Col. N'Keiba J. Estelle is the Group Commander of the 19th Mission Support Group, 19th Airlift Wing, Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. She leads 1,800 military and civilian personnel in six squadrons, directs operations for AAFES/DECA activities for 5,500 military families, and 57,000 retirees. She directs communication and contracting actions, security, logistics, personnel, facilities and repair, and services culminating in assets valued at $2.9B. Col. Estelle also provides $48M in Base Operating Support to the 19th Airlift Wing, 314th Airlift Wing (AETC), USAF Weapon School, 189th Airlift Wing (ANG), 20 tenants, and covering the 6,000 acre installation. Finally, she ensures timely deployment operations as well as chairs installation boards and councils to lead and enhance quality of life programs.
Col. Estelle hails from an Air Force family and was born at Dyess AFB, Texas. She earned her undergraduate degree from the Florida State University and was then commissioned through Officer Training School in 2000. Col. Estelle has served in strategic, operational and intelligence arenas, and has experience at various levels of communications as well as theater communications planning and management. She has deployed in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM and provided her expertise for a myriad of other missions supporting Middle Eastern operations.
Col. Estelle is the widow of Major Raymond G. Estelle II, who was killed in action in 2011 in Kabul, Afghanistan.
EDUCATION
1999 Bachelor of Arts, English Literature, Florida State University
2000 Officer Training School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2000 Basic Communications Officer Training Course
2001 Aerospace Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2005 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2006 Master of Computer Information Systems, University of Phoenix
2008 Fundamentals of Systems Acquisition Management, Defense Acquisitions University
2008 Basic & Intermediate Information Systems Acquisition, Defense Acquisitions University
2012 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2013 Joint Professional Military Education II, Joint Forces Staff College
2014 CYBER 300, Graduate School of Engineering & Management, Center for Cyber Research AFIT
2019 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2021 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace Certificate, University of South Florida
2021 Exercising Leadership: Foundational Principles Certificate, Harvard University
2021 Diversity and Inclusion Certificate, Cornell University
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2000 – January 2001, Squadron Section Commander, 6 CS, MacDill AFB, Fla.
2. January 2001 – June 2001, Chief Network Security, 6 CS, MacDill AFB, Fla.
3. June 2001 – June 2002, Crew Commander, Network Operations & Security Ctr, PACAF CSS, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
4. June 2002 – May 2004, Chief, C2 Emerging Technologies, PACAF CSS, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
5. May 2004 – May 2005, Chief, Information Technology Plans & Programs, CADRE, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
6. May 2005 – May 2006, Chief, Network Operations, CADRE, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
7. May 2006 – July 2007, Executive Officer, CADRE, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
8. July 2007 – July 2008, Commander’s Action Group, LeMay Center, Maxwell AFB Ala.
9. October 2008 – June 2009, Assistant Director of Operations, 27 IS, Langley AFB, Va.
10. June 2009 – September 2011, Director of Logistics, 480 ISR Wing, Langley AFB, Va.
11. October 2011 – July 2013, Deputy Chief, Acquisition Management Branch, Resources and Analysis Division, J6 Directorate, USCENTCOM, MacDill AFB, Fla.
12 July 2013 – September 2015, Strategic C4 Plans Officer, Operational Plans Branch, Operations Division, J6 Directorate, USCENTCOM, MacDill AFB, Fla.
13. September 2015 – June 2016, Deputy Chief, Resources and Analysis Division, J6 Directorate, USCENTCOM, MacDill AFB, Fla.
14. June 2106 – June 2018, Commander, 87th Communications Squadron, Joint Base McGuire-Dix, Lakehurst, N.J.
15. July 2018 – June 2020, Commander, 6th Communications Squadron, MacDill AFB, Fla.
16. June 2020 – August 2021, Deputy Commander, 6th Mission Support Group, MacDill AFB, Fla.
17. August 2021 – June 2022, Chief, Cybersecurity Division, J6 Directorate, SOCCENT, MacDill AFB, Fla.
18. June 2022 – June 2023, Director of Cyberspace and Technology, Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command, Robins AFB Ga.
19. June 2023 - Present, Commander, 19th Mission Support Group, Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark.
MAJOR AWARDS & DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
National Defense Service Medal
Global War on Terror Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Lance P. Sijan Leadership Award (FGO category) - Air Mobility Command nominee for 2021
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant, March 3, 2000
First Lieutenant, March 3, 2002
Captain, March 3, 2004
Major, November 1, 2009
Lieutenant Colonel, April 1, 2015
Colonel, June 1, 2022
(CURRENT AS OF AUGUST 2023)