Colonel Jeremy M. Ponn is the Commandant, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. He is responsible for the primary developmental education for all Department of the Air Force Captains as well as selected civilian and international partner equivalents.
Prior to this assignment, he was an instructor in the Department of Strategy at the Air War College. During his assignment to the 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, United States Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
18. July 2024 - Present, Commandant, Squadron Officer School, 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 August 2024)