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Colonel Nicholas M. Dipoma

Col. Nicholas M. Dipoma is the Deputy Commander, Second Air Force, Keesler Air Force Base (AFB), Miss. Second Air Force oversees all operational aspects of basic military training and technical training in Air Education and Training Command, instilling technical and warfighter skills in 150,000 graduates annually in more than 265 Air Force specialties. Second Air Force includes five training wings located at Keesler AFB; Sheppard and Goodfellow AFBs, Texas; Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas; and a network of field training units around the world. Second Air Force also oversees all Airmen throughout the joint expeditionary tasking and individual augmentee training pipelines at several Army training sites across the country.
 
Col. Dipoma entered active duty in 2000. His background includes positions as an instructor and evaluator pilot in the UH-1N, UH-1H, Mi-17, and Bell-412 helicopters. He was assigned to the 54th Helicopter Flight, Minot AFB, N.D. following pilot training and the UH-1N Mission Qualification Course. Col. Dipoma also served as USAF exchange pilot to Marine Light Attack Squadron 167 and the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit. He was assigned to the 6th Special Operations Squadron where he served as a Rotary Wing Combat Aviation Advisor and Mission Commander for Aviation Foreign Internal Defense (AvFID) missions in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and Central Command AORs. Following assignment to the 6th Special Operations Squadron and prior to serving on the Air Staff, Col. Dipoma was the Commander and Operations Officer of the 512th Rescue Squadron, Kirtland AFB, N.M. Col. Dipoma is a graduate of Squadron Officer School, Air Command and Staff College, the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, and served as a Lorenz Fellow at Air University. Prior to his current assignment, Col. Dipoma was the Commander of the 336th Training Group, U.S. Air Force Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) School, Fairchild AFB, Wash.
 
EDUCATION
 
2000 Bachelor of Science in Political Science, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2000 Air & Space Basic Course, Maxwell Air Force Base (AFB), Ala.
2006 Masters of Arts in Irregular Warfare, American Military University, Charles Town, W.Va.
2007 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2012 Masters of Operational Air, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2013 Masters of Philosophy in Military Theory, School of Advanced Air & Space, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2018 Lorenz Fellow, School of Advanced Air & Space, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
 
ASSIGNMENTS
 
1. June 2000–April 2001, Assistant Executive Officer, 437th Operations Group, Charleston Air Force Base (AFB),
S.C.
2. April 2001–December 2001, UPT Student Pilot, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin AFB, Texas
3. December 2001–June 2002, UPT-H Student Pilot, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Fort Rucker, Ariz.
4. June 2002–January 2003, UH-1N Mission Qualification, 512th Rescue Squadron, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
5. January 2003–May 2005, Tactics Officer, 54th Helicopter Flight, Minot AFB, N.D.
6. May 2005–June 2006, UH-1N Exchange Pilot and NATOPS Officer, Marine Light Attack Squadron 167, Marine
Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River, N.C.
7. June 2006–October 2007, UH-1N Exchange Pilot and Future Operations Officer, Marine Medium Helicopter
Squadron 264, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, MCAS New River, N.C.
8. October 2007–August 2011, Combat Aviation Advisor and Mission Commander, 6th Special Operations Squadron,
Hurlburt Field, Fla.
9. August 2011–June 2012, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
10. June 2012–June 2013, School of Advanced Air & Space Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
11. July 2013–July 2015, Director of Operations, 512th Rescue Squadron, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
12. July 2015–June 2017, Commander, 512th Rescue Squadron, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
13. June 2017–June 2018, Lorenz Research Fellow, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
14. June 2018–June 2019 Airpower Strategist and Chief of Strategy Development Branch, Headquarters Air Force,
the Pentagon, Washington, D.C,
15. July 2019–July 2020, Chief, Futures and Concepts Division, Headquarters Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington,
D.C.
16. July 2020–June 2022, Commander, 336th Training Group, Fairchild AFB, Wash.
17. July 2022–Present, Deputy Commander, Second Air Force, Keesler AFB, Miss.
 
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
 
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Naval Achievement Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
 
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
 
Distinguished Graduate, UH-1N Initial Qualification
Distinguished Graduate, Squadron Officer School
Distinguished Graduate, Air Command Staff College
AFSOC Aircrew Safety Award
 
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
 
Second Lieutenant May 31, 2000
First Lieutenant May 31, 2002
Captain May 31, 2004
Major Feb. 1, 2010
Lieutenant Colonel Dec. 13, 2013
Colonel July 1, 2019
 
(Current as of October 2023)