Colonel Roderick V. James serves as the Deputy Wing Commander, 366th Fighter Wing, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. The wing is equipped with F-15E and F-15SG aircraft and 4,200 military and civilian personnel that support 18 squadrons to include an F-15SG squadron of the Republic of Singapore Air Force. The wing operates the Mountain Home Range Complex with over 9,000 square miles of diverse airspace and 122,000 acres of land that supports two air-to-ground ranges, and 30 electronic combat sites. The fighter wing shares a unique relationship with the U.S. Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington and provides aircrew that operate U.S. Navy EA-18G Growlers and command the 390th Electronic Combat Squadron.
Colonel James received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Virginia Military Institute and commissioned as an ROTC Det 880 distinguished graduate in 2004. He completed Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training at Sheppard AFB, TX as a distinguished graduate. His first operational F-15E assignment was in the 389th Fighter Squadron in Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. Additionally, he served as a formal training unit instructor pilot, squadron weapons officer, headquarters weapons officer and squadron commander. Prior to his current position, Colonel James was the Chief of Combat Operations at the 603d Air Operations Center at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
Colonel James is a graduate of the United States Air Force Weapons School, Marine Corps Command and Staff College, and the Air War College. He is a command pilot with more than 2400 hours in the T-37, T-38A, T-38C, and the F-15E. He participated in numerous joint, coalition and NATO exercises and deployed in support of Operations INHERENT RESOLVE, SPARTAN SHIELD, and NOBLE EAGLE. Notably, he forward deployed to assist the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff in Kyiv as an air integration and joint fires subject matter expert as well as an air to ground weapons employment advisor on behalf of the Security Assistance Group – Ukraine.
EDUCATION
2004 Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Virginia.
2004 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, Alabama.
2009 Distinguished Graduate, Commandant’s Leadership Award, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Alabama.
2012 Master of Science in Aeronautical Engineering, Embry-Riddle Aero University, Goldsboro, North Carolina.
2016 Distinguished Graduate, Marine Corps Command and Staff College, Quantico MCB, Virginia.
2016 Master of Military Studies, Military Operational Art, Marine Corps University, Quantico MCB, Virginia.
2022 Master of Strategic Studies, Air War College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Alabama.
ASSIGNMENTS
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Aug 2004 – Dec 2005, Student, Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training, 80th Flying Training Wing, Sheppard AFB, TX.
- Dec 2005 – May 2006, Student, Intro to Fighter Fundamentals, 88th Fighter Training Squadron, Sheppard AFB, TX.
- May 2006 – Mar 2007, Student, F-15E Basic Course, 333d Fighter Squadron, Seymour-Johnson AFB, NC.
- Mar 2007 – Feb 2010, Assistant Chief of Mission Planning, 389th Fighter Squadron, Mountain Home AFB, ID.
- Feb 2010 – Feb 2013, Instructor & Flight Commander, 333d Fighter Squadron, Seymour-Johnson AFB, NC.
- Jul 2012 – Dec 2012, Student, F-15E Weapons Instructor Course, Nellis AFB, NV.
- Feb 2013 – May 2015, Chief of Weapons and Tactics, 391st Fighter Squadron, Mountain Home AFB, ID.
- May 2015 – Jul 2016, Student, Marine Corps Command and Staff College, Quantico Marine Corps Base, VA.
- Jul 2016 – Jun 2018, Chief, Weapons and Tactics, United States Air Forces in Europe, Air Forces Africa, Ramstein AB, Germany.
- Jun 2018 – Aug 2018, Student, F-15E Transition Course, 333d Fighter Squadron, Seymour-Johnson, AFB, NC.
- Oct 2018 – Mar 2019, Director of Operations, 389th Fighter Squadron, Mountain Home AFB, ID.
- Mar 2019 – May 2019, Deputy Commander, 389th Fighter Squadron, Mountain Home AFB, ID.
- May 2019 – May 2021, Commander, 389th Fighter Squadron, Mountain Home AFB, ID.
- Oct 2019 – Jun 2020, Commander, 389th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, 332d Air Expeditionary Wing, Undisclosed Location.
- Jun 2021 – May 2022, Student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, AL.
- Jun 2022 – Jun 2023, Deputy Commander & Deputy Division Chief A3X, United States Air Forces in Europe, Air Forces Africa Warfare Center, Einsiedlerhof, Germany.
- Apr 2023 – Jun 2023, (Deployed) Air Advisor, United States Embassy & Ukrainian General Staff, Kyiv, Ukraine.
- Jun 2023 – June 2024 Combat Ops Division Chief, 603d Air Operations Center, United States Air Forces in Europe, Air Forces Africa, Ramstein AB, Germany.
- July 2024 – Present, Deputy Commander, 366th Fighter Wing, Mountain Home AFB, ID.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: More than 2,400 hours (including 418 combat hours)
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-38A, T-38C, F-15E
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Combat Readiness Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal with one service star
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Korean Defense Service Medal
Meritorious Unit Award with five oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award with one oak leaf cluster
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2004 Distinguished Graduate, USAF ROTC DET 880, Virginia Military Institute
2005 Distinguished Graduate, Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training
2009 Distinguished Graduate & Commandant’s Leadership Award, Squadron Officer School
2010 Flight Commander of the Year, 4th Fighter Wing
2014 Instructor Pilot of the Year, 366th Operations Group
2016 Distinguished Graduate, US Marine Corps Command & Staff College
(Current as of July 2024)