ERIC C. GRACE LIEUTENANT COLONEL, USAF

Lt Col Grace was born in Somers Point, NJ on March 8, 1972. He graduated as class salutatorian in 1990 from Egg Harbor Township High School in New Jersey where he lettered in football, wrestling, baseball and track. Lt Col Grace then attended the Air Force Academy in Colorado where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology and was commissioned in the Air Force in 1994. After graduation he attended Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training at Reese AFB in Lubbock, TX. Upon completion of SUPT he selected the A-I 0 as his aircraft of choice and was the distinguished graduate in his class.

His first operational assignment in the A-I 0 was to the Pope AFB, NC. Lt Col Grace has excelled all around, was fast tracked in many functions, and earned multiple company grade officer awards and accolades both at home station and while deployed. He was: The A-lO community's youngest instructor pilot while still a First Lieutenant; Deployed three times in support of ; Handpicked to attend the A-lO Weapons Instructor Course at Nellis AFB, in 2000; Assigned to the 25th Fighter Squadron at Osan AB, Republic of Korea(one year); Instructor at A-lO Division, USAF Weapons School (one of the youngest ever); and A Standardization and Evaluation Flight Examiner at the .

2004: Deployed in support of Operations IRAQI FREEDOM and ENDRUING FREEDOM. 2005: Earned his Master's degree in Military Arts and Science from American Military Univ. Assigned Ramstein AB, Germany, as Chief of the Master Air Attack Planning. 2007: Handpicked to be Executive Officer to U.S. Air Forces in Europe Vice Commander. 2008: Chief of Wing Plans, Programs and Inspections , and as the Director of Operations for the 23d Operations Support Squadron, Moody A.F.B., Valdosta, Ga. 2011: Handpicked to command the 45lst Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron, Kandahar Airfield, , in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. 2012: 23rd Wing's Director of Staff, leading over 150 Airmen, and an A-lOC Instructor Pilot.

He has over 3,000 hours (600+ combat hours) in the A-lO, and has saved countless coalition force lives. Lt Col Grace's military awards include three Meritorious Service Medals, nine Air Medals, seven Aerial Achievement Medals, and two Air Force Commendation Medals.