Colonel Pamela J. Powers is the Mobilization Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Washington, D.C. SAF/MR is responsible for the oversight of manpower, military and civilian personnel, Reserve Component affairs, and readiness support for the Department of the Air Force. She returned from a deployment to Kuwait in May of 2016 where she served as the Chief of Staff to the Deputy Commander-Operations and Intelligence, Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, U.S. Central Command; and Commander, 9th Air Expeditionary Task Force-Levant, Air Combat Command, Southwest Asia.
Colonel Powers was commissioned in the Air Force in 1989 from the United States Air Force Academy, Colo. She served on active duty at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., and Dover AFB, Del. In 1992, she transitioned to the Air Force Reserve, first serving as a traditional reservist at the unit level and then as an Individual Mobilization Augmentee and Active Guard Reserve in Washington, D.C. Col. Powers has over 20 years of active duty and reserve experience in communications, operations, strategic planning and programming, legislation, policy and executive support. She served as a Department of Defense Congressional Fellow in the Office of Senator Susan Collins, Maine, and was the first Reservist to work policy issues for the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Air Force in their Executive Action Group.
Prior to assuming her current position, she served as the Executive Director for the Air Reserve Forces Policy Committee in the office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Reserve Affairs and Airman Readiness, Washington, D.C.
EDUCATION
1989 Bachelor of Science, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1996 Master of Arts in Organizational Management, University of Phoenix, Ariz.
1998 Squadron Officer School, by correspondence
2005 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2007 Government Affairs Institute Capitol Hill Fellows Course, Georgetown University, Washington D.C.
2007 Department of Defense Congressional Fellow, U.S. Congress, Washington D.C. and Air Command and Staff College, in residence
2011 Master of Strategic Studies, Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa., in residence
2015 Reserve Component National Security Course, National Defense University, Washington, D.C., in residence
2017 Enterprise Perspective Seminar, Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1989 - November 1992, Communication Systems Flight Commander, 58th Communications Squadron, Luke AFB, Ariz.
2. December 1992 - November 1993, Flight Chief, 436th Communications Squadron, Dover AFB, Del.
3. June 1994 - June 1995, Flight Chief, 514th Tactical Communications Squadron, McGuire AFB, N.J.
4. August 1996 - April 2001, Executive Officer, 709th Airlift Squadron, Dover AFB, Del.
5. April 2001 - April 2004, Operations Management Officer and Assistant Reserve Program Manager, Directorate of Strategic Planning, Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington D.C.
6. April 2004 - April 2007, Chief of Plans, Programs and Integration, SECAF/CSAF Executive Action Group, Headquarters U.S Air Force, Washington D.C.
7. April 2007 - December 2007, Department of Defense Congressional Fellow, Office of Senator Susan Collins, Maine, U.S. Capitol, Washington D.C.
8. January 2008 - July 2008, Acting Military Assistant to Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington D.C.
9. July 2008 - July 2010, Director of Air Force Reserve Congressional Outreach Program, Directorate of Policy Integration, Office of Air Force Reserve, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington D.C.
10. July 2010 - June 2011, Student, Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.
11. June 2011 - June 2012, Chief of Strategy & Integration, Directorate of Plans, Programs and Requirements, Office of the Air Force Reserve, Washington D.C.
12. June 2012 - February 2015, Executive Director, Air Reserve Forces Policy Committee and Deputy to the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Reserve Affairs and Airman Readiness, Washington D.C.
13. October 2015 - May 2016, Chief of Staff for the Deputy Commander-Operations and Intelligence (O&I), Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, U.S. Central Command; and Commander, 9th Air Expeditionary Task Force-Levant, Air Combat Command, Southwest Asia.
14. February 2015 - present, Mobilization Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Washington, D.C.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 2008 - July 2008, Acting Military Assistant to Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington, D.C., as a lieutenant colonel
2. October 2015 – May 2016, Chief of Staff for the Deputy Commander-Operations and Intelligence (O&I), Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, U.S. Central Command; and Commander, 9th Air Expeditionary Task Force-Levant, Air Combat Command, Southwest Asia, as a colonel
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTIONS
Second Lieutenant May 31, 1989
First Lieutenant May 31, 1991
Captain May 31, 1993
Major Oct 1, 2002
Lieutenant Colonel Aug.4, 2007
Colonel July 9, 2012
(Current as of May 2017)