Lt. Col. Thomas F. Grabowski is the commander of the 116th Operations Support Squadron, 116th Air Control Wing, Robins Air Force Base, Ga. He is responsible for daily operations of AF (Active Duty and Air National Guard), Army and civilian personnel responsible for scheduling analysis, intelligence, tactics, exercise and contingency support for the E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) aircraft.
Lt. Col. Grabowski joined the Georgia Air National Guard in 1985 as an enlisted telecommunications specialist. He was later commissioned as a Communications Officer through the Academy of Military Science in 1994. He earned his Air Battle Manager Aeronautical Rating at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., in April 2002. His aviation career includes over 2600 flying hours; including over 1700 combat hours in the E-8C JSTARS supporting Operations IRAQI and ENDURING FREEDOM. He was named the 116th Air Control Wing Air Weapons Officer of the Year in 2005 and the 116th Air Control Wing Mission Crew Commander of the Year in 2007. Lt. Col. Grabowski was also the Mission Crew Commander of Air Combat Command’s Air Battle Management Crew of the Year for 2007.
EDUCATION
1990 Bachelor of Business Administration, Georgia College, Ga.
2001 Squadron Officer School (in-residence), Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2004 Air Command and Staff College (correspondence), Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2007 National Security Decision Making Course (in-residence), Naval War College, Newport, RI
2008 Master of Aeronautical Science, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Fla.
2010 Science and Technology Issues Facing the US, Brookings Institution, Wash DC
2011 Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base (correspondence), Ala.
2012 Leadership in Crises, Harvard Kennedy School, Executive Education, Cambridge,Ma.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 1994 – May 1995, OIC Workload Control, 202nd Engineering Installation Squadron, Macon, Ga.
2. June 1995 – November 1995, OIC Wire Branch, 202nd Engineering Installation Squadron, Macon, Ga.
3. December 1995 – July 1998, OIC Workload Control, 202nd Engineering Installation Squadron, Macon, Ga.
4. August 1998 – April 1999, Public Affairs Officer, 116th Bomb Wing, Robins AFB, Ga.
5. May 1999 – March 2002 Commander, 116th Communications Flight, 116th Bomb Wing, Robins AFB, Ga.
6. April 2002 – January 2003, Student, 325th Combat Training Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
7. February 2003 – October 2003, Student, 330th Combat Training Squadron, 116th Air Control Wing, Robins AFB, Ga.
8. November 2003 – January 2004, Air Battle Manager, 12th Airborne Command and Control Squadron, 116th Air Control Wing, Robins AFB, Ga.
9. February 2004 – July 2006, Flight Commander, 12th Airborne Command and Control Squadron, 116th Air Control Wing, Robins AFB, Ga.
10. August 2006 – January 2007, Chief of Staff, 12th Airborne Command and Control Squadron, 116th Air Control Wing, Robins AFB, Ga.
11. February 2007 – April 2008, Assistant Director of Operations, 12th Airborne Command and Control Squadron, 116th Air Control Wing, Robins AFB, Ga.
12. October 2008 – January 2009, Assistant Director of Operations, 128th Airborne Command and Control Squadron, 116th Air Control Wing, Robins, AFB, Ga.
13. January 2009 – July 2010, Director of Plans and Programs, 116th Air Control Wing, Robins AFB, Ga.
14. July 2010 – April 2011, Deputy Director of Operations, 116th Operations Support Squadron, 116th
Air Control Wing, Robins AFB, GA
15. April 11- Present, Commander, 116 Operations Support Squadron, 116th Air Control Wing, Robins AFB, Ga.
FLIGHT RATING Rating: Senior Air Battle Manager Flight Hours: More than 2600 Aircraft Flown: E-8C
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with 1 oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with 1 silver and 1 oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
Combat Readiness Medal
Air Reserve Meritorious Service Medal with 1 oak leaf cluster
National Defense Service Medal with bronze star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with gold border Armed Forces Reserve Medal with hour glass device
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Sept. 29, 1994
First Lieutenant Feb. 6, 1997
Captain March 5, 1999
Major March 23, 2003
Lieutenant Colonel July 19, 2008 (Current as of May 2012)
