Colonel PATRICE O. HOLMES

Colonel Patrice Holmes is the commander of the 28th Mission Support Group, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. She leads a group of 6 squadrons with nearly 2,000 military, civilian, and contractor professionals in planning, organizing, and implementing installation security and services across the support continuum from contracting, communications, and engineering to logistics and personnel for the combat mission assurance to power the largest operational B-1 wing in the U.S. Air Force--serving over 7,728 personnel and their families. She is also responsible for coordinating with key mission partners in the surrounding community and serves as an associate school board member representing military families with school-aged children as part of the Air Force School Liaison Program. Prior to taking command, Colonel Holmes served as Director of C4 Systems (J6) and Chief Information Officer (CIO) for U.S. Cyber Command.

Colonel Holmes graduated from Baylor University and entered the Air Force in 1998. As a squadron commander in Korea, she was responsible for operating and securing critical networks and communications infrastructure to ensure Team Osan’s no-fail, “Fight Tonight” mission readiness in the face of significantly heightened tensions in the Pacific. She also commanded an Air Communications Squadron where she enabled global bomber operations and established the first active cyber defense team in direct support of U.S. Strategic Command’s Air Operations Center while dual-hatted as Director of Communications (A6) for the Mighty Eighth. Later, as Chief of the Cyber Mission Assurance Division, she was responsible for Air Force Global Strike Command’s critical command and control systems and established a new cybersecurity scorecard for NC3 systems. Colonel Holmes has deployed to Abu Dhabi, Guam, and Afghanistan and her service has included operational testing of space and missile launch detection systems, cyber mission planning and operations, and weapons analysis enabling foreign military sales.

EDUCATION
1997    Bachelor of Science in Biology, Baylor University, Waco, Texas
1998    Basic Communications Officer Training, Keesler AFB, Miss.
1999    Phoenix Readiness Deployed Commanders and Staff Course, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-    Lakehurst, N.J.
2005    Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala. (correspondence)
2007    Joint C4I Staff and Operations Course, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, V.A. (residence)
2007    Advanced Communications Officer Training, Keesler AFB, Miss.
2008    Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Ft George Meade, M.D.
2008    Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College (OLMP/correspondence)
2012    Political-Military Affairs Strategist, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.              (residence)
2013    Joint and Combined Warfighting School, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, V.A. (residence)
2014    Joint Air and Space Operations Senior Staff Course, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2015    Air Operations Center Initial Qualification Training, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2016    Air War College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala. (correspondence)
2018    Cyber 400/Chief Information Officer (CIO) Course, College of Information and Cyberspace, National Defense University, Ft Lesley McNair, Washington D.C. (residence)
2019    Master of National Security Strategy with Cybersecurity Concentration, National War College, Ft Lesley McNair, Washington D.C. (residence)

ASSIGNMENTS
1. February 1998 - January 1999, Chief, C4I Architecture, 89th Communications Squadron, Andrews AFB, M.D.
2. January 1999 - May 1999, Chief, Wire Branch, Mission Sys Flt, 89th Communications Squadron, Andrews AFB, M.D.
3. May 1999 - October 2000, Commander, Support Flt, 89th Communications Squadron, Andrews AFB,   M.D.
4. October 2000 - October 2001, Commander, C-4 Sys Flt, 17th Test Squadron-Det 2, Cheyenne Mountain Air Station, Colo.
5. October 2001 - March 2003, Asst Operations Officer, 17th Test Squadron, Space Warfare Center, Schriever AFB, Colo.
6. March 2003 - July 2004, Executive Officer, 5th Operations Group, Minot AFB, N.D.
7. July 2004 - October 2005, Deputy Director of Staff/Jr. Executive Officer, 5th Bomb Wing, Minot AFB, N.D.
8. October 2005 - July 2006, Commander, Mission Sys Flt/Chief of Maintenance, 5th Communications Sq, Minot AFB, N.D.
9. July 2006 - March 2008, Avionics Info Sys Security Engineer, National Security Agency (NSA), Ft George Meade, M.D.
10. March 2008 - March 2009, Joint Cyber Mission Planner - Advanced Network Operations, NSA, Ft George Meade, M.D.
11. March 2009 - October 2009, U.S. Cyber Command Implementation Team Planner, NSA, Ft George Meade, M.D.
12. October 2009 - May 2010, Executive Officer to the Chief of Staff, Joint Functional Component Command-Network Warfare & Joint Task Force-Global Network Operations - Combined Staff, Ft George Meade, M.D.
13. May 2010 - July 2011, Special Assistant to the Deputy Commander, U.S. Cyber Command, Ft George Meade, M.D.
14. July 2011 - June 2012, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
15. June 2012 - July 2013, Weapons Analyst (Foreign Military Sales), Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy (OSD-P), Pentagon, V.A.
16. July 2013 - July 2014, Country Program Director (28 countries), DSCA, OSD-P, Pentagon, V.A.
17. July 2014 - July 2016, Commander, 608th Air Communications Squadron & Director, Communications Directorate/Director, Cyberspace Forces, Headquarters Eighth Air Force, Barksdale AFB, L.A.
18. July 2016 - June 2017, Chief, Cyber Mission Assurance Division, Directorate of Operations, AF Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB, LA
19. June 2017 - June 2018, Commander, 51st Communications Squadron, Osan AB, Republic of Korea
20. June 2018 - June 2019, Student, National War College, Ft Lesley McNair, Washington D.C.
21. July 2019 - August 2020, Deputy Director, Current Capabilities, Capability Development Directorate (J9), United States Cyber Command, Ft George Meade, M.D.
22. August 2020 - June 2022, Director, C4 Systems Directorate (J6) and Chief Information Officer (CIO), United States Cyber Command, Ft George Meade, M.D.
23. June 22 - Present: Commander, 28th Mission Support Group, Ellsworth AFB, S.D.

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. Jul 2006 - Jul 2011: Avionics Info Systems Security Engineer (ISSE), Joint Cyber Mission Planner - Advanced Network Operations (ANO), Executive Officer to the Chief of Staff - Joint Functional Component Command-Network Warfare (JFCC NW) & Joint Task Force-Global Network Operations (JTF-GNO) Combined Staff, and Special Assistant to the Deputy Commander - U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM), National Security Agency (NSA), Ft Meade, MD (as a major)
2. Jun 2012 - Jul 2014: Weapons Analyst (Foreign Military Sales) and Country Program Director (28 countries), Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), Office of Secretary of Defense-Policy (OSD-P), Pentagon, VA (as a lieutenant colonel)
3. Jul 2019 - Jun 2022: Director, C4 Systems Directorate / Chief Information Officer (J6/CIO) and Deputy Director for Current Capabilities, Capability Development Directorate (J9), U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM), Ft Meade, MD (as a colonel)

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with 1 oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air and Space Commendation Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters
Joint Meritorious Unit Award with 1 oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award with 3 oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Korean Defense Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal
NATO Medal

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2010 U.S. Strategic Command Air Force Cyber Operations Outstanding Field Grade Officer of the Year
2017 Air Force Cyber Team of the Year

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant       Dec 20, 1997
First Lieutenant             Jan. 1, 2000
Captain                         Jan. 1, 2002
Major                           Aug. 1, 2007
Lieutenant Colonel       Jan. 1, 2013
Colonel                         Apr. 1, 2019
(Current as of July 2022)