Colonel Deanna Franks

female pilot to land in Iran since 1979 for earthquake relief in 2003. Col Franks time in Little Rock earned her the Airlift Wing CompanyGrade Officer of the Year, 21 Air Force Aircrew Excellence Winner for the first Air Mobility Command Iraq landing, and the Airlift Tanker Association Young Leader Winner for 2004. She then served as a T-37 and T-6 Formal Training Unit Instructor Pilot at Vance AFB, Oklahoma. Col Franks served as a T-37 Flight Commander, T-6 Check Flight Commander and Flight Evaluator, and the Squadron Executive Officer.

In 2007, Col Franks transitioned from the active duty to serving in the Air Force Reserve at Pope Field, North Carolina as a C-130H2 Aircraft Commander in the 95th Airlift Squadron. Additionally, for two years she held the position of Wing Director of Staff during the airfield and base transition to a tenant of Fort Bragg. Following that assignment, she was an Air Officer Commanding at the United States Air Force Academy where she was responsible for motivating, training, and developing cadets into officers of character. Prior to this assignment, Col Franks served as the Deputy Chief Operator Engagement Talks Branch where she advised senior leadership on Air Force interests supporting multinational operations, interoperability and enhance coalition warfighting with foreign militaries. Most recently Col Franks served as the Chief, Strategic Airlift and OSA Programming for the Reserve Command, Headquarters Air Force at the Pentagon.

EDUCATION

1999 Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Science-Human Factors, United States Air Force Academy, Colo. 2006 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.

2007 Master of Aeronautical Science Technology, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Vance, Okla. 2011 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence, 2013 in residence credit 2013 Master of Science in Counseling and Leadership, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs

2016 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence

ASSIGNMENTS

1. October 1999 - January 2001, T-37 Student Pilot, 37th Flying Training Squadron, Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.

2. January 2001 - July 2001, T-44 Student Pilot, VT-31 Squadron, Corpus Christi, Texas

3. July 2001 - January 2004, C-130H3 Aircraft Commander, 50th Airlift Flying Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Ariz.

4. January 2004 - August 2007, Flight Commander, Executive Officer, T-37 and T-6 Flight Instructor/Evaluator, 8th Flying Training Squadron, Vance AFB, Okla.

5. August 2007 - May 2012, Wing Director of Staff, Assistant Flight Commander, C-130H2 Aircraft Commander, 440th Airlift Wing, Pope Field, N.C.

6. May 2012 - May 2013, Student, Intermediate Developmental Education, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colo.

7. May 2013 - July 2015, Commander, Cadet Squadron Seventeen and T-53 Instructor Pilot, USAF Academy, Colo.

8. August 2015 - December 2016, Deputy Chief, Operator Engagement Talks Branch, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

9. December 2016 – August 2018, Chief, Strategic Airlift and OSA Programming, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

10.August 2018 – Present, Commandant, Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Center, 139th Airlift Wing, St. Joseph, Mo.

FLIGHT INFORMATION

Rating: command pilot

Flight Hours: more than 3,000 including more than 500 combat hours Aircraft Flown: T-53, T-37, T-44, T-6, C-130E, C-130H2 and C-130H3

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters

Aerial Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters

Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters Air Force Achievement Medal

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION

Second Lieutenant June 2, 1999

First Lieutenant June 2, 2001

Captain June 2, 2003

Major April 15, 2008

Lieutenant Colonel Aug. 15, 2013

Colonel July 6, 2018

(Current as of Feb 2019)