Major Ustem "Ghost" Nu is the Commander of the 35th Comptroller Squadron, Misawa Air
Base, Japan. He serves as the 35th Fighter Wing Commander’s trusted advisor in the
managing and execution of the Wing’s budget to operate the only combined Joint Service
installation across the Command. Additionally, he is also responsible for the military and
civilian pay operation that supports Misawa’s 3,500 personnel.
Major Nu entered the Air Force in May of 2005, graduating technical training as a weather
forecaster in March of 2006. He was assigned to Scott AFB, as a Weather Forecaster for
his first duty station. July of 2009, he transferred to the 18th Weather Squadron at Ft.
Bragg to become Combat Weather. From Ft. Bragg he deployed to Iraq to serve in
Operation Enduring Freedom & Operation New Dawn.
Following Ft Bragg, he to went Yongsan Army Garrison to serve a remote tour in Korea in
2011. He obtained his commission through Officer Training School in 2012. In his first
assignment as an officer he served as lead SARC for the 48th FW and as a Wing Weather
Officer. During his time in England he deployed in support of the Baltic Air Policing in
2014. In 2015 he moved to Davis-Monthan AFB where he became a flight commander at
the 25th Operational Weather Squadron which oversaw WCONUS and SOUTHCOM
counter-drug weather intelligence.
Following this assignment, Major Nu was the Commander of Learmonth Solar Observatory
in W. Australia. He was responsible for space weather intelligence, the safety and security
of the sole USAF military installation, its assets & people in W. Australia. Following this, he
was an Associate Professor of Aerospace Studies and Operations Officer at the AFROTC
Detachment 128 for the University of Delaware. Prior to this assignment, he was a Budget
Analyst at Headquarters Pacific Air Forces at Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam where he
was part of a team responsible for formulating, justifying, and executing a $7 billion
portfolio.
EDUCATION
2004 Bachelor of Science, Chemical Engineering, NCA&T SU, Greensboro, NC
2005 Weather Forecaster Apprentice Course, Keesler AFB, Mississippi
2008 Airman Leadership School, Scott AFB, IL
2008 Combat Weather Team Observers Course, Keesler AFB, Mississippi 2009 CCAF,
AAS, Meteorology, Air University, Maxwell AFB, AL
2010 Staff Weather Officer Course, Fort Huachuca, Arizona
2012 Officer Training School, Maxwell AFB, AL
2013 SARC Training School, Maxwell AFB, AL
2015 Advanced Weather Manager’s Course, Keesler AFB, MS
2016 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL
2018 Commander’s Course, Hickam AFB, HI
2022 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL
2023 Master of Arts, Leadership, Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA
ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 2005 - July 2005, Trainee, Basic Military Training, JB San Antonio-Lackland, TX
2. July 2005 - September 2005, Student, Weather Forecaster Apprentice Course, 335th TRS, Keesler AFB, MS
3. September 2005 - July 2009, Weather Forecaster, 15th Operational Weather Squadron, Scott AFB, IL
4. July 2009 - August 2011, Combat Weather Forecaster, 18th Weather Squadron, Fort Bragg, NC
*(Iraq; November 2010 - June 2011, Battlefield Weather Forecaster, 18th Expeditionary Weather Squadron, Tikrit, Iraq)
5. August 2011 - May 2012, Systems and Requirements NCOIC, 607th Weather Squadron, Yongsan AG, S. Korea
6. May 2012 - August 2012; Trainee, Officer training School, Maxwell AFB, AL
7. September 2012 - July 2015, Wing Weather Officer, Royal Air Forces Lakenheath, United Kingdom
*(February 2013 – May 2015, Sexual Assault Response Coordinator)
*(Lithuania; March 2014 - May 2014, Spt Sq. Director of Operations, 48th Expeditionary Operations Group)
8. July 2015 – May 2018, Flight Commander, 25th Operational Weather Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona
*(MSAB; January 2017 - July 2017, Weather Flight Commander
9. June 2018 - June 2020, Commander, Learmonth Solar Observatory, Learmonth Western Australia
10. July 2020 - July 2022, Operations Officer/Associate Professor Aerospace Studies, AFROTC Detachment 128
University of Delaware, Newark, DE
11. July 2022 - August 2023, Budget Analyst, Financial Management and Comptroller, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces,
Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, HI
12. August 2023 - Present, Commander, 35th CPTS, Misawa Air Base Japan
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Humanitarian Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal with 1 Service Star
Army Commendation Medal
Army Achievement Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant August 31, 2012
First Lieutenant August 31, 2014
Captain August 31, 2016
Major September 1, 2021
(Current as of July 2023)