Col. Timothy P. Foster is the Commander, 354th Mission Support Group, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. In this capacity, he leads 2,000 military and civilian personnel across six squadrons, all dedicated to enabling fifth generation combat airpower for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and high-end combat training to U.S. and international partners via RED FLAG-Alaska. In addition, he ensures the operational readiness of the Alert Fighter Cell in support of the North American Aerospace Defense Command-Northern Command Homeland Defense mission. His premier group delivers world class engineering, communications, contracting, force support, logistics, and force protection options to Eielson AFB’s 11,000 Airmen and families in Alaska’s interior. Prior to assuming his current position, Col. Foster was the Director, Logistics, Engineering, and Force Protection, Headquarters Seventh Air Force, Osan AB, Republic of Korea. In this role, was the principal advisor to the commander on aircraft maintenance, munitions, transportation, supply, fuels, civil engineering, and force protection processes at the operational level that impacted the combat readiness and execution of six co-located and two main operating bases, including $14.6 billion dollars in infrastructure, supplies, munitions, and other war reserve materials located in the Korean Theater of Operations.
Col. Foster entered the Air Force in February 2001 as a graduate of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Florida. A career logistics officer, Col. Foster has held numerous assignments across the logistics career fields at the squadron, wing, and numbered Air Force levels. His deployment experience includes logistics support to the Joint Movement Center, Combined Air Operations Center, Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; CJTF- 82 Directorate of Logistics, Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan.
EDUCATION
2000 Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice, University of Florida, Fla.
2006 Master of Sciences, Aerospace Science Technology, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Ariz.
2007 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2009 Advanced Logistics Readiness Officer Course, Ft Dix, N.J.
2011 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2020 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2021 Joint and Combined Warfighting School (JPME-II), Joint Forces Staff College, Va.
ASSIGNMENTS OR CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. February 2001–December 2002, Flight Commander, Vehicle Management, 37th Transportation Squadron, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas
2. December 2002–February 2004, Flight Commander, Vehicle Management, 37th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Lackland AFB, Texas
3. February 2004–February 2006, Flight Commander, Readiness Flight and Installation Deployment Officer, 355th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
4. February 2006–June 2006, Flight Commander, Materiel Management, 355th Logistics Readiness Squadron,
Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
5. June 2006–June 2007, Deputy Chief Wing Plans and Programs, 355th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Davis- Monthan AFB, Arizona
6. June 2007–July 2010, Commandant of Cadets, Detachment 155 (AFROTC), University of Miami, Coral Gables, Fla.
7. July 2010–May 2011, Vehicles Management and Fuels Branch Chief, Directorate of Logistics, 7th Air Force, Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea
8. May 2011–July 2012, Logistics Readiness Division Chief, Directorate of Logistics, 7th Air Force, Osan AB, Republic of Korea
9. July 2012–May 2015, Operations Officer, 773d Logistics Readiness Squadron, Joint Base Elmendorf- Richardson, Alaska
10. June 2015–July 2017, Commander, 51st Logistics Readiness Squadron, Osan AB, Republic of Korea
11. July 2017–July 2019, Commander, 52d Logistics Readiness Squadron, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany
12. July 2019–June 2022, Defense Logistics Agency Liaison Officer to USAFRICOM, Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart United States Army Garrison, Germany
13. June 2021–June 2022, Defense Logistics Agency Liaison Officer to USEUCOM, Patch Barracks, Stuttgart USAG, Germany
14. June 2022–April 2023, Deputy Chief, Plans & Integration Branch, Directorate for Logistics, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
15. April 2023–June 2024, Director of Logistics, Engineering, and Force Protection, Headquarters 7th Air Force, Osan AB, Republic of Korea
16. July 2024–Present, Commander, 354th Mission Support Group, Eielson AFB, Alaska
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2019–June 2022, Defense Logistics Agency Liaison Officer to USAFRICOM and USEUCOM, USAG Stuttgart, Germany
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
National Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Non Article 5 NATO Medal (ISAF)
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2019 United States Air Force Thomas P. Gerrity Award
2014 Pacific Air Force’s FGO Lance P. Sijan Leadership Award
2014 Pacific Air Force’s FGO Logistics Readiness Officer of the Year
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant January 15, 2001
First Lieutenant January 15, 2003
Captain January 15, 2005
Major November 1, 2010
Lieutenant Colonel March 1, 2016
Colonel May 1, 2023
(Current as of July 2024)