Colonel Garret J. Bilbo

Colonel Bilbo serves as the Deputy Commander, 92d Air Refueling Wing, Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington. The wing provides global reach airpower and deploys expeditionary forces in support of worldwide combat, contingency, and humanitarian requirements. The wing also operates 64 KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft performing refueling, airlift, and aeromedical evacuation missions supporting U.S. and coalition contingency operations as well as U.S. Strategic Command’s strategic deterrence missions. As Deputy Commander, Colonel Bilbo assists the Wing Commander in leading activities and assigned functions of Fairchild Air Force Base and support for 18 associate units. Prior to this assignment, he served as the Department of the Air Force Congressional Budget and Appropriations Liaison to the Senate, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller, the Pentagon, Washington D.C.


Colonel Bilbo graduated from the University of Mississippi in 2001 and earned his wings at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, in 2002. He holds a Command Pilot rating with more than 4,100 hours flying the KC-135R/T, C-17A, T-1A and T-37B aircraft. He has deployed in support of Operations IRAQI FREEDOM, ENDURING FREEDOM, ODYSSEY DAWN and UNIFIED PROTECTOR.


EDUCATION
2001 Bachelor of Science, Mathematics, The University of Mississippi, Oxford, Mississippi
2005 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
2009 Master of Science, Banking and Financial Management Services, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
2013 Master of Military Arts and Science, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2020 Master of Science, National Security Strategy, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.


ASSIGNMENTS
1. February 2001 – May 2001, Assistant Detachment Recruiting Officer, University of Mississippi, Oxford,
Mississippi
2. May 2001 – November 2002, Student, Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin AFB, Texas
3. November 2002 – April 2006, T-1A Instructor Pilot, Squadron Executive Officer, Assistant Flight
Commander, 86th Flying Training Squadron, Laughlin AFB, Texas
4. April 2006 – March 2008, C-17A Instructor Pilot, 535th Airlift Squadron, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
5. March 2008 – November 2008, Group Executive Officer, 15th Operations Group, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
6. November 2008 – July 2009, Director, Wing Commander’s Action Group, 15th Airlift Wing, Hickam AFB,
Hawaii
7. July 2009 – November 2010, KC-135 Aircraft Commander, Assistant Director of Operations, 349th Air
Refueling Squadron, McConnell AFB, Kansas
8. November 2010 – June 2012, KC-135 Instructor Pilot, Wing Executive Officer, Assistant Director of Staff,
22d Air Refueling Wing, McConnell AFB, Kansas
9. June 2012 – June 2013, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
10. June 2013 – January 2015, Chief, European Command Deployment and Distribution Operations Center,
Logistics Directorate, U.S. European Command, Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany
11. January 2015 – June 2016, Executive Officer to the Director, Logistics Directorate, U.S. European Command, Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany
12. June 2016 – May 2017, Chief, Wing Safety, 18th Wing, Kadena AB, Japan
13. May 2017 – May 2019, Commander, 909th Air Refueling Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan
14. June 2019 – June 2020, Student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington D.C.
15. June 2020 – July 2022, Korea Branch Chief, then Chief, Northeast Asia Division, Deputy Directorate for Political-Military Affairs (Asia), Strategy, Plans, and Policy (J-5) Directorate, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia
16. July 2022 – June 2023, Department of the Air Force Congressional Budget and Appropriations Liaison to the Senate, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller, Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia
17. June 2023 – Present, Deputy Commander, 92d Air Refueling Wing, Fairchild AFB, Washington


SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2013 – June 2016, Chief, European Command Deployment and Distribution Operations Center, then Executive Officer to the Director, Logistics Directorate, U.S. European Command, Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany, as a Major and Lieutenant Colonel
2. June 2020 – July 2022, Korea Branch Chief, then Chief, Northeast Asia Division, Deputy Directorate for Political-Military Affairs (Asia), Strategy, Plans, and Policy (J-5) Directorate, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia, as a Lieutenant Colonel


FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: 4,100+
Aircraft Flown: KC-135R/T, C-17A, T-1A and T-37B


MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters


EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant January 14, 2001
First Lieutenant January 14, 2003
Captain January 14, 2005
Major October 1, 2010
Lieutenant Colonel March 1, 2016
Colonel July 1, 2022


(Current as of August 2023)