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Biography United States Air Force BIOGRAPHY UNITED STATES AIR FORCE COLONEL ANTHONY (TONY) J. THOMAS Colonel Anthony J. Thomas is the Director, Cyberspace Opearions, 24th Air Force, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. Colonel Thomas is responsible to the commander for Air Force Component and Combatant Commanders with trained and ready cyber forces which plan, direct and execute global cyberspace operations. Twenty-fourth Air Force and AFCYBER personnel build, operate, secure, defend and extend the Air Force portion of the Department of Defense global network. Joint Force Headquarters–Cyber (AFCYBER) personnel perform operational planning as part of coordinated efforts supporting Air Force Component and Combatant Commanders and, upon the approval of the President and/or the Secretary of Defense, the execution of offensive cyberspace operations. The colonel assists the commander in directingthe activities of two cyberspace wings and the 624th Operations Center, as well as the 5th Combat Communications Group. Colonel Thomas was born in Columbus, Ohio. He served as an enlisted professional and received his commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps in 1989. He has commanded a cyber group, three communications squadrons; completed assignments at the Joint Staff, Air Staff, NATO, a MAJCOM, two direct reporting units; and served as the Chief C4I engineer in Operations Desert Shield/Storm, Southern Watch, and Restore Hope. EDUCATION: 1989 Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering, Wright State University, Dayton, OH. 1994 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. 1997 Master of Science degree in systems management of global telecommunications, Capital College, Md. 2002 Master of Science degree in military operational arts and sciences, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. 2006 Air War College, by correspondence 2009 Master of Science degree in national resource strategy, Industrial College of Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington D.C. 2010 USAF Enterprise Leadership Seminar University of Virginia, Darden School of Business, Charlottesville, Va. 2011 USAF Leadership Enhancement Program, The Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, NC. ASSIGNMENTS: 1. February 1990 - February 1993, tactical communications engineer, 5th Combat Communications Group, Robins Air Force Base, Ga. 2. February 1993 - August 1994, Commander, Network Systems Flight, 5th Combat Communications Group, Robins Air Force Base, Ga. 3. August 1994 - June 1995, Chief, Engineering and Technical Integration Section, Air Force Pentagon Communications Agency, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. 4. June 1995 - November 1997, Chief, Command and Control Systems Maintenance Division, Air Force Pentagon Communications Agency, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. (January 1997 - May 1997, Chief, CSAF Translation and Presentation, Global Air Chiefs Conference Task Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.) 5. November 1997 - July 1998, Action Officer, Strategic Command and Control Systems, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. 6. July 1998 - June 2000, Action Officer, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley Air Force Base, Va. 7. July 2000 - August 2001, Executive Officer for the Director of Communications and Information, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley Air Force Base, Va. 8. August 2001 - July 2002, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. 9. July 2002 - July 2004, Commander, 48th Communications Squadron, 48th Fighter Wing, RAF Lakenheath, England 10. Feburary - June 2003, Commander, 458th Expeditionary Communications Squadron, 458th Air Expeditionary Group, Mihail Kogalniceanu, Romania 11. July 2004 - July 2006, Action Officer, Joint Chiefs of Staff, J-6, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. 12. July 2006 - July 2008, Commander, 374th Communications Squadron, 374th Airlift Wing, Yokota, Japan 13. August 2008 - June 2009, student, Industrial College of Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. 14. July 2009 - October 2009, J6 Executive Division Head & Senior Air Force Advisor, Joint Forces Command (NATO), Naples, Italy 15. October 2009 - July 2010, Director of Staff & Senior Air Force Advisor, Joint Forces Command (NATO), Naples, Italy 16. July 2010 - July 2012, Commander, 844th Communications Group and Director of Cyber & C4 Communications AFDW, Andrews AFB, MD (December 2011 - August 2012, Director, USAF 2012 CSAF Transition Team Chief/Task Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.) 17. July 2012 - July 2013, Deputy Director, Policy and Resources, Office of Information Dominance and Chief Information Officer, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. 18. July 2013 - July 2014, Director, Cyber & C4 Systems, U.S. Air Forces Central Command Air Force Forces staff and Director, Cyber Forces (DIRCYBERFOR), Combined Air Operations Center, Southwest Asia 19. July 2014 - June 2017, Director, Communications and Information Directorate, HQ Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, FL 20. June 2017 - present, Director Cyberspace Operations, Twenty-fourth Air Force; Director Cyberspace Operations Air Forces Cyber (AFCYBER); and Director Cyberspace Operations, Joint Force Headquarters–Cyber (AFCYBER), Joint Base San Antonio–Lackland, Texas SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS: 1. July 2004 - July 2006, Action Officer, Joint Chiefs of Staff, J-6, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. 2. July 2009 - July 2010, J6 Executive Division Head & Senior Air Force Advisor (Jul-Oct 09); Director of Staff & Senior Air Force Advisor (Oct 09-Jul 10), Joint Forces Command (NATO), Naples, Italy 3. July 2013 - July 2014, Director, Cyber & C4 Systems, U.S. Air Forces Central Command Air Force Forces staff and Director, Cyber Forces (DIRCYBERFOR), Combined Air Operations Center, Southwest Asia BADGES: Master Cyberspace Operations Badge Basic Maintenance Badge MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS: Bronze Star Medal Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster Meritorious Service Medal with six oak leaf clusters Joint Service Commendation Medal Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters Air Force Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters Combat Readiness Medal National Defense Service Medal with a bronze star Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Volunteer Medal Southwest Asia Service Medal with three bronze stars Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Service Medal Humanitarian Service Medal Liberation of Kuwait Medal; Kuwait Liberation Medal NATO Medal EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION: Second Lieutenant Jun 8, 1989 First Lieutenant Aug 14, 1991 Captain Aug 14, 1993 Major Dec 1, 2000 Lieutenant Colonel May 1, 2005 Colonel September 1, 2009 (Current as of Novermber 2017) .
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