Colonel Todd D. Riddle is the Commander, 944th Fighter Wing, Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. As commander, he is responsible for an expeditionary combat support and total force associate wing. The 944th Fighter Wing is tasked to support worldwide mobility and combat employment operations in conjunction with supporting the Air Education and Training Command, and Air Combat Command missions to train F-35, F-16, F-15E and A-10 pilots and weapons systems officers for the United States Air Force, Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard, and other allied nations.
Col Riddle graduated from Evangel University in 1996 and earned his commission through Air Force ROTC at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. After serving nine years as an active-duty member, he joined the Air Force Reserve in 2007 and was assigned to the 442d Fighter Wing, Whiteman AFB, Missouri. During his assignment he served in multiple roles to include Commander for the 442d Fighter Wing Operational Support Flight and Commander for the 303d Fighter Squadron. In 2021, Col Riddle was assigned to the pentagon where he held both the Senior Executive Officer to the Chief and the Reserve Advisor to the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air Force positions. During that time, he led a Chief of Staff of the Air Force Crypto Modernization Action Group, successfully fielding the first ever software defined encryption capability on US and allied aircraft.
Colonel Riddle’s professional military education include selection as the Secretary of Defense Executive Fellow at Qualcomm Technologies in San Diego, California. Col Riddle is a command pilot with more than 3,600 flying hours. He has flown combat missions in support of Operations SOUTHERN WATCH, ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQIFREEDOM, FREEDOM’S SENTINEL, ATLANTIC RESOLVE, and INHERENT RESOLVE. Prior to his current position, he served as Director of Staff, 944th Fighter Wing, Luke AFB, Arizona.
EDUCATION
1996 Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Evangel College, Springfield, Mo.
2005 Squadron Officer School, Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base (AFB), Ala.
2012 Masters of Organizational Leadership, Evangel University, Springfield, Mo.
2012 Air Command and Staff College, Air University, by correspondence
2013 Reserve Component National Security Course, National Defense University, Fort McNair, Washington, DC
2014 Reserve Officer Foreign Exchange Program, German Air Force
2016 Air War College, Air University, by correspondence
2019 Secretary of Defense Executive Fellow, Senior Developmental Education in-residence, San Diego, Calif.
2019 University of Virginia, Darden Business School Executive Education
2019 Center for Strategic Studies and International Studies, Washington D.C.
2021 Strategic Mindset Seminar, Senior Leader Course Management, Washington, D.C
2022 NATO Senior Officer Policy Course, Oberammergau Germany
ASSIGNMENTS OR CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. July 1998-April 2000, Student, Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training, Sheppard AFB, Texas
2. April 2000-July 2000, Student, Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals, Columbus AFB, Miss.
3. July 2000-December 2000, Student, A-10 Replacement Training Unit, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
4. December 2000-September 2003, A-10 Pilot, 82nd Airborne Battalion Air Liaison Officer, Pope AFB, N.C.
5. September 2003-September 2007, 90th FTS Flight Commander, T-38 Instructor/Check pilot, Sheppard AFB, Texas
6. September 2007-April 2012, 442FW Yellow Ribbon Director, A-10 Instructor Pilot, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
7. April 2012-May 2015, 442FW Inspector General, 303d FS Flight Commander, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
8. May 2015-June 2016, Commander, 442FW Operational Support Flight, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
9. June 2016-Dec 2017, Director of Operations, 303d Fighter Squadron, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
10. Dec 2017-June 2019, Commander, 303d Fighter Squadron, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
11. June 2019-June 2020, Secretary of Defense Executive Fellow, Qualcomm Technologies, San Diego, Calif.
12. June 2021-July 2021, Senior Executive Officer to Chief, Air Force Reserve and Commander, Air Force Reserve Command, Headquarters United States Air Force, Pentagon, Va.
13. July 2021-June 2023, Reserve Advisor to the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Operations, Headquarters United States Air Force, Pentagon, Va.
14. August 2023-February 2024, Director of Staff, 944th FW, Luke AFB, Ariz.
15. February 2024-Present, Commander, 944th Fighter Wing, Luke AFB, Ariz.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight Hours: More than 3,600, including 375 combat hours Aircraft Flown: F-35, A-10, T-38, T-37
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with C device and ten oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal with three “C” devices and two oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 7, 1998
First Lieutenant June 7, 2000
Captain June 7, 2002
Major October 1, 2007
Lieutenant Colonel August 15, 2013
Colonel October 1, 2018
(CURRENT AS OF FEBRUARY 2024)