Lt. Col. Justin Childers is the commander of the 182nd Operations Support Squadron, 182nd Airlift Wing, Peoria, Illinois. He leads the squadron’s seven sections providing direct support to facilitate C-130 flight operations supporting state and federal missions.

Lt. Col. Childers enlisted in 2002 as a satellite, wideband and telemetry systems specialist before receiving his commission as an intelligence officer in 2007. In 2012, Lt. Col. Childers began his military aviation career as a C-130H navigator, becoming a pilot in 2017. He has served in a wide variety of roles at the squadron, group and wing levels, including chief of flight scheduling, group executive officer, and chief of wing plans and integration.

Lt. Col. Childers brings a diverse background of experience and has leveraged his leadership overseeing multiple high-priority wing efforts. From 2020 through 2021, he led the planning and execution efforts for four major wing exercises, including a large-scale Major Command (MAJCOM) evaluation of the wing’s ability to survive and operate in a peer adversary conflict. Lt. Col. Childers also led the strategic basing analysis team that enabled the wing’s selection for its new C-130J mission. He has deployed multiple times in support of Operations Enduring Freedom, Inherent Resolve and New Normal. Prior to his current position, the lieutenant colonel was the chief of current operations, 182nd Operations Support Squadron, Peoria, Illinois.

EDUCATION
2006 Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, Western Illinois University, Macomb
2006 Associate of Applied Science, Electronic Systems Technology, Community College of the Air Force, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2014 Squadron Officer School, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2017 Air Command and Staff College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2020 Contingency Wartime Planning Course, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2021 Leader Development Course for Squadron Command, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2023 Air War College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2024 ANG Squadron Commander Course, National Guard Bureau, Andrews AFB, Md.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 2002 – November 2007, Satellite, Wideband, and Telemetry Systems Specialist, 264th Combat Communications Squadron, Peoria, Ill.
2. November 2007 – April 2012, Intelligence Officer, 182nd Operations Support Flight, Peoria, Ill. (June 2010 – September 2010, Intelligence Officer, 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan)
3. April 2012 – January 2015, C-130 Navigator, 169th Airlift Squadron, Peoria, Ill.
4. January 2025 – January 2016, Executive Officer, 182nd Operations Group, Peoria, Ill.
5. January 2016 – August 2017, Chief of Flight Scheduling, 182nd Operations Support Squadron, Peoria, Ill. (October 2016 – March 2017, C-130H Navigator, 779th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, Southwest Asia)
6. August 2017 – August 2019, C-130H Mobility Pilot, 169th Airlift Squadron, Peoria, Ill.
7. August 2019 – October 2022, Chief of Wing Plans Integration, 182nd Airlift Wing, Peoria, Ill. (October 2019 – January 2020, C-130H Mission Pilot, 779th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, Southwest Asia)
8. October 2022 – November 2024, Chief of Current Operations, 182nd Operations Support Squadron, Peoria, Ill. (February 2024 – June 2024, Assistant Director of Operations, 75th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, Republic of Djibouti)
9. November 2024 – Present, Commander, 182nd Operations Support Squadron, Peoria, Ill.

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Ratings: Pilot, Senior Combat Systems Officer
Flight hours: More than 2,200 (including 273 combat hours)
Aircraft flown: T-6A, T-1A, C-130H

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air and Space Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2013 Distinguished Graduate, Undergraduate Combat Systems Officer Training, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.
2014 Distinguished Graduate, C-130H Navigator Initial and Mission Qualification Course, Little Rock AFB, Ark.

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
National Guard Association of Illinois (lifetime member)
National Guard Association of the United States (lifetime member)

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Nov. 16, 2007
First Lieutenant Nov. 16, 2009
Captain Nov. 16, 2011
Major Dec. 6, 2015
Lieutenant Colonel March 20, 2020

(Current as of March 2025)