| Colonel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Basic Information | |
| Short Hand | Col/Col. |
| Pay Grade | OF-6 |
| Previous Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Next Rank | Brigadier General |
Colonel is a commissioned rank in the United States Air Force one must be promoted to.
About[]
A colonel in the U.S. Air Force is the highest field grade officer rank and right under the general officer ranks. It is equivalent to the rank of captain in the Navy and Coast Guard. (Not to be confused with the O-3 captain rank in the Air Force.)
A colonel is an elite commander in the air force, he or she has proven themselves in the areas of strategic thinking, technical expertise, bravery, grace under pressure, heroism and and good leadership. They are the senior officials in charge and are generally part of the staff department.
Duties[]
Colonels are usually group or wing commanders. They are also the vice-commanders as well for those respective positions. Most continental U.S. air force bases usually have a colonel in charge of the base and colonels in charge of the groups within a base. This is a little different in overseas bases. A typical wing may consist between 1,000 to 4,000 airmen but it is not uncommon to have many more airmen. Colonels can also be found at the numbered-air force staff organizations.
Most colonels are career officers and have demonstrated a high aptitude for leadership over the span of their careers. Colonels will spend a majority of their time addressing the operations and support for their base. They are responsible for the overall livelihood and condition of the services and facilities at the base. Colonels who are group commanders will assume total responsibility for the operations of the group. While most of this seems administrative, colonels spend a majority of the time making decisions that will affect the overall mission of the base.
Colonels can also be in charge of training schools such as ROTC or any of the military colleges. Similarly, colonels are expected to hold post-graduate credentials or be working towards one. Many colonels will attend Air War College at some time in rank.
Promotion[]
Promotion to colonel is governed by Department of Defense policies derived from the Defense Officer Personnel Management Act (DOPMA) of 1980 for officers in the Active Component and its companion Reserve Officer Personnel Management Act (ROPMA) for officers in the Reserve Component (e.g., Reserve and National Guard). DOPMA guidelines suggest 50% of lieutenant colonels should be promoted to colonel after serving a minimum of three years at their present rank and after attaining 21–23 years of cumulative commissioned service.
Demotion and Dismissal[]
Any superior officer may demote them for insubordination. Dismissal from service only happens to those that commit severe crimes while in service, a court martial is required for this.