Lt. Col. Joseph E. Pingley is the deputy commander of the 182nd Air Support Operations Group, Peoria Air National Guard Base, Peoria, Illinois. He is responsible for providing Special Warfare subject matter experts servicing eight aligned air support operations squadrons’ command, operations and support programs in order to enhance combat mission readiness of the Tactical Air Control Party weapons system, advocate for the community at all levels and set the example for personal and professional development.
Lt. Col. Pingley enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in November 2002 as a computer programmer, where he provided technical support to the Air Mobility Command inspector general during unit compliance and operational readiness inspections. He commissioned in 2008, becoming an F-22 Raptor flight test engineer at Edwards Air Force Base, California. In December 2009, he was selected as one of the first 19Z3B Tactical Air Control Party officers. In this job, Lt. Col. Pingley has served as chief of scheduling, chief of training, flight commander and director of operations at the squadron, group and wing levels before serving tenures as director of inspections and wing inspector general.
Lt. Col. Pingley is a qualified Joint Terminal Attack Controller. He has served in diverse training and operational roles in both joint and multinational environments. His deployment experience includes mobilizations to Afghanistan as the assistant brigade air liaison officer for the U.S. Army’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division in 2011–2012, as air liaison advisor to the Royal Saudi Air Force in Saudi Arabia in 2013–2014, and as director of operations for the 82nd Expeditionary Air Support Operations Squadron in Iraq, Syria and undisclosed locations in Southwest Asia in 2019. Prior to his current position, the lieutenant colonel was the commander of the 169th Air Support Operation Squadron, 182nd Airlift Wing, Peoria, Illinois.
EDUCATION
2003 Communications-Computer Systems Programming Apprentice course, Air Education and Training Command, Keesler AFB, Miss.
2005 Associate of Science, Computer Science Technology, Community College of the Air Force, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2007 Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville
2008 Fundamentals of Systems Acquisition Management, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
2008 Fundamentals of Systems Planning, Research, Development & Engineering, Defense Acquisition University, Fort Belvoir, Va.
2009 Intermediate Systems Acquisitions, Defense Acquisition University, Fort Belvoir, Va.
2010 Tactical Air Control Party Apprentice, AETC, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2010 Joint Firepower Course, Air Combat Command, Nellis AFB, Nev.
2010 Air Liaison Officer Qualification Course, ACC, Nellis AFB, Nev.
2010 Combat Survival Training Course, AETC, Fairchild AFB, Wash.
2012 ACC Joint Terminal Attack Controller Qualification Course, ACC, Nellis AFB, Nev.
2012 Dynamics of International Terrorism, AFSOC, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2014 Squadron Officer School, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2017 Air Support Operations Center Initial Qualification Course, ACC, Nellis AFB, Nev.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. November 2002–August 2005, Computer Programmer, Air Mobility Command Communications Group, Scott AFB, Ill.
2. August 2005–January 2008, Student, Airman Education and Commissioning Program, Edwardsville, Ill.
3. January 2008–April 2008, Officer Candidate, U.S. Air Force Officer Training School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
4. April 2008–February 2010, Developmental Engineer, 411th Flight Test Squadron, Edwards AFB, Calif.
5. February 2010–December 2010, Air Liaison Officer, 342nd Training Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
6. December 2010–May 2012, Chief of Scheduling, 9th Air Support Operations Squadron, Fort Hood, Texas (November 2011–May 2012, Assistant Brigade Air Liaison Officer, 2-4 Infantry Division, Camp Stone, Afghanistan)
7. May 2012–February 2014, Flight Commander, 3rd Air Support Operations Group, Fort Hood, Texas
8. February 2013–February 2014, Air Liaison Officer Advisor to Royal Saudi Air Force, U.S. Military Training Mission, Khamis Mushait, Saudi Arabia
9. February 2014–June 2015, Chief of Training, 5th Air Support Operations Squadron, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
10. June 2015–October 2016, Flight Commander, 5th Air Support Operations Squadron, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
11. October 2016–January 2018, Assistant Director of Operations, 111th Air Support Operations Squadron, Camp Murray, Wash.
12. January 2018–October 2019, Director of Operations, 93rd Air Ground Operations Wing, Moody AFB, Ga. (March 2019–October 2019, Director of Operations, 82nd Expeditionary Air Support Operations Squadron, Southwest Asia.)
13. October 2019–June 2020, Director of Inspections, 93rd Air Ground Operations Wing, Moody AFB, Ga.
14. June 2020–December 2020, Inspector General, 93rd Air Ground Operations Wing, Moody AFB, Ga.
15. December 2020–January 2023, Commander, 169th Air Support Operations Squadron, Peoria, Ill.
16. January 2023–Present, Deputy Commander, 182nd Air Support Operations Group, Peoria, Ill.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2002 Honor Graduate, USAF Basic Military Training
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Project Management Institute
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant April 30, 2008
First Lieutenant April 30, 2010
Captain April 30, 2012
Major April 17, 2018
Lieutenant Colonel May 4, 2022
(CURRENT AS OF MAY 2022)