadron, Dyess AFB, TX
4. October 2010-February 2014: Instructor Combat System Officer, Group Executive Officer, 479th Flying Training Group, NAS Pensacola, FL
5. February 2014-July 2016: Olmsted Scholar, Ljubljana, Slovenia
6. July 2016-July 2017: Student, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Maxwell AFB, AL
7. August 2017-June 2019: Inspector General, 7th Bomb Wing, Dyess AFB, TX
8. June 2019-July 2021: Commander, 7th Operations Support Squadron, Dyess AFB, TX
9. July 2021-June 2022: Student, Joint Advanced Warfighting School (JAWS), Norfolk Naval Station, VA
10. July 2024-Present: Commander, 21st Air Task Force, Dyess AFB, TX
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2022-July 2024: Division Chief, Joint Staff J7, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Senior Navigator
Flight Hours: 2051
Aircraft Flown: T-6, T-1A, T-39, T-43, B-1B
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2004: Distinguished Graduate, USAF Officer Training School
2005: Distinguished Graduate, Joint Undergraduate Navigator Training
2006: Top Graduate, Undergraduate Electronic Warfare School
2007: Distinguished Graduate, B-1B Initial Qualification Course
2012: Distinguished Graduate, USAF Squadron Officer School
2017: Top 10%, USAF School of Advanced Air and Space Studies
PUBLICATIONS
“Symphony of Capabilities: How the Joint Warfighting Concept Guides Service Force Design and Development,” Joint Force Quarterly, November 2023.
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant: 1 April, 2004
First Lieutenant: 1 April, 2006
Captain: 1 April, 2008
Major: 1 March, 2014
Lieutenant Colonel: 1 November 2017
Colonel: 1 May 2023
CURRENT AS OF AUGUST 2024