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Colonel ERICK D. LORD

Colonel Erick D. Lord is the Commander of the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth Air Force
Base, South Dakota. In this capacity, he leads the largest B-1B combat wing in the
United States Air Force, comprising more than 8,500 active-duty military personnel,
civilian employees, and family members. Under his leadership, the wing provides
combat-ready aircrews and aircraft, delivering precision strike capabilities in support of
United States Strategic Command and geographic combatant commanders worldwide.
 
Col. Lord commissioned through Officer Training School in 2003 as a Distinguished
Graduate. His operational background includes a variety of B-1B flying assignments
including serving as the squadron tactics officer for the 37th Bomb Squadron, Ellsworth
Air Force Base, South Dakota, and the commander of the 9th Bomb Squadron at Dyess
Air Force Base, Texas. He has served in headquarters staff positions at the Pentagon and the Joint Staff and completed fellowships with the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
 
A master navigator, he has accumulated more than 2,600 flight hours, including combat missions supporting Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, Freedom’s Sentinel, and Inherent Resolve.
 
Before his current assignment, Col. Lord was the Deputy Commander, 2nd Bomb Wing, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, the world's largest bomb wing, responsible for combat readiness and the employment of 28 B-52H Stratofortress bombers.
 
EDUCATION
2002 Bachelor of Science, Organizational Management and Leadership, Friends University, Wichita, Kans.
2008 Master of Science, Organizational Leadership, Norwich University, Northfield, Vt.
2010 Squadron Officer School (Distinguished Graduate), Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2013 Air Command and Staff College (Correspondence)
2015 Air Force Strategic Policy Fellowship, Air Force Research Institute, Washington, D.C.
2020 Master of National Security Strategy, National War College, National Defense University, Ft. Lesley McNair,
Washington, D.C.
2025 Air Force Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Kenan-Flagler Business School, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte,
N.C.
 
ASSIGNMENTS
  1. September 2003–April 2005, Distinguished Graduate, Joint Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.
  2. April 2005–August 2005, Combat Systems Officer Electronic Warfare Course, Randolph AFB, Texas
  3. August 2005–August 2006, B-1B Initial Qualification Course, Dyess AFB, Texas
  4. August 2006–September 2010, Squadron Tactics Officer, Flight Commander, and Evaluator Weapon Systems Officer, 37th Bomb Squadron, Ellsworth AFB, S.D.
  5. September 2010–August 2011, B-1B Formal Training Unit Instructor, 28th Bomb Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas
  6. August 2011–May 2013, 7th Bomb Wing Executive Officer, Dyess AFB, Texas
  7. May 2013–June 2014, Assistant Director of Operations, 9th Bomb Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas
  8. June 2014–June 2015, Air Force Strategic Policy Fellow, Secretary of Defense Office of Net Assessment and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Criminal Investigative Division, Washington, D.C.
  9. June 2015–May 2016, Chief, Mobility Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
  10. May 2016–May 2017, Deputy Chief, Program Integration Division, Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategic Plans, Programs, and Requirements, Headquarters Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
  11. July 2017–May 2019, Commander, 9th Bomb Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas
  12. May 2019–July 2019, Deputy Commander, 7th Operations Group, Dyess AFB, Texas
  13. July 2019–June 2020, Student, National War College, National Defense University, Ft. Lesley McNair, Washington, D.C.
  14. June 2023–July 2025, Deputy Commander, 2nd Bomb Wing, Barksdale AFB, La.
  15. July 2025–Present, Commander, 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth AFB, S.D.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
  1. June 2020–January 2021, Joint Force Readiness Branch Chief, Joint Staff, J-35, Pentagon, Washington,
    D.C., as a lieutenant colonel
  2. January 2021–April 2022, Executive Assistant to the Vice Director for Operations, J-3, Pentagon, Washington,
    D.C., as a lieutenant colonel
  3. May 2022–June 2023, Chief, Operations, Training and Standards Division, J-36, Pentagon, Washington,
    D.C., as a colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: master navigator
Flight Hours: more than 2,600 including 1,657 combat hours
Aircraft Flown: B-1B, B-52H, T-1, T-6, T-39, and T-43
 
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air and Space Commendation Medal
Air and Space Achievement Medal
 
OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS
2009 Twelfth Air Force Operational Flying Instructor of the Year
 
(Current as of July 2025)