COLONEL JAMES S. LONG II
Col. James S. Long II is the Deputy Commander, 6th Air Refueling Wing, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, assisting the Wing Commander in leading more than 4,300 people and controlling an annual budget exceeding $249 million. The wing’s overall mission is to provide worldwide air refueling in addition to supporting Headquarters, U.S. Central Command, Headquarters, U.S. Special Operations Command, and 32 other mission partners who call MacDill home.
Col. Long is a native of Del Rio, Texas. He graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science in Social Sciences, and then attended specialized undergraduate pilot training at Laughlin AFB, Texas. Col. Long then served two operational tours as a C-17 pilot at McChord AFB, Washington and Charleston AFB, South Carolina, ultimately qualifying as a Lead Airdrop Evaluator Pilot. He subsequently served as a Prime Nuclear Airlift Force Inspector and Executive Officer to the Air Mobility Command Inspector General before attending Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell AFB, Alabama. He completed a joint assignment with U.S. Central Command J5 as Political-Military Country Director for the Central Asia region before taking command of the 16th Airlift Squadron at Joint Base Charleston executing missions in support of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM, INHERENT RESOLVE and ALLIES REFUGE. Col. Long then became the Senior Executive Officer to the Commander of the United States Air Force Expeditionary Center located at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. Prior to his current position, Col. Long attended Senior Developmental Education at the USAF Air War College located at Maxwell AFB, Alabama.
Col. James S. Long II is a command pilot with more than 4,400 flying hours, including 1,584 combat hours, in the C-17A.
EDUCATION
2003 Bachelor of Science in Social Sciences, United States Air Force Academy, Colo.
2009 C-17A Weapons Instructor Course, United States Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
2010 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2011 Masters in Aeronautical Science, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Fla.
2016 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2024 Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 2003 – September 2004, Student Pilot, 47th Flying Training Wing, Laughlin AFB, Texas
2. February 2005 – November 2005, C-17A Co-pilot, Awards and Decorations, 4th Airlift Squadron, McChord AFB, Wash.
3. December 2005 – April 2007, C-17A Pilot/Instructor, Scheduler, 4th Airlift Squadron, McChord AFB, Wash.
4. May 2007 – December 2008, C-17A Instructor, Chief Squadron Operations Center, 4th Airlift Squadron, McChord AFB, Wash.
5. January 2009 – June 2009, C-17A Instructor, 57th Weapons Squadron, United States Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
6. October 2009 – October 2010, C-17A Instructor, Tactics Flight Commander, 16th Airlift Squadron, Joint Base (JB) Charleston AFB, S.C.
7. October 2010 – July 2011 C-17A Evaluator, Assistant Director of Operations, 16th Airlift Squadron, JB Charleston, S.C.
8. July 2011 – September 2011, C-17A Evaluator, Executive Officer, 437th Operations Group, JB Charleston, S.C.
9. September 2011 – October 2012, C-17A Evaluator, Deputy Director Commander’s Action Group, 437th Airlift Wing, JB Charleston, S.C.
10. October 2012 – January 2013, C-17A Evaluator, Wing Standardization and Evaluation, 437th Operations Group, JB Charleston, S.C.
11. February 2013 – March 2014, Deputy Chief, Nuclear Division, Office of the Inspector General, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
12. March 2014 – June 2015, Executive Officer, Office of the Inspector General, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
13. June 2015 – July 2016, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
14. July 2016 – July 2018, Chief, Political and Military Affairs, Uzbekistan, Security Cooperation Division, Strategy, Plans and Policy Directorate, U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.
15. July 2018 – June 2020, Director of Operations, 15th Airlift Squadron, JB Charleston, S.C.
16. June 2020 – June 2022, Commander, 16th Airlift Squadron, JB Charleston, S.C.
17. June 2022 – July 2023, Senior Executive Officer to the Commander, United States Expeditionary Center, JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
18. July 2023 – June 2024, Student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
19. July 2024 – Present, Deputy Wing Commander, 6th Air Refueling Wing, MacDill AFB, Fla.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2016 – July 2018, Chief, Political and Military Affairs, Uzbekistan, Security Cooperation Division, as a lieutenant colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: 4,400
Aircraft flown: T-6A, T-1A, C-17A, KC-135R/T
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with nine oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air and Space Commendation Medal
Army Commendation Medal
Air and Space Achievement Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
First Lieutenant May 28, 2005
Captain May 28, 2007
Major July 1, 2013
Lieutenant Colonel March 1, 2018
Colonel June 1, 2024
(Current as of September 2024)