Associate Dean and Director of Research and Electives

Published May 26, 2026
Air War College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, AL

Academic Affairs

Col Donald Seablom, PhD, Associate Dean of Academics

Advising Interests: Air power, war theory, strategy, the Vietnam War, AI in education, covert war, cyber operations

Research Interests: Air power, war theory, strategy, the Vietnam War, AI in education, covert war, cyber operations

Degrees: PhD, History, University of Wisconsin, 2023 (studied the secret air war in Laos from 1964 to 1973); Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College, 2016; Bachelor of Science, Military History, United States Air Force Academy, 2003

Publications:

Donald Seablom and Nicholas Helms. “Fighting the Wrong Fight.” Over the Horizon: Multi-Domain Operations & Strategy. August 1, 2018. https://othjournal.com/2018/08/01/fighting-the-wrong-fight/

Donald Seablom. Review of Stevenson, David, 1917: War, Peace, and Revolution. H-War, H-Net Reviews. November, 2017. http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=50144

Donald Seablom. Review of Neiberg, Michael S., The Path to War: How the First World War Created Modern America. H-War, H-Net Reviews. February, 2017. http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=48547

Experience: He is a cyber operations officer and has served the bulk of his operational career in Special Tactics support roles at Hurlburt Field, Florida (2007-2011), and Fort Bragg, North Carolina (2011-2015), where he commanded the 724th Special Tactics Support Squadron. He has deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Djibouti, and was the 8th Mission Support Group deputy commander at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea (2019-2020). He taught at Air Command and Staff College from 2016-2020, and 2023-2024 before moving to Air War College in 2024

Email: donald.seablom@au.af.edu

Dr. Stephen Renner, Director, Research and Electives

Advising Interests: Airpower theory and practice, modern military history, recent conflicts, Central Europe, strategic theory

Research Interests: Airpower, strategy

Degrees: PhD, Modern History, University of Oxford, 2014; MA, Airpower Art and Science, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, 2007; MA, Military Operations, Air Command and Staff College, 2006; MIPP, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, 2002; BA, Political Science, University of Louisville, 1992

Publications: Broken Wings: The Hungarian Air Force 1919-45 (University of Indiana Press, 2016)

Experience: Professor, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies (2016-2019); Vice Commander, 355th Fighter Wing (2014-16); Commander, 25th Fighter Squadron (2009-2011); Olmsted Scholar, Budapest University of Economic Sciences (1999-2001). A-10 instructor/evaluator pilot. Deputy Joint Air Component Coordination Element, Erbil (2017); Deputy Director of Political Military Affairs, Kabul (2007-2008)

Email: stephen.renner.5@au.af.edu