Col. Matthew Tarnowski is the deputy commander, 3rd Wing, Joint Base
Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. The 3rd Wing provides the
commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, trained and equipped tactical
air dominance forces, command and control platforms, and strategic
and tactical airlift resources for contingency operations and provides
the commander, U.S. Northern Command, immediate early airborne
detection, warning, surveillance and interception of hostile forces within
the Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command Region.
The wing flies F-22 Raptor, C-17 Globemaster III, C-12 Huron and E-3 Sentry aircraft and is responsible for
over 2,200 assigned Airmen.
Colonel Tarnowski was commissioned into the United States Air Force
in May 2005 through the Reserve Officer Training Corps at Embry-
Riddle Aeronautical University. He was a distinguished Graduate from
Squadron Officer School at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, in 2011, and is a
graduate of the Naval War College as a Stockdale Leadership Scholar,
which followed his command of the 97th Training Squadron and role as
Provost of the Air Mobility Training Center. In this capacity, he led a
$1.9 billion contracted aircrew training system program for 275
assigned instructors and commanded more than 2,200 C-17, KC-135,
and KC-46 students from the United States and sixteen countries
annually. Prior to his current assignment, Col. Tarnowski was the Chief,
A34, Air Mobility Division, 603rd Air Operations Center and Director of
Mobility Forces, USAFE-AFAFRICA, Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
EDUCATION
2005 Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Studies, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla,
Cum Laude
2005 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala
2011 Master of Aeronautical Science, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Worldwide
2011 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala. (Distinguished Graduate)
2016 Graduate Certificate, Supply Chain Management, John Cook School of Business, Saint Louis University, Saint
Louis, Mo
2017 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2018 Georgetown University, Professional Speechwriting Course, Washington, D.C.
2023 Master of Arts, National Security and Strategic Studies, U.S. Naval War College, Newport, RI
2023 Graduate Certificate, Leadership and Ethics, Stockdale Leader Development Concentration, College of
Leadership and Ethics, U.S. Naval War College, Newport, RI
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 2005 – October 2006, Phase I/II Student Pilot, 3rd Flying Training Squadron, Moody AFB, Ga
2. October 2006 – June 2007, Phase III Student Pilot, 86th Flying Training Squadron, Laughlin AFB, Tex
3. June 2007 – November 2007, Student Pilot, C-17 Initial Training, 97th Training Squadron, Altus AFB, Okla
4. January 2008 – January 12, Flight Commander, C-17 Instructor Pilot, 3rd Airlift Squadron, Dover AFB, Del
5. January 2012 – January 2015, Chief, Aircrew Standards & Evaluations, C-17 Evaluator Aircraft
Commander, 21st Airlift Squadron, Travis AFB, Calif
6. January 15 – July 2015, KC-10 Aircraft Commander Initial Qualification, 60th Operations Support Squadron,
Travis AFB, Calif
7. July 2015 – July 2016, Assistant Operations Officer, KC-10 Aircraft Commander, 9th Air Refueling Squadron,
Travis AFB, Calif
8. July 2016 – July 2017, Intermediate Developmental Education, Joint Mobility Fellow, Scott AFB, Ill
9. July 2017 – March 2018, Deputy Chief, Air Refueling Branch, Future Operations Division, Operations
Directorate, United States Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill
10. March 2018 – July 2019, Command Speech Writer, Commander’s Action Group, United States Transportation
Command, Scott AFB, Ill
11. July 2019 – May 2020, Chief of Wing Safety, 97th Air Mobility Wing, Altus AFB, Okla
12. May 2020 – June 2022, Commander, 97th Training Squadron, Altus AFB, Okla
13. July 2022 – July 2023, Senior Developmental Education, Student, College of Naval Warfare, Newport, RI
14. July 2023 – July 2024, Deputy Chief, Air Mobility Division, 603d Air Operations Center, Ramstein AB, Germany
15. July 2024 – June 2025, Chief, Air Mobility Division and Director of Mobility Forces (DIRMOBFOR), 603d Air
Operations Center, Ramstein AB, Germany
16. July 2025 – Present, Deputy Commander, 3rd Wing, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2017 – June 2019, Deputy Chief, Air Refueling, Operations Directorate & Command Speech Writer, United
States Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill, as a Major and Lieutenant Colonel
2. October 2024 – March 2025, Director, Security Assistance Group-Ukraine Operations Kyiv, as a Colonel.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: More than 4,200 hours
Aircraft flown: T-6A, T-1A, C-17A, KC-135R, KC-46A, and KC-10A
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters Aerial Achievement Medal
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal with two oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one star device
Iraq Campaign Medal with one star device
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary
Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
AETC Master Instructor Certification, Awarded Dec 2020
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 5, 2005
First Lieutenant June 1, 2007
Captain June 1, 2009
Major December 1, 2015
Lieutenant Colonel, October 1, 2018
Colonel September 1, 2024
(Current as of July 2025)