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COLONEL BRUCE R. COX

    

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Colonel Bruce R. Cox is the commander of the 307th Bomb Wing, Barksdale Air Force Base, LA.  The 307th is Air Force Reserve Command’s sole bomb wing, operating both the B-52H Stratofortress and B-1B Lancer.   Tasked alongside Active Associate partners, the unit equipped wing is responsible to execute all USAF B-52H formal training.  Additionally, through Classic Associations, the 307th provides combat-ready B-52H / B-1B aircrew, maintenance personnel and combat support to execute nuclear / conventional global operational taskings.   Colonel Cox is responsible for more than 1,900 Citizen-Airmen, civilian personnel and associated resources.

Colonel Cox was born in Fort Worth, Texas, and graduated from Southwest High School. He entered the Air Force in 1986, after receiving his commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps, Corps of Cadets program at Texas A&M University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering. He completed pilot training at Reese AFB, Texas, as a distinguished graduate then completed F-16 upgrade training at Luke AFB, Ariz., in 1988. He transitioned to the Air Force Reserve in November 1991.

   

Since this time, Colonel Cox has held various leadership positions at different locations within 10th Air Force. Colonel Cox participated in eleven combat deployments flying a total of 158 missions, logging 565 hours while participating in the following operations: Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Deny Flight, Decisive Edge, Northern Watch, Southern Watch, and Enduring and Iraqi Freedom.

 

EDUCATION
1986     Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering, Texas A&M University, Texas

2002     Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2006     Air War College, by correspondence

2010     Reserve Components National Security Course, National Defense University, Fort McNair, Washington D.C.

2012     Space Operations Executive Level Course, National Security Space Institute, Colorado Springs, Colo.

2013     Executive Planning, Programming, Budgeting Execution Course, Robins AFB, Ga.

2014     Honorary PHD, Philosophy, Fisher-More College, Texas

 

ASSIGNMENTS

  1. November 1986 – May 1988, Student, undergraduate pilot training, Reese AFB, Texas.

  2. May 1988 – November 1988, Student, F-16 upgrade pilot training, Luke AFB, Ariz.

  3. November 1988 – November 1991, pilot, 614th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Torrejon Air Base, Spain (August 1990 – March 1991, pilot, 401st Tactical Fighter Wing (Provisional), Doha, Qatar)

  4. November 1991 – September 2006, pilot, Flight Commander, Squadron Assistant Director of Operations, 457th Fighter Squadron, Naval Air Station, Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, Texas

  5. September 2006 – October 2007, Advanced Program Manager, 301st Fighter Wing, NAS Fort Worth JRB, Texas

  6. October 2007 – April 2010, commander, 301st Operations Group, NAS Fort Worth JRB, Texas

  7. April 2010 – December 2014, Director of Operations and Plans Directorate, 10th Air Force, NAS Fort Worth JRB, Texas

  8. December 2014 – Present, commander, 307th Bomb Wing, Barksdale AFB, La.

FLIGHT INFORMATION

Rating: Command pilot

Flight Hours: More than 4,400

Aircraft Flown: T-37, T-38, F-16 and B-52

 

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Distinguished Flying Cross

Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters

Air Medal with seven oak leaf clusters

Aerial Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters

Air Force Commendation Medal

Gallant Unit Citation

Meritorious Unit Award one oak leaf cluster

AF Outstanding Unit Award with Valor Device and with seven oak leaf clusters

Combat Readiness Medal with seven oak leaf clusters

Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal with six oak leaf clusters

National Defense Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster

Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with three oak leaf clusters

Southwest Asia Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster

Afghanistan Campaign Medal

Iraq Campaign Medal with one oak leaf cluster

Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

Armed Forces Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster

AF Overseas Ribbon Long

Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with gold border with two oak leaf clusters

AF Longevity Service with six oak leaf clusters

Armed Forces Reserve Medal with silver hourglass and six “M” devices

Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon

AF Training Ribbon

NATO Medal 

Kuwait Liberation Medal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Kuwait Liberation Medal Government of Kuwait

 

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION

Second Lieutenant May 9, 1986

First Lieutenant August 15, 1988

Captain August 15, 1990

Major August 7, 1999

Lieutenant Colonel September 4, 2003

Colonel January 18, 2008

 

(Current as of April 2015)