Col Damion Holtzclaw is the Commandant, Air Force Global College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. The Global College educates and develops Air Force and Space officers and enlisted members through distance learning professional development education and offers an Online Master’s Program. It provides one hundred online courses across seven programs to over 30,000 active duty, guard, reserve, and civilian students worldwide. The Global College of PME has over 350 personnel, including Ph.D. and research faculty, learning architects, student services, and military members from a multitude of Air Force Specialty Codes.
Col. Holtzclaw received his commission from the United States Air Force Academy on May 30, 2001. During his career, he has served as an aircraft commander, instructor pilot and evaluations pilot. He completed his operational flying assignments at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, and Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina, and deployed in support of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM, INHERENT RESOLVE, and the Combined Defense of the Arabian Gulf. Additionally, Col. Holtzclaw served as a Deputy Commander, Civil Air Patrol-USAF, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, and as a joint officer at United States Strategic Command, as the Senior Chief of Operations, responsible for monitoring and controlling command operations.
Prior to his current assignment, Col. Holtzclaw was the Deputy Commander of 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait. As Deputy Commander, Col. Holtzclaw provided oversight to more than 4,300 airmen, coalition and joint partners at six geographically separated locations, providing air mobility, precision strike, personnel recovery, electronic attack, logistics operations, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets in support of operations throughout Southwest Asia. Col. Holtzclaw is a Senior Pilot, having logged over 2,100 hours in the T-37, T-1A, C-130E, C-130H, C-130J, and KC-10 aircraft with more than 613 combat flying hours.
EDUCATION
2001 Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Sciences, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2007 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala
2008 Master of Education, Touro University, Vallejo, Cal.
2014 Master of Arts in Military Operational Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala
2015 Master of Philosophy in Military Strategy, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala
2021 Master of Strategic Studies, Air War College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala
ASSIGNMENTS
May 2001 – Jun 2002, Gold Bar Recruiter, Georgia Tech Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA.
Jun 2002 - Jun 2003, Civil Engineer, Columbus AFB, Columbus, MS.
Jun 2003 - Jun 2004, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, Corpus Christi, TX.
Jun 2005 – Aug 2009, Instructor Pilot, 40th Airlift Squadron, Dyess AFB, Abilene, TX.
Aug 2009 – Sep 2012, Chief of Evaluations, 2nd Airlift Squadron, Pope Army Airfield, Fayetteville, NC.
Sep 2012 – Jun 2014, Senior Chief of Operations J-3O, USSTRATCOM, Offutt AFB, Omaha, NE.
Jun 2014 - Jun 2015, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
Jun 2015 - Jun 2016, Student, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
Jun 2016 - Jun 2018, Operations Officer for 621 Air Mobility Operations Squadron, Joint Base McGuire Dix Lakehurst, NJ
Jul 2018 – Jul 2020, Commander, 38 Student Squadron, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
Jul 2020 - May 2021, Student, Air War College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
May 2021 – Jun 2022, 380th Expeditionary Operations Group/Deputy Commander, Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates
Jun 2022 - May 2023, Vice Commander, Civil Air Patrol, United States Air Force, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
May 2023 - Aug 2024, 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, Deputy Commander, Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait.
Sep 2024 - Present, Commandant, Air Force Global College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Senior Pilot
Flight hours: More than 2,100, Combat Hours: more than 609
Aircraft flown: T037C, T-1A, C-130E, C-130H1/2, C-130J, KC-10, Cessna 182/206
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air and Space Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Achievement
Medal Combat Readiness Medal with one oak leaf cluster
National Defense Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2007 Distinguished Graduate, C-130H Aircraft Commander Qualification Course, Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark
2008 Top Third Graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala
2015 Secretary United States Air Force Leadership Award
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 31, 2001
First Lieutenant May 31, 2003
Captain May 31, 2005
Major March 1, 2010
Lieutenant Colonel June 1, 2016
Colonel September 1, 2022
(CURRENT AS OF JAN 2025)