Colonel Evan L. Pettus 

Commandant

Colonel Evan Pettus is the Commandant, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. Air Command and Staff College is the world’s premier in-residence and distance learning professional military education college for mid-career officers and civilians which focuses on the education and development of air-minded joint leaders. Air Command and Staff College graduates about 500 resident and over 9,000 nonresident students from all US military services, federal agencies and 65 partner nations each year.     Read Full Bio

Col Leon J. Perkowski 

Vice Commander 

Colonel Leon J. Perkowski, Ph.D. is the Vice Commandant of Air Command and Staff College.  He assists the Commandant in executing a $5.5M academic program and directs activities across 8 departments to deliver graduate education to 12,000 personnel annually. Col Perkowski spent the first half of his career as a weather officer supporting fighter wings at Shaw AFB and RAF Lakenheath, managing pollution control R&D projects at Air Force Research Laboratory, and serving and deploying as a staff weather officer for Headquarters US Army Europe and NATO's Joint Headquarters, Centre.  After receiving a second master's degree from Air Command and Staff College, Col Perkowski served in various capacities at Air University, including: deputy chairperson of the Department of International Security and Military Studies at Air Command and Staff College, Associate Dean of Distance Learning at the Air War College, Associate Dean of Academics at Air University's new eSchool of Graduate PME, and Assistant Professor in the Department of Strategy, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, AL. 

Dr. James W. Forsyth, Jr. 

Dean

Dr. Forsyth currently serves as Dean, Air Command and Staff College (ACSC) at Maxwell AFB, Alabama. Prior to joining ACSC, he served as Professor, International Politics at the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies. A retired Air Force Colonel, Dr. Forsyth has spent more than twenty-five years in military education, with a wide variety of assignments at Maxwell and the United States Air Force Academy. He is the author of ‘Remembrance of Things Past: The Enduring Value of Nuclear Weapons’ and the ‘The Common Sense of Small Nuclear Arsenals’—each garnering national and international attention. His most recent publications, ‘What Great Powers Make It: International Order and the Logic of Cooperation in Cyberspace’ and ‘Structural Causes and Cyber Effects: Why International Order is Inevitable in Cyberspace’   examine the prospects of achieving international cooperation in cyber-space. A native of New Jersey, he received his PhD from the Joseph Korbel School of International Relations, University of Denver.  Read Full Vitae

Col Michele Johnson 

Dean of Students 

Colonel Michele Johnson is the Dean of Students and Support at Air University’s Air Command and Staff College.  As Dean, Col Johnson directs support for 500 Air Force, Joint, and International in-resident students. She supervises two squadron commanders and is responsible for registrar functions, budgeting, facilities, security, information technology, and human resources. 

Colonel Johnson began her military career in 1995 as a distinguished graduate from the Reserve Officer Training Corps at Saint Michael’s College, Winooski, Vermont. She has commanded at the squadron level twice, to include the 321st Training Squadron at Basic Military Training, Lackland AFB, TX, and Cadet Squadron 16 at the United States Air Force Academy, CO. 

Research Interest/Expertise: character development; mentoring and coaching; educational leadership 

MSgt. Kerchell Strong

Superintendent

Master Sergeant Kerchell Strong is the Senior Enlisted Leader of Air Command Staff College. In this capacity she oversees 103 officers, 4 enlisted, and 102 civilians across 35 specialties. She also advises the Command Staff, and 2 Squadron Commanders on matters related to morale, quality of life, discipline, and effective utilization of 709 joint, and international professionals.

Master Sergeant Strong enlisted in the Air Force in December of 1999 and her background include various duties in Information Management, Knowledge Operations Management and in Administrative career field at the group, wing, headquarters, and joint levels.  She deployed to Iraq, Kosovo, Afghanistan plus participated in Joint Exercises in support of Key Resolve, Operation Fury and completed overseas tours in Germany, Azores, and Japan.  Read Full Bio 

Lt Col Jennie Hall

Commander, 21st Student Squadron

Lt Col Jennie Hall is Commander, 21st Student Squadron, Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.  In this position, Lt Col Hall leads a multiservice squadron of 250 Air Force, Sister-Service, International Field Grade Officers and civilian students selected to attend Air Command and Staff College.  She also conducts personal, professional, and academic mentoring for officers destined for future senior leadership positions world-wide.

