Colonel SAMANTHA WEEKS

Colonel Samantha Weeks is the Commander, 14th Flying Training Wing, Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi. The 14th FTW conducts Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training for U.S. Air Force and allied officers, as well as tactical training for Afghan and Lebanese pilots and aircraft maintainers in the A-29 Super Tucano at Moody AFB, Georgia. The wing is composed of 244 aircraft flying more than 55,000 sorties and 77,000 hours per year while training over 400 pilots and combat system operators annually. Colonel Weeks manages an operations and maintenance budget of $115 million with capital assets exceeding $2.3 billion.  

Colonel Weeks received her commission from the United States Air Force Academy in 1997.  After graduating from Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, she flew the F-15C where she supported Operations Northern and Southern Watch. She was assigned as an Air Force Fellow to the Office of the Deputy Secretary of Defense, Washington D.C., and was chosen for a Lorenz Fellowship where she was awarded her Doctorate in Military Strategy, focusing on leader and leadership development.  She was also the first-female solo demonstration pilot on the United States Air Force Aerial Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds.  Prior to this assignment, she was the Commander, 57th Adversary Tactics Group, Nellis AFB, Nevada. 

Colonel Weeks is a command pilot with more than 2,200 flying hours including 105 combat hours in support of Operations Northern Watch and Southern Watch, and has flown in support of Operation Noble Eagle.

EDUCATION

1997 Bachelor of Science in Biology, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO.

2002 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL.

2005 Masters in Human Relations, University of Oklahoma, OK.

2008 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence, Maxwell AFB, AL.

2009 Air Force Fellows, Strategic Policy Intern Program, Washington, D.C.

2011 Master of Airpower Art and Science, School of Advanced Air & Space Studies, Maxwell AFB, AL.

2014 Air War College, by correspondence, Air University, Maxwell AFB, AL.

2018 National Security Fellow, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY.

2018 Doctor of Philosophy in Military Strategy, Air University, Maxwell AFB, AL.



ASSIGNMENTS

1.  August 1997 – November 1997, Athletic Instructor, Athletic Department, U.S. Air Force Academy, CO.

2.  November 1997 – October 1998, Student, Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin AFB, TX.

3.  Apr 1999 – October 1999, Student Pilot, F-15C initial training, Tyndall AFB, FL.

4.  October 1999 – March 2003, F-15C pilot, 94th Fighter Squadron, 1st Fighter Wing, Langley AFB, VA.

5.  May 2003 – May 2004, Joint Terminal Attack Controller 607th Air Support Operations Group, Osan Air Base, South Korea

6.  July 2004 – July 2006, Instructor pilot, 12th Fighter Squadron, 3rd Wing, Elmendorf AFB, AK.

7.  October 2006 – November 2008, #6: Opposing Solo, #5: Lead Solo, F-16 Instructor Pilot, USAF Aerial Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds, Nellis AFB, NV.

8.  November 2008 – July 2009, Chief of Staff, United States Air Force Warfare Center, Nellis AFB, NV.

9.  August 2009 – July 2010, Air Force Fellow – Strategic Policy Intern, Washington, D.C.

10.  July 2010 – June 2011, Student, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Maxwell AFB, AL.

11.  September 2011 – May 2012, Chief of Safety, 8th Fighter Wing, Kunsan Air Base, South Korea

12.  May 2012 – June 2013, Commander, 8th Operations Support Squadron, Kunsan Air Base, South Korea

13. June 2013 – July 2015, Executive Assistant to the Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U. S. Northern Command, Colorado Springs, CO.

14. July 2015 – August 2016, Air Force Fellow – Lorenz Fellowship, Colorado Springs, CO.

15. August 2016 – August 2018, Commander, 57th Adversary Tactics Group, Nellis AFB, NV.

16. August 2018 – present, Commander, 14th Flying Training Wing, Columbus AFB, MS.



SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2013 – July 2015, Executive Assistant to the Commander, NORAD/NORTHCOM, Colorado Springs, Colorado, as a lieutenant colonel

FLIGHT INFORMATION

Rating:  Command Pilot

Total Flight Hours: 2,200 with 105 Combat Hours

Aircraft Flown: F-16, F-15C, T-38C, AT-38, T-38A, T-37, T-3A



MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legions of Merit
Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Joint Meritorious Unit Award with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with silver and bronze oak leaf clusters
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award
Combat Readiness Medal with two oak leaf clusters

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION

Second Lieutenant    28 May 1997
First Lieutenant         28 May 1999
Captain                     28 May 2001
Major                        1 Dec 2006
Lieutenant Colonel   1 Dec 2011
Colonel                     1 Jun 2016

(Current as of August 2019)