Colonel Lonnie D. Sell is the Director of Personnel and Total Force Services Directorate at the Air Reserve Personnel Center (ARPC), Buckley Space Force Base, Colo. He is responsible for leading the largest directorate in HQ ARPC with over 140 Total Force Personnel assigned. His team provides direct personnel services and support to 1.3 million Total Force commanders, Airmen and families.
Colonel Sell enlisted in the Air Force in July 1992 and began his active-duty career as a supply apprentice. Cross-training into contracting in 1999, he was assigned to the 50th Space Wing at Schriever AFB, Colo. The lieutenant colonel completed his bachelor’s degree and was selected to attend Officer Training School where he was a distinguished graduate in 2002. He then served in a variety of assignments at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz. until leaving active duty in 2006 and spending a couple of years working in the civilian sector. Colonel Sell returned to the Air Force as the Executive Officer for the 944th Mission Support Group at Luke AFB, Ariz. in 2008.
Prior to this assignment, Colonel Sell was the 940th Mission Support Group Commander at Beale AFB, Cali and a two-time graduated squadron commander for both the 944th Force Support Squadron at Luke AFB, Ariz. and the 446th Force Support Squadron at McChord AFB, Wash. as an Air Reserve Technician. In April 2017, Colonel Sell took a Headquarters Air Force position at the Pentagon, Wash D.C. as the Chief, Reserve Colonel Management and Gameplan in the Reserve Senior Leader Management Directorate supporting 1,300 Colonels across the Air Force Reserve enterprise and as the Chief, Joint and HQ Manpower and Organization, in the Plans, Programs and Requirements Directorate where he was responsible for programming and validating emerging Air Force Reserve manpower resources in support of the Chief of the Air Force Reserve priorities.
Colonel Sell has deployed several times to include a 5-month tour to Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan as the Maintenance Group Executive Officer in 2005 and a 7-month tour to Dover AFB, Delaware in support of the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Organization in 2014.
EDUCATION
1992 Supply Management Apprentice Course, Lowry AFB, Colo.
1999 Contracting Management Apprentice Course, Lackland AFB, Texas
2000 Associate degrees in Logistics Business Management and Contracts Management, Community College of the Air Force
2001 Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems Management, Colorado Christian University 2003 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2003 Distinguished graduate, Basic Communications Officer Training, Keesler AFB, Miss. 2010 Master’s degree in Contracts Management, American Graduate University
2010 Squadron Officer School, non-residence
2011 Academic Achievement, Force Support Officer Course, Keesler AFB, Miss 2017 Air Command and Staff College, non-residence
2021 Air War College, non-residence
2021 Reserve Component National Security Course, in-residence
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1992 – September 1992, Student, Basic Military Training, Lackland AFB, Texas
2. September 1992 – November 1992, Student, Supply Management Apprentice Course, Lowry AFB, Colo.
3. November 1992 – January 1996, Supply Apprentice, 92nd Supply Squadron, Fairchild AFB, Wash.
4. January 1996 - April 1999, Supply Journeyman, Rapid Area Distribution Support Team, 649th Combat Logistics Squadron, Hill AFB, Utah
5. April 1999 – July 2002, Contract Specialist, 50th Space Wing, Schriever AFB, Colo.
6. July 2002 – September 2002, Student, Officer Training School, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
7. September 2002 – May 2005, Officer-in-Charge, Military Construction and Systems Administration sections; Deputy Commander, Plans and Implementation Flight; Commander, Mission Systems Flight, 355th Communications Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
8. May 2005 – May 2006, Executive Officer, 355th Maintenance Group, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
9. May 2006 – October 2006, Chief, Command Post, 355th Fighter Wing, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
10. December 2008 – September 2009, Executive Officer, 944th Mission Support Group, Luke AFB, Ariz.
11. September 2009 – September 2010, Executive Officer, 944th Fighter Wing, Luke AFB, Ariz.
12. September 2010 – June 2015, Commander, 944th Force Support Squadron, Luke AFB, Ariz.
13. June 2014 – January 2015, OIC-Dignified Transfers, Air Force Mortuary Affairs, Dover AFB, Del.
14. June 2015 - January 2016, Operations Officer, 446th Force Support Squadron, JBLM, Wash.
15. January 2016 – April 2017, Commander, 446th Force Support Squadron, JBLM, Wash.
16. April 2017 – October 2018, Chief, Reserve Col Management & Gameplan, Reserve Senior Leader Management Directorate, Pentagon, Wash D.C.
17. October 2018 – November 2020, Chief, Joint & HQ Manpower and Org, Manpower Division, Plans, Programs, and Requirements Directorate, Pentagon, Wash D.C.
18. November 2020 – January 2021, IMA to the Chief, Manpower Division, Plans, Programs and Requirements Directorate, Pentagon, Wash D.C.
19. January 2021 – January 2023, Commander, 940th Mission Support Group, Beale AFB, Cali.
20. January 2023 - Present, Director, Total Force Personnel and Services, Headquarters Air Reserve Personnel Center, Buckley SFB, Colo.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with six oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters Air Force Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with three oak leaf clusters Air Force Good Conduct Medal with two oak leaf clusters National Defense Medal with bronze star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal with bronze star Afghanistan Campaign Medal with bronze star Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border
Air Force Longevity Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters Armed Forces Reserve Medal with 1 ‘M’ device
Air Force NCO PME Graduate Ribbon
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon with bronze star Air Force Training Ribbon with oak leaf cluster
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Sept. 27, 2002
First Lieutenant Sept. 27, 2004
Captain Sept. 27, 2006
Major Sept 27, 2011
Lieutenant Colonel Aug 24, 2017
Colonel Mar 30, 2023
(Current as April 2023)