Col. Kristen N. Wood is the Commander of the 1st Special Operations Mission Support Group, Hurlburt Field, Florida. The six squadrons and approximately 1,900 Airmen in the group ensure the mission readiness of the 1st Special Operations Wing, Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command and 46 tenant units from six separate major commands located in more than 1,000 facilities on a 6,000-acre installation. The group is responsible for facility construction and maintenance, housing, environmental management, fire protection, base defense and law enforcement, communications, manpower and personnel, lodging, recreation, food service, contracting, supply, fuels, transportation, logistics, aerial port operations, and other base services supporting over 63,000 active duty, civilian, dependent, and retired personnel.
Col Wood graduated from the University of Washington in 2001 and received her commission as a Distinguished Graduate from the Reserved Officer Training Corps. She has held positions at the flight, squadron, wing, and staff levels including multiple deployments to support named and unnamed operations. Throughout her career, she has been assigned to various organizations to include the Joint Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina; the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida; Air Forces Central Command at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina; and the Air Staff at the Pentagon. Prior to this assignment Col Wood was the Air Force Nation Account Manager for the Defense Logistics Agency at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
EDUCATION
2001 Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, University of Washington, Seattle.
2007 Top 1/3, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL
2007 Master of Science degree in Human Resource Management, University of Maryland University College, Adelphi(correspondence)
2014 Distinguished Graduate and Outstanding Thesis, Master of Science degree in Defense Analysis, Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA
2020 Distinguished Graduate, Master of Science degree in National Security and Resource Strategy, National Defense University, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2001 – August 2003, Officer in Charge, Aircraft Services; Officer in Charge, Passenger Services; and later Officer in Charge, Air Terminal Operations Center, 726th Air Mobility Squadron, Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany
2. August 2003 – February 2005, Flight Commander, Readiness Flight, 39th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Incirlik Air Base, Turkey
3. February 2005 – January 2007, Flight Commander, Materiel Management Flight, 1st Special Operations Logistics Readiness Squadron, Hurlburt Field, FL
4. January 2007 – July 2008, Wing Executive Officer, 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, FL
5. July 2008 – June 2010, Chief, Deliberate Plans (A4), Air Forces Central Command, Shaw Air Force Base, SC
6. June 2010 – June 2013, Logistics Plans Officer (J4), Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, NC
7. June 2013 – December 2014, Student, Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA
8. January 2015 – May 2016, Chief, Cost Per Flying Hour Program and later Logistics Panel Operations Coordinator, Resource Integration Directorate (A4), Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
9. May 2016 – May 2017, Executive Officer, Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, Logistics, Engineering, and Force Protection (A4), Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
10. June 2017 – July 2020, Commander, 1st Special Operations Logistics Readiness Squadron, Hurlburt Field, FL
11. July 2020 – June 2021, Student, Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, National Defense University, Fort McNair, Washington D.C.
12. July 2021 – July 2022, Chief, Director’s Action Group, Defense Logistics Agency, Fort Belvoir, VA
13. July 2022 – June 2023, Air Force National Account Manager, Defense Logistics Agency, Fort Belvoir, VA.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2010 - June 2013, Logistics Plans Officer (J4), Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, NC
2. July 2021 – June 2023, Chief, Director’s Action Group and later, AF National Account Manager, Defense Logistics Agency, Fort Belvoir, VA
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Bronze Star with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Army Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
OTHER QUALIFICATIONS
Static Line Jumpmaster (U.S. Army Advanced Airborne School, Fort Bragg, NC)
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 8, 2001
First Lieutenant June 22, 2003
Captain June 22, 2005
Major August 1, 2011
Lieutenant Colonel August 1, 2016
Colonel June 1, 2022
(Current as of June 2023)