COLONEL JEREMY M. PONN Published July 16, 2025 COLONEL JEREMY M. PONN Photo Details / Download Hi-Res Colonel Jeremy M. Ponn is the Vice Commandant, Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. The Air War College is the Air Force's senior professional military education institution, providing post-graduate senior leader development programs focused on joint, multinational, multi-agency warfighting and international security operations, air, space and cyberspace force strategy development and national security planning. Prior to this assignment, he was the Commandant at Squadron Officer School. During a previous assignment as an instructor at the Air War College, Col Ponn commanded the 387th Air Expeditionary Group, Southwest Asia. The group consists of four squadrons with over 600 personnel providing critical sustainment for joint and coalition partner activities throughout the United States Central Command Area of Responsibility. Col Ponn graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Electrical Engineering in 2000. Before arriving at Maxwell AFB, he commanded the 76th Airlift Squadron and was the Inspector General, 86th Airlift Wing, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. He served at the Headquarters United States Air Force as the Afghanistan Regional Desk Officer for the Office of the Deputy Undersecretary of the Air Force for International Affairs and the Chief of Mobility Programming and Deputy Chief, POM Development Branch for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Financial Management and Comptroller and Directorate of Plans and Programs. Col Ponn is a command pilot with over 3,300 hours in the C-130J, C-40, C-37, C-17, KC-135, C-21, T-1 and T-37 aircraft. He has deployed in Support of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM, FREEDOM'S SENTINEL, SPARTAN SHIELD, and INHERENT RESOLVE and has over 300 combat hours. EDUCATION 2000 Bachelor of Science, University of Washington, Seattle, Wash. 2008 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. 2010 Master of Aeronautical Science, Embry Riddle University, Daytona Beach, Fla. 2010 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence 2014 Master of Strategic Intelligence, National Intelligence University, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington D.C. 2019 Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence 2022 Master of Strategic Studies, Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., ASSIGNMENTS 1. September 2000 - October 2001, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin AFB, Texas 2. October 2001 - February 2002, Student, C-21 Pilot Training, 45th Airlift Squadron, Keesler AFB, Miss. 3. February 2002 - November 2004, C-21 Instructor Pilot and Executive Officer, 54th Airlift Flight, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 4. November 2004 - May 2005, Student, C-17 Aircraft Commander Training, 97th Training Squadron, Altus AFB, Okla. 5. May 2005 - May 2008, C-17A Evaluator Pilot, Chief of Current Operations and Readiness Flight Commander, 6th Airlift Squadron, McGuire AFB, New Jersey. 6. May 2008 - May 2012, C-17A Evaluator Pilot, Wing Executive Officer, Chief of Standardization and Evaluation and Chief of Wing Inspections, 58th Airlift Squadron and 97th Air Mobility Wing, Altus AFB, Okla. 7. May 2012 - July 2013, Country Director, Afghanistan, Regional Affairs Directorate, Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs, Washington, D.C. 8. August 2013 - July 2014, IDE Graduate Student, National Intelligence University, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C. 9. July 2014 - November 2014, Chief SOF & Tactical Airlift Programs, Force Planning and Global Mobilization Division, Headquarters Air Force, Washington, D.C. 10. November 2014 - August 2016, Deputy Chief, POM Development Branch and Chief, Mobility Programming, Program Integration Division, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller, Headquarters United States Air Force, Washington, D.C. 11. August 2016 - May 2017, Director of Operations, 76th Airlift Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany 12. May 2017 - March 2018, Inspector General, 86th Airlift Wing, Ramstein Air Base, Germany 13. May 2018 - June 2020, Commander, 76th Airlift Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany 14. June 2020 - July 2021, Instructor, Leader Development Course for Squadron Command, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 15. July 2021 - May 2022, SDE Graduate Student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 16. June 2022 - June 2023, Commander, 387th Air Expeditionary Group, Southwest Asia 17. July 2023 - July 2024, Instructor, Department of Strategy, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 18. July 2024 – July 2025, Commandant, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 19. July 2025 – Present, Vice Commandant, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. FLIGHT INFORMATION Rating: Command Pilot Flight hours: More than 3,300 Aircraft flown: C-130J, C-40C, C-37A, C-17A, KC-135R, C-21A, T-1A, T-37 MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Legion of Merit Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters Air Medal with one oak leaf cluster Air and Space Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters Army Commendation Medal Combat Readiness Medal with one oak leaf cluster Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Humanitarian Service Medal Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION Second Lieutenant, July 7, 2000 First Lieutenant, July 7, 2002 Captain, July 7, 2004 Major, July 1, 2010 Lieutenant Colonel, Oct. 1, 2015 Colonel, Oct. 1, 2021 (Current as of July 2025)