Col. Patrick Dierig is the commander of the 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Fla. He is responsible for preparing Air Force special operations forces for worldwide missions in support of joint and coalition special operations. The wing’s mission includes planning, posturing, and executing precision strike, specialized mobility, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. The wing employs more than 78 aircraft, including the AC-130J, MC-130J, U-28A, PC-12 and MQ-9. These capabilities support a variety of special operations missions including direct action, unconventional warfare, special reconnaissance, counterterrorism, personnel recovery, psychological operations, and information operations. As installation commander, Col. Dierig also oversees Hurlburt Field’s base support for the wing’s four groups and 24 squadrons, as well as more than 40 tenant units, including Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command.
Col. Dierig graduated from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1999, and earned his commission from Officer Training School in 2001. A Master Navigator and Electronic Warfare Officer with more than 2,700 flight hours in the AC-130U and MC-130H, Col. Dierig has flown combat missions in Afghanistan and Iraq and has led mission planning for joint special operations in South America and Africa. He has served as Commander, 14th Weapons Squadron, United States Air Force Weapons School, as a National Security Fellow at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, and as a Special Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, where he advised the Chairman on foreign and domestic engagement strategy to advance national security directives. Prior to his current position, Col. Dierig was the Commander, 479th Flying Training Group, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.
EDUCATION
1999 Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree, Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio
2005 AC-130 Weapons Instructor Course, U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.
2007 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2007 Master of Arts, International Relations, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Okla.
2010 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2013 Master of Arts, National Security and Strategy Studies, Naval War College, NAVSTA Newport, R.I.
2014 Master of Philosophy, Military Strategy, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2016 Joint Forces Staff College, NSA Hampton Roads, Va.
2020 National Security Fellow, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 2001 – November 2001, Student, Undergraduate Navigator/EWO Training, Randolph AFB, Texas
2. December 2001 – June 2002, Student, AC-130U Initial Qualification Training, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
3. June 2002 – March 2008, Flight Commander, Evaluator EWO, 4th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
4. March 2008 – October 2008, Student, MC-130H Initial Qualification Training, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
5. November 2008 – March 2011, Chief of Plans, Instructor EWO, 7th Special Operations Squadron, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom
6. March 2011 – June 2012, Chief of Safety, 352nd Special Operations Group, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom
7. June 2012 – June 2013, Student, College of Naval Command and Staff, Naval Station Newport, R.I.
8. June 2013 – June 2014, Student, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
9. June 2014 – May 2016, Special Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Pentagon, Washington D.C.
10. June 2016 – June 2017, Assistant Operations Officer, later Operations Officer, 15th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
11. June 2017 – January 2019, Commander, 14th Weapons Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
12. January 2019 – June 2019, Chief of Strategic Engagements, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
13. July 2019 – June 2020, National Security Fellow, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
14. June 2020 – June 2022, Senior Program Analyst, Global Shaping Division, Office of Secretary of Defense, Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation, Pentagon, Washington D.C.
15. July 2022 – January 2024, Commander, 479th Flying Training Group, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.
16. February 2024 – Current, Wing Commander, 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2014 – May 2016, Special Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Pentagon, Washington D.C., as a major and lieutenant colonel
2. June 2020 – June 2022, Senior Program Analyst, Global Shaping Division, Office of Secretary of Defense, Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation, Pentagon, Washington D.C., as a colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Master Navigator
Flight hours: More than 2,700, including more than 1,000 combat hours
Aircraft flown: AC-130U, MC-130H, T-43, T-1A, and T-6
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster
Air Medal with seven Oak Leaf Clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster
Joint Service Achievement Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster
Air Force Combat Action Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Jan. 12, 2001
First Lieutenant Jan. 12, 2003
Captain Jan. 12, 2005
Major Oct. 1, 2010
Lieutenant Colonel Dec. 1, 2015
Colonel Feb. 1, 2021
(Current as of February 2024)