Col. Diane Patton is the Commander, 94th Airlift Wing, Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga. She leads a unit equipped Air Force Reserve wing with nearly 2,000 personnel and eight C-130H3 cargo aircraft that support joint service and multinational airlift missions in the United States and abroad. Additionally, Col. Patton has command responsibility for the installation, serving as host for over 12,000 tenant personnel and 17 tenant units, including 22nd Air Force, Air Force Plant 6 at Lockheed-Martin, the Georgia Army and Air National Guard Headquarters, and several other Army, Navy, and Marine Corps Reserve units.
Col. Patton began her career in the Air Force Reserve in November 1997 as an aerospace medical technician and later obtained her commission through Air Force Officer Training School in 2004. She has served in a variety of staff and flying assignments, including tactical, strategic, and air refueling operations, and has commanded at the squadron, group, and wing levels. As former Commander, 908th Operations Group, she led the final combat deployment of the Wing’s C-130H Hercules aircraft and integrated the mission transition to the MH-139 Grey Wolf formal training unit. Prior to her current assignment, she served as the Commander, 916th Air Refueling Wing, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina.
Col. Patton is a command pilot, having flown more than 3,100 hours, including more than 400 combat hours and has deployed in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and New Dawn.
EDUCATION
2002 Bachelor of Science in Natural Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa.
2007 Reserve Component Joint Officer Professional Development Seminar, Washington, D.C.
2008 Squadron Officer School, by correspondence
2009 Master of Arts in Management, American Military University, Charles Town, W.Va.
2012 Aviation Safety Program Management and Aircraft Mishap Investigation, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
2016 Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2016 Naval Strategy and War, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
2019 Information Environment Advanced Analysis, Doral, Fla.
2020 Joint Combined Warfighting School-Hybrid, by correspondence
2020 Air War College, by correspondence
2021 Reserve Component National Security Course, National Defense University, Washington, D.C.
2023 Director of Mobility Forces, Air Force Expeditionary Operations School, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2024 Enterprise Perspective and Africa Seminars, Alan L. Freed Associates, Washington, D.C.
2025 North Atlantic Treaty Organization Senior Officer Policy Course, Oberammergau, Germany
2025 Senior Leader Nuclear Management, Air Force Institute of Technology, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. November 1997 – February 2004, Aerospace Medical Technician, 911th Aeromedical Staging Squadron, Pittsburgh International Airport Air Reserve Station, Pa.
2. February 2004 – May 2004, Student, Distinguished Graduate, Officer Training School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
3. June 2004 – December 2004, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Columbus AFB, Miss.
4. January 2005 – July 2005, Student, Commodore’s List with Distinction, Undergraduate Pilot Training, NAS Corpus Christi, Texas
5. October 2005 – May 2006, Student, Distinguished Graduate, C-130 Initial Qualification Training, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
6. June 2006 – June 2012, C-130 Instructor Pilot, Tactics, Scheduling, 758th Airlift Squadron, Pittsburgh IAP ARS, Pa.
7. June 2012 – July 2015, Chief of Safety, 911th Airlift Wing, Pittsburgh IAP ARS, Pa.
8. July 2015 – June 2016, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
9. July 2016 – August 2018, Chief, Global Mobility Programming and Chief, Tactical Airlift Requirements, Reserve Programs and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
10. August 2018 – April 2020, Director of Operations, 357th Airlift Squadron, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
11. April 2020 – August 2022, Commander, 908th Operations Group, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
12. September 2022 – April 2024, Commander, 315th Operations Group, Joint Base Charleston, S.C.
13. April 2024 – February 2026, Commander, 916th Air Refueling Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
14. February 2026 – present, Commander, 94th Airlift Wing, Dobbins ARB, Ga.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: More than 3,100
Aircraft flown: T-37, TC-12, C-130E/H, C-17A, KC-46A
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal
Air and Space Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Unit Award with one oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award with one oak leaf cluster
Combat Readiness Medal with five oak leaf clusters
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2000 HQ AFRC Olson-Wegner Award
2001 Innovative Development through Employee Awareness (IDEA) Award