Maj Pete Schmick

Director of Operations (Division 1)

Maj Pete Schmick is the Director of Operations (Division 1), 21st Student Squadron at Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. The mission of Air Command and Staff College is to educate and develop air-minded joint leaders. In his role as Director of Operations, Maj Schmick leads a multiservice squadron of 250 Air Force, sister-service, and International Field Grade Officers and civilian students selected to attend the Air Command and Staff College in-residence program. He also conducts personal, professional, and academic mentoring for officers destined for future senior leadership positions world-wide.  Maj Schmick’s career has covered a variety of acquisition and test assignments with the Air Force Research Lab, Air Force Flight Test Center, National Air and Space Intelligence Center, Defense Contract Management Agency, Space and Missile System Center, and Air Force Life Cycle Management Agency.  

Research Interest/Expertise:  Acquisitions, Leadership, Space and Aeronautical Engineering

Lt Col Erin Dunagan

Director of Operations (Division 2)

Lt Col Erin Dunagan is the Director of Operations (Division 2), 21st Student Squadron at Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. In her role as Director of Operations, Lt Col Dunagan leads a multiservice squadron of 250 Air Force, sister-service, and International Field Grade Officers and civilian students selected to attend the Air Command and Staff College in-residence program.  Lt Col Dunagan’s career has covered assignments in the nuclear weapons and space programs.  She has served with the 91st Missile Wing (Minot AFB, ND), 614th Air Operations Center (Vandenberg AFB, CA), the Pentagon (VA), the 18th Space Control Squadron, Detachment One (Dahlgren, VA) and Air Command and Staff College (Maxwell AFB, AL).

Lt Col Damion Holtzclaw

Commander, 38th Student Squadron

Lt Col Damion Holtzclaw is Commander, 38th Student Squadron, Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.  In this position, Lt Col Holtzclaw leads a multiservice squadron of 250 Air Force, Sister-Service, International Field Grade Officers and civilian students selected to attend Air Command and Staff College.  He also conducts personal, professional, and academic mentoring for officers destined for future senior leadership positions world-wide.

Lt Col Arthur Barton

Director of Operations (Division 3)

Lt Col Arthur Barton is a Director of Operations (Division 3), 38th Student Squadron at Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. The mission of Air Command and Staff College is to educate and develop air-minded joint leaders. In his role as Director of Operations, Lt Col Barton leads a multiservice squadron of 250 Air Force, sister-service, and International Field Grade Officers and civilian students selected to attend the Air Command and Staff College in-residence program. He also conducts personal, professional, and academic mentoring for officers destined for future senior leadership positions world-wide.

Maj Marci Hoffman

Director of Operations (Division 4)

Maj Marci Hoffman is the Director of Operations (Division 4), 38th Student Squadron at Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. The mission of Air Command and Staff College is to educate and develop air-minded joint leaders. In her role as Director of Operations, Maj Hoffman leads a multiservice squadron of 250 Air Force, sister-service, and International Field Grade Officers and civilian students selected to attend the Air Command and Staff College in-residence program.  She also conducts personal, professional, and academic mentoring for officers destined for future senior leadership positions world-wide.

Research Interest/Expertise:  Operational-level Strategy and Planning, International Affairs, Counterterrorism, and Irregular Warfare

Maj Josh Payne

Director of Operations (International Officers)

Maj Josh Payne is the Director of Operations (International Officers), Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. The mission of Air Command and Staff College is to educate and develop air-minded joint leaders. In his role as Director of Operations, Maj Payne leads a group of 78 International Officers from 68 countries competitively selected to attend the Air Command and Staff College in-residence program. He also conducts personal, professional, and academic mentoring for officers destined for future senior leadership positions world-wide.