Col. Steve Ayre is the Commandant, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. He is responsible for the primary development education for all Department of the Air Force captains as well as selected civilian and international partner equivalents.
Col. Ayre commissioned in 2000 graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy. He holds graduate degrees from Auburn University and the Naval Postgraduate School. He has completed various PME courses from the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps and was a SECDEF Corporate Fellow in the headquarters of Alaska Airlines. Col. Ayre has completed multiple operational assignments along with staff assignments on the Joint Staff and at the Joint Special Operations Command. He has commanded at the squadron, group and wing levels. Col. Ayre is a Command Pilot with over 4000 flight hours in multiple aircraft and has piloted combat missions supporting Operations ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM and INHERENT RESOLVE.
Prior to his current assignment, Col. Ayre served as the Deputy Commander, 352d Special Operations Wing, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom.
EDUCATION
2000 Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (Math minor), U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.,
2000 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2004 Flight Safety Officer Course, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
2006 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala. by correspondence and residence
2009 Master of the Arts, Business Administration, Auburn University, Ala.
2009 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell, AFB, Ala. by correspondence
2011 Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan., by correspondence
2012 Marine Corps Command and Staff College, Naval Postgraduate School Seminar, Monterey, Calif.
2012 Master of Science in Defense Analysis, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.
2016 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. by correspondence
2019 Darden Business School Executive Education Course, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va.
2020 Secretary of Defense Corporate Fellow, Alaska Air Group, Seattle, Wash.
2021 Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
2024 Air Force Enterprise Leadership Seminar, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 2000 - March 2001, C4I Project Officer, 46th Test Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
2. March 2001 - December 2001, Student Pilot, 37th Flying Training Squadron, Columbus AFB, Miss.
3. November 2001 - June 2002, Student Pilot, VT-35, Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas
4. June 2002 - July 2005, Chief of Safety and C-130E Aircraft Commander, 41st Airlift Squadron, Pope AFB, N.C.
5. July 2005 - April 2006, Chief of Flight Safety and C-130E Aircraft Commander, 43rd Airlift Wing, Pope AFB, N.C.
6. April 2006 - May 2010, Chief of Tactics and Instructor Pilot, Air Force Special Operations Squadron
7. May 2010 - June 2011, Chief of Training and Evaluator Pilot, Air Force Special Operations Squadron
8. June 2011 - December 2012, Student, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.
9. December 2012 - June 2015, Chief of Sensitive Activities, Future Plans, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.
10. June 2015 - June 2017, Director of Operations, Air Force Special Operations Squadron
11. June 2017 - June 2019, Commander, Air Force Special Operations Squadron
12. June 2019 - June 2020, SECDEF Corporate Fellow, Alaska Air Group, Seattle, Wash.
13. June 2020 - June 2021, Operations Officer, Deputy Directorate, Special Operations and Counterterrorism, Joint Staff/J37, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
14. June 2021 - June 2022, Current Operations Division Chief, Deputy Directorate, Current Operations, Joint Staff/J33, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
15. June 2022 - June 2023, Commander, 752 Special Operations Group, Royal Air Force, Mildenhall, United Kingdom
16. June 2023 – June 2025, Deputy Commander, 352 Special Operations Wing, RAF Mildenhall, UK
17. July 2025 – Present, Commandant, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. December 2012 - June 2015, Chief of Sensitive Activities, Future Plans, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C., as a major
2. June 2020 - June 2021, Operations Officer, Deputy Directorate, Special Operations and Counterterrorism, Joint Staff/J37, Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a lieutenant colonel
3. June 2021 - June 2022, Current Operations Division Chief, Deputy Directorate, Current Operations, Joint Staff/J33, Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: More than 4,000 (including 1800+ Combat Hours)
Aircraft flown: C-172, T-37, TC-12, C-130E, CV-22B, MC-130J and various other aircraft
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with nineteen oak leaf clusters and “V” device
Aerial Achievement Medal
Joint Service Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster and “C” device
Air Force Commendation Medal
Joint Service Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters and “C” device
Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster Gallant Unit Citation
PUBLICATIONS
“Air Power in Irregular Warfare,” Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA, December 2012
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 31, 2000
First Lieutenant May 31, 2002
Captain May 31, 2004
Major February 1, 2010
Lieutenant Colonel July 1, 2015
Colonel April 1, 2021
(Current as of July 2025)