Col. Thomas A. Joyner is Deputy Commander of the 314th Airlift Wing, Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. The wing’s mission is to train over 1,000 C-130 aircrew members annually from across the Department of Defense and 47 partner nations, and serve as the nation’s C-130 “Center of Excellence” for tactical airlift.
Col. Joyner enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1998 as a vehicle operator. After completing his bachelor of science in Professional Aeronautics in 2000, Col. Joyner received his commission through Officer Training School in 2001. The Colonel held a position with the Headquarters Air Force at the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as well as two assignments
with NATO Joint Force Command in Italy. Additionally, he served as Commander, 870th Air Expeditionary Squadron, Djibouti, Africa. Prior to his current position, Col. Joyner was the Director of Operations for the 618th Air Operations Center at Scott AFB, Ill.
Col. Joyner is a command pilot with more than 2,500 flying hours in the C-130E/H/J.
EDUCATION
2000 Bachelor of Science, Professional Aeronautics, Embry Riddle,
Daytona, Fla.
2001 Officer Training School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2007 U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
2008 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2010 Master of Science, Professional Aeronautics, Embry Riddle, Daytona, Fla.
2011 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. by correspondance
2016 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. by correspondance
2022 Joint Professional Military Education Phase 2, Norfolk, Va.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. February 1998 – August 2001, Vehicle Operator, Travis Air Force Base, Calif.
2. September 2001 – November 2001, Officer Training School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
3. December 2001 – July 2002, Student, T-6 Initial Undergraduate Pilot Training, Moody AFB, Ga.
4. August 2002 – February 2003, Student, T-44 Initial Undergraduate Pilot Training, Corpus Christi, Texas
5. March 2003 – August 2003, C-130 Initial Qualification, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
6. September 2003 – June 2006, C-130 Aircraft Commander, 41st Airlift Squadon, Pope AFB, N.C.
7. July 2006 – September 2009, C-130 Instructor Pilