Col. Oliver R. Lause is the Commander, 35th Fighter Wing, Misawa Air Base, Japan. He commands a combat ready, multi-platform F-35A and F-16CJ fighter wing composed of 3,000 personnel, while sustaining forces and facilities worth over two billion dollars. He oversees a 10,000-person installation that supports eight associate units across four U.S. military service branches and the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force.
Col. Lause received his commission in 2004 as a U.S. Air Force Academy graduate and earned his pilot wings in 2005 as a distinguished graduate from Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma. He commanded a fighter squadron, test and training range, operations group and held various staff positions at joint/coalition, major command, and wing levels, including as Executive Assistant to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe and Commander, U.S. European Command at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, Belgium.
Col. Lause is a command pilot with more than 2,200 hours in the F-35A, F-16, T-38C, and T-37B, including 200 combat hours in Operation Enduring Freedom. He has flown as an instructor pilot, evaluator pilot, and weapons officer in the F-35 and F-16 across Pacific Air Forces, Air Combat Command, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, and Air Education and Training Command. Col. Lause also instructed at the U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nevada, and flew alert missions supporting Operation Noble Eagle.
EDUCATION
2004 Bachelor of Science in Political Science, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2010 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2013 Master of Science in Military Operational Art and Science, Distance Learning, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2014 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2016 Master of Science in Airpower Strategy and Technology Integration, Blue Horizons Fellowship, Center for Strategy and Technology, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 2004–February 2006, Student, Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Vance Air Force Base, Okla.
2. February 2006–April 2006, Student, Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals, Moody AFB, Ga.
3. April 2006–January 2007, Student, F-16 Replacement Training Unit and Night Systems Course, Luke AFB, Ariz.
4. February 2007–April 2008, Standardization and Evaluation Liaison Officer and F-16 Flight Lead, 36th Fighter Squadron, Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea
5. May 2008–June 2008, Student, F-16 Block 50 Conversion Course, Luke AFB, Ariz.
6. June 2008–December 2010, Flight Commander, Assistant Chief of Group Standardization and Evaluation, Chief of Mobility, F-16 Instructor and Evaluator Pilot, 79th Fighter Squadron, Shaw AFB, S.C. (October 2009–February 2010, Chief of Mobility, F-16 Instructor Pilot, Bagram AB, Afghanistan)
7. January 2011–June 2011, Student, F-16 Weapons Instructor Course, USAF Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
8. July 2011–July 2012, Chief of Weapons and Tactics, F-16 Weapons Officer, 80th Fighter Squadron, Kunsan AB, Republic of Korea
9. August 2012–July 2015, Flight Commander, Chief of Wing Scheduling, Chief of Weapons, F-16 Weapons School Instructor, 16th Weapons Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
10. August 2015–June 2016, Blue Horizons Fellow, Center for Strategy and Technology, Spaatz Center, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
11. July 2016–July 2017, Aide-de-Camp to the Commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, U.S. Air Forces Africa, Ramstein AB, Germany
12. Aug 2017–June 2018, Inspector General, F-16 Instructor Pilot, 52d Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem AB, Germany
13. June 2018–June 2019, Commander, 35th Fighter Squadron, Kunsan AB, Republic of Korea
14. June 2019–July 2021, Executive Assistant, Deputy Executive Assistant, and Special Assistant to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe and Commander, U.S. European Command, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, Belgium
15. July 2021–June 2022, National Defense Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University, Calif.
16. July 2022–June 2023, Chief of Staff, F-35A Pilot, Hill AFB, Utah
17. June 2023–June 2024, Commander, Utah Test and Training Range, F-35A Instructor Pilot, Hill AFB, Utah
18. June 2024–June 2026, Commander, 56th Operations Group, Luke AFB, Ariz.
19. July 2026–present, Commander, 35th Fighter Wing, Misawa AB, Japan
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2019–July 2021, Executive Assistant, Deputy Executive Assistant, and Special Assistant to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe and Commander, U.S. European Command, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, Belgium, as a lieutenant colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 2,200 including 200 combat hours
Aircraft flown: T-37B, T-38C, F-16, F-35A
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 2, 2004
First Lieutenant June 2, 2006
Captain June 2, 2008
Major July 1, 2014
Lieutenant Colonel Nov. 1, 2017
Colonel April 1, 2023
(Current as of July 2026)