Colonel Christopher M. Hanson is the 366th Mission Support Group Commander, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. He oversees six combat-ready squadrons with personnel across 42 career fields. The Gunfighters of the Mission Support Group provide communications, security, contracting, engineering, services, supply, fuels, transportation, and mobility support to the 366th Fighter Wing, including three flying squadrons and 4,000 base personnel. In wartime, the group provides all elements to deploy to bare base environments, establish infrastructure, and support air operations. Colonel Hanson is currently deployed as the 332d Expeditionary Air Base Group Commander in support of Operations INHERENT RESOLVE and ROUGH RIDER.
Colonel Hanson is a 2000 graduate from the Florida Institute of Technology and received his commission from the Officer Training School in August 2001. Colonel Hanson is a Joint Qualified Officer who has served at the wing, Army corps and service component, numbered air force, joint command staff, Air & Army Staff levels, and in the Immediate Office of the Secretary of Defense. His assignments include Senior Military Assistant to the DoD Chief Sustainability Office and Senior Climate Advisor to the Secretary of Defense, and was a Division Chief and Airpower Strategist with Air Force’s CHECKMATE.
Colonel Hanson also deployed in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM serving as the Assistant Joint Meteorological and Oceanography Officer for Combined Joint Task Force 7, Camp Victory and then as the J3 Air Chief for Combined Special Operations Task Force Arabian Peninsula, Balad AB, Iraq. Finally, Colonel Hanson served as the Joint Meteorological and Oceanography Officer during the 2011 Japan tsunami and nuclear disaster relief effort.
EDUCATION
2000 Bachelor of Science, Meteorology, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL
2002 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, AL
2007 Master of Science, Satellite Meteorology, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA
2008 Squadron Officer School, in residence, Maxwell AFB, AL
2010 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence, Maxwell AFB, AL
2013 Masters of Science, National Security and Strategy Studies, Naval War College, RI
2016 Air War College, by correspondence, Maxwell, AFB, AL
2022 Joint Combined Warfighting School, in residence, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, VA
2023 The Future of Leadership: Human and AI Collaboration in the Workforce Course, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Newton, MA
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 2001 – July 2003, Weather Officer & Assistant Flight Commander, 28th Operational Weather Squadron, Shaw AFB, SC
2. July 2003 – June 2005, Battlefield Weather Team Officer-in-Charge, Detachment 6, 7th Weather Squadron, Wiesbaden AAF, Germany
3. July 2005 – March 2007, AFIT Student, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA
4. March 2007 – May 2008, Typhoon Duty Officer, Joint Typhoon Warning Center, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, HI
5. May 2008 – July 2008, Executive Officer, 613th Support Group, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, HI
6. July 2008 – October 2008, HQ Section Commander, 13th Air Force, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, HI
7. October 2008 – April 2009, J3 Air Chief, Combined Special Operations Task Force Arabian Peninsula, Balad AB, Iraq
8. April 2009 – April 2010, Operations Flight Commander, 17th Operational Weather Squadron, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, HI
9. April 2010 – May 2011, Weather Flight Commander, 374th Operations Support Squadron, Yokota AB, Japan
10. May 2011 – February 2013, Aide-de-Camp, United States Forces, Japan and 5th Air Force, Yokota AB, Japan
11. February 2013 – July 2013, Assistant Director of Operations, 374th Operations Support Squadron, Yokota AB, Japan
12. July 2013 – July 2014, Naval Command and Staff College Student, Naval War College, Newport, RI
13. July 2014 – July 2016, Director of Operations, 21st Operational Weather Squadron, Kapaun AS, Germany
14. July 2016 – July 2018, Commander, 7th Weather Squadron & 7th Expeditionary Weather Squadron, Clay Kaserne, Wiesbaden, Germany
15. July 2018 – April 2020, Chief, Army Weather Policy, G-2, Headquarters Department of the Army, Pentagon, Washington D.C.
16. May 2020 – April 2021, Director, AF/A3 Action Group, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters, U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington D.C.
17. April 2021 – June 2022, Division Chief, Eurasia-Americas Division, CHECKMATE, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters, U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington D.C.
18. July 2022 – June 2023, Senior Military Assistant to DoD Chief Sustainability Officer and Senior Climate Advisor, Immediate Office of the Secretary of Defense, Pentagon, Washington D.C.
19. July 2023 – June 2024, Chief, Weather Requirements Division, Directorate of Plans, Programs, Requirements, and Analyses, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint-Base Langley-Eustis, VA
20. July 2024 – Present, Commander, 366th Mission Support Group, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho
21. April 2025 – Present, Commander, 332d Expeditionary Air Base Group, Southwest Asia (Operations INHERENT RESOLVE & ROUGH RIDER)
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster
Army Commendation Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters
Outstanding Unit Award with 7 Oak Leaf Clusters and 1 Valor Device
National Defense Service Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal with 2 stars
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant August 16, 2001
First Lieutenant August 16, 2003
Captain August 16, 2005
Major October 1, 2011
Lieutenant Colonel September 1, 2016
Colonel January 1, 2023
(Current as of May 2025)