Col. Roland C. Tsui is the Mobilization Assistant to the Director of Strategy, Plans, Programs, and Requirements, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. PACAF’s primary mission is to provide air and space power to promote U.S. interests in the Indo- Pacific region. He supports the Director and Commander of PACAF by overseeing a diverse portfolio including strategy, operational plans, international relations, theater security cooperation and resource programming.
Colonel Tsui was commissioned through Officer Training School in 1996. He attended Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training and became an Electronic Warfare Officer. In 2002, he transitioned to the Air Force Reserves and attended Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training. As an Air Reserve Technician, he managed multiple programs before becoming Director of Operations. As a traditional reservist, he commanded the 314th Air Refueling Squadron before becoming the 940th Operations Group Deputy commander. Colonel Tsui has since worked staff assignments at 4th Air Force and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
Prior to his current assignment, Colonel Tsui served as the deputy commander of the 459th Air Refueling Wing, Joint Base Andrews, Md. He supported and directed more than 1,300 military and civilian personnel in 20 units employing eight KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft. The 459th provides a broad cross-section of agile combat support and aeromedical evacuation capabilities to combatant commands in times of peace, war and national emergency.
EDUCATION
1994 Bachelor of Arts, Theatre, University of California, San Diego, Calif.
1996 Officer Training School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2000 Interservice Space Fundamentals Course, Schriever AFB, Color.
2004 Squadron Officer School, non-residence program
2007 Air Command and Staff College, non-residence program
2011 Operations Officers Course, Robins AFB, Ga.
2012 Inspector General Training Course, Lansdowne, Va.
2015 Aircraft Mishap Investigators Course, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
2015 Air Reserve Component Chief of Safety Course, March ARB, Calif.
2019 Air War College, non-residence program
2022 Master of Criminology, Law and Society, University of California, Irvine, Calif.
2023 Director of Mobility Forces Course, Hurlburt AFB, Fla.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1996 – July 1997, Student, Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.
2. October 1997 – February 2002, Electronic Warfare Officer, Crew Commander RC-135 V/W, 343rd Reconnaissance Squadron Executive Officer, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb.
3. July 2002 – July 2003, student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Vance AFB, Okla.
4. February 2004 – March 2007, KC-135R Aircraft Commander, Chief of Current Operations, 336th Air Refueling Squadron, March Air Reserve Base, Calif.
5. April 2007 – November 2012, KC-135R Instructor Pilot, Chief of Operation Plan 8010 programs, Assistant Operations Officer, Ops Officer, 452nd Operations Support Squadron, March ARB, Calif.
6. February 2011 – November 2012, Deputy Inspector General, 452nd Air Mobility Wing, March ARB, Calif.
7. December 2012 – February 2014, KC-135R Instructor Pilot: 336th Air Refueling Squadron, March ARB, Calif. (November 2013 – January 2014, Operations Officer, 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar)
8. March 2014 – June 2016, Wing Flight Safety Officer, 452nd Air Mobility Wing, March ARB, Calif.
10. July 2016 – July 2019, Commander, 314th Air Refueling Squadron, Beale AFB, Calif.
11. August 2019 – April 2020, Deputy Commander, 940th Operations Group, Beale AFB, Calif.
12. May 2020 – Mar 2021, Program Manager, Aircrew Training & Readiness, 4th Air Force, March ARB, Calif.
13. April 2021 – July 2021, Deputy Director of Air and Space, 4th Air Force, March ARB, Calif.
14. July 2021 – Sep 2022, IMA to USINDOPACOM J71, Joint Exercises Directorate, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii
15. Oct 2022 – May 2024, Deputy Wing Commander, 459th Air Refueling Wing, JB Andrews, Md.
16. Jun 2024 – Present, Mobilization Assistant to the Director of Strategy, Plans, Programs, and Requirements, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2021 – Sep 2022, IMA to USINDOPACOM J71, Joint Exercises Directorate, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii, as a Colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight Hours: More than 3,500
Aircraft Flown: T-34C, T-37B, T-1A, KC-135R, B737 and B777
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Kosovo Campaign Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with service star
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 3, 1996
First Lieutenant May 3, 1998
Captain May 3, 2000
Major March 31, 2006
Lieutenant Colonel October 7, 2011
Colonel April 1, 2021
(Current as of June 2024)