Colonel Mitchell Richardson is the Mobilization Assistant to the Director, Strategic Plans, Requirements and Programs, Headquarters Air Mobility Command (AMC), Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. In this role, he assists and advises the director with force structure planning, programming, doctrine, and requirements for the nation's airlift and air refueling force.
Additionally, Colonel Richardson serves as the senior officer responsible for advising the director on the efficient integration and utilization of mobilized Air Reserve Component forces throughout AMC.
Colonel Richardson was commissioned in 1991 as a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. He transitioned to the Air Force reserve component in March 2001 at Charleston AFB Base, South Carolina, where he served as a C-17A instructor pilot and flight commander, assistant chief pilot, and assistant operations officer.
As commander of the 89th Airlift Squadron, he led the unit through its conversion to the C-17A, subsequently becoming deputy operations group commander. He has also served at the combatant command level as the commander of the 954th Reserve Support Squadron, and as chief of the United States Transportation Command Deployment Distribution Operations Center at Scott AFB. Prior to his current assignment, Colonel Richardson was the vice commander, 512th Airlift Wing, Dover AFB, Delaware.
He is a command pilot with more than 6,000 flying hours, and has logged over 700 combat hours participating in Operations SOUTHERN WATCH, ENDURING FREEDOM, and IRAQI FREEDOM.
EDUCATION
1991 Bachelor of Science in Management, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1996 Master of Aeronautical Sciences, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla. 1998 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2007 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2009 Advanced Joint Professional Military Education, National Defense University, Norfolk, Va. 2011 Air War College, by correspondence
2013 Reserve Component National Security Course, Washington D.C. 2013 Naval Joint Maritime Operations Course, Newport, R.I.
2015 Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.
2015 Master of Strategic Studies, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. November 1991 – November 1992, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Vance AFB,Okla.
2. December 1992 – May 1994, C-12F Pilot, 47th Airlift Flight,Wright-Patterson AFB,Ohio
3. June 1994 – March 1996, C-21 Instructor and Chief of Pilot Scheduling, 47th Airlift Flight,Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
4. April 1996 – November 1997, C-141 Aircraft Commander, 15th Airlift Squadron, Charleston AFB,S.C.
5. December 1997 – March 2001, C-17 Aircraft Commander,Wing Airspace Manager, 437th Operations Support
Squadron, Charleston AFB, S.C.
6. April 2001 – December 2010, C-17 Instructor and Flight Commander, Assistant Chief Pilot, Assistant Director of Operations, 317th Airlift Squadron, Charleston AFB, S.C. (July 2010 – October 2010, Staff Officer, Germany and Africa bases)
7. January 2011 – August 2011, C-17 Initial Cadre Evaluator Pilot and Assistant Director of Operations, 89th Airlift Squadron, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
8. September 2011 – April 2014, Commander, 89th Airlift Squadron,Wright-Patterson AFB,Ohio
9. May 2014 – June 2014, Deputy Operations Group Commander, 445th Operations Group,Wright-Patterson AFB,Ohio
10. July 2014 – June 2015, Student, U.S. ArmyWar College, Carlisle Barracks,Pa.
11. July 2015 – January 2017, Commander, 954th Reserve Support Squadron, Joint Transportation Reserve Unit; Chief, USTRANSCOM Deployment Distribution Operations Center, Scott AFB, Ill.
12. February 2017 – March 2018, Vice Commander, 512th AirliftWing, Dover AFB,Del.
13. April 2018 – Present, Mobilization Assistant to the Director, Strategic Plans, Requirements and Programs, Headquarters Air Mobility Command (AMC), Scott Air Force Base,Ill.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2015 – January 2017, Chief, USTRANSCOM Deployment Distribution Operations Center, Scott AFB, Ill., as a colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Military Flight Hours: More than 6,000
Aircraft Flown: T-37, T-38, C-12, C-21, C-141, C-17, C-5, DC-8, B-727, B-747, B-757, B-767
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with six oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal with three oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with service star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Kosovo Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 29, 1991
First Lieutenant May 29, 1993
Captain May 29, 1995
Major May 6, 2002
Lieutenant Colonel, May 6, 2009
Colonel, April 1, 2015
(Current as of April 2019)