Col. Mark D. Richey is the Mobilization Assistant to the Twentieth Air Force commander, Air Force Global Strike Command, Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming. He is responsible for assisting the commander in the management of the nation's intercontinental ballistic missile force, organized into three missile wings and one air base wing, totaling more than 11,000 people.
Col. Richey is a Level III Joint Qualified Officer. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Saint Mary's College of California and was the Honor Graduate of his class at the United States Air Force Officer Training School where he commissioned in 1997. A distinguished graduate of Undergraduate Pilot Training, Col. Richey later earned his Master of Business Administration from Colorado State University. Col. Richey is a command pilot with more than 4,500 flying hours and 675 combat sorties.
Prior to assuming his current position, Col. Richey served as the Vice Commander of the 4th Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, March Air Reserve Base, California. Col. Richey has served on ten deployments supporting OPERATION NORTHERN WATCH, OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM and OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM. He has commanded, deployed and flown with Active Duty Special Operations, the Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve.
EDUCATION
1995 Bachelor of Science, Business Administration, St. Mary's College of California, Moraga, Calif.
1997 Honor Graduate - USAF Officer Training School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1998 Distinguished Graduate - Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, NAS Corpus Christi, Texas
2004 USAF Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2010 USAF Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2013 USAF Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2015 Master of Business Administration, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo.
2016 Joint Reserve Component National Security Course, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2017 Joint and Combined Warfighting School, Joint Forces Staff College, National Defense University, Norfolk, Va.- hybrid, correspondence & seminar
2018 Director of Mobility Forces Course, Air Force Expeditionary Center, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2019 Air Force Senior Leader Nuclear Management Course, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
2020 Advanced Concepts & Skills for Requirements Management, Defense Acquisition University, Fort Belvoir, Va.
2020 NATO Senior Officer Policy Course, Oberammergau, Germany
2021 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Kenan-Flagler Business School-UNC, Chapel Hill, N.C.
2021 Leading Strategically, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 1997–November 1998, Student, Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin Air Force Base & Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas
2. January 1999–October 1999, MC-130P Initial Mission Qualification, Little Rock AFB, Ark. & Kirtland AFB, N.M.
3. October 1999–October 2002, MC-130P Aircraft Commander, Plans Officer, 17th Special Operations Squadron, Kadena AFB, Okinawa, Japan
4. October 2002–May 2006, MC-130P Evaluator Pilot, Commander - Standardization/Evaluation Flight & Chief Executive Officer, 9th Special Operations Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla.
5. June 2006–May 2007, MC-130P Instructor Pilot, 5th Special Operations Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla
6. June 2007–June 2012, C-130J/C-27J Instructor and Cadre Pilot, Flight Commander, 135th Airlift Squadron, Warfield Air National Guard Base, Md.
7. June 2012–July 2015, Chief Pilot/Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems Pilot C-130H, 731st Airlift Squadron, Peterson AFB, Colo.
8. August 2015–April 2017, Commander, 302nd Operational Support Squadron, Peterson AFB, Colo.
9. January 2017–September 2018, Individual Mobilization Augmentee to the Director of Operations, North American Defense Command, and Command Center Director, NORAD & U.S. NORTHERN COMMAND, Peterson AFB, Colo.
10. July 2018–July 2019, Vice Wing Commander, 916th Air Refueling Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
11. July 2019–May 2020, IMA - Mobility, Special Ops and Rotary Lift Requirements Division, Headquarters Air Force/A5, Pentagon, Washington D.C.
12. May 2020–December 2021, Vice Commander, 4th Air Force, March Air Reserve Base, Calif.
13. December 2021–present, Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, 20th Air Force, Francis E. Warren AFB, Wyo.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 2017–September 2018, Individual Mobilization Augmentee to the Director of Operations, NORAD, and Command Center Director - NORAD & U.S. NORTHERN COMMAND, Peterson AFB, Colo., as a colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight Hours: More than 4,500 Hours, 675 Combat Sorties
Aircraft Flown: MC-130P, C-130J, C-27J, C-130E/H, KC-135R, HC-130, T-44, T-37
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with one oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with six oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Army Commendation Medal
Gallant Unit Citation Meritorious Unit Award with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with "Valor Device" and two oak leaf clusters
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Aug. 8, 1997
First Lieutenant Aug. 8, 1999
Captain Aug. 8, 2001
Major Nov. 15, 2006
Lieutenant Colonel June 30, 2011
Colonel Jan. 6, 2017
(Current as of January 2022)