Colonel William Bowman is the Commander of the 35th Operations Group at Misawa Air Base, Japan. He leads a group composed of two deployable F-16CM "Wild Weasel" Fighter Squadrons, an Operations Support Squadron and an Air Control Flight capable of conducting and supporting sustained worldwide operations. The 35th Operations Group is responsible for flight operations, airfield management, wing intelligence, tactical air control, weather support, an F-16 Mission Training Center and Draughton Electronic Warfare Range.
Colonel Bowman received his commission through the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1993. He earned his pilot wings in 1994 and piloted the B-1B until 1997. He subsequently cross-trained in the F-16 and deployed multiple times in support of Operations Southern Watch and Iraqi Freedom, flying more than 60 combat sorties. In 2005, Colonel Bowman was assigned to the Operations Directorate of North American Aerospace Defense Command Headquarters as the NORAD Operations Center Director. During this time he was selected as NORAD's Field Grade Officer of the Year. He returned to fly the F-16 at Luke AFB, serving as the Director of Operations for the 308th Fighter Squadron and then as Commander, 21st Fighter Squadron. He was then assigned to the 613th Air Operations Center at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam where he served as the Deputy Chief of Combat Operations and then Chief of the Combat Plans Division. During that time, Colonel Bowman deployed to the CAOC at Al Udeid Air Base as the Chief of Dynamic Targeting in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He most recently completed study at the Air War College. Colonel Bowman is a command pilot with more than 1,800 hours in the F-16, including 140 combat hours. He is married with three children.
EDUCATION
1993 Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado
2000 Distinguished Graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2004 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2006 Master of Business Administration, Touro University International
2011 Air War College, by correspondence
2015 Master of Strategic Studies, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 1993 - October 1994, student, Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training, Sheppard AFB, Texas
2. October 1994 - March 1998, B-1B aircraft commander, 9th Bomb Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas
3. March 1998 - November 1998, student pilot, F-16 Replacement Training Unit, Luke AFB, Arizona
4. November 1998 - April 2001, Chief of Training, 68th Fighter Squadron, Moody AFB, Georgia
5. April 2001 - April 2002, Flight Commander and F-16 instructor pilot, 80th Fighter Squadron, Kunsan Air Base, South Korea
6. April 2002 - January 2005, Chief of Plans and F-16 evaluator pilot, 27th Fighter Wing, Cannon AFB, New Mexico
7. January 2005 - January 2008, Director, Operations Center, Headquarters North American Aerospace Defense Command, Peterson AFB, Colorado
8. January 2008 - June 2009, Operations Officer and F-16 evaluator pilot, 308th Fighter Squadron, Luke AFB, Arizona
9. June 2009 - June 2011, Commander and F-16 evaluator pilot, 21st Fighter Squadron, Luke AFB, AZ
10. August 2011 - February 2013, Deputy Chief of Combat Operations, 613th Air and Space Operations Center, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
11. February 2012 - August 2012, Chief of Dynamic Targeting, Combined Air Operations Center, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar
12. March 2013 - June 2015, Chief of Combat Plans, 613th Air Operations Center, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
13. July 2014 - May 2015, Student, Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
14. July 2015 - present, Commander, 35th Operations Group, Misawa AB, Japan
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: Over 2,600
Aircraft flown: F-16A/B/C/D and B-1B
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with three oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal with two oak leaf clusters
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 2, 1993
First Lieutenant June 2, 1995
Captain June 2, 1997
Major August 1, 2003
Lieutenant Colonel August 1, 2008
Colonel December 1, 2014
(Current as of Aug 2015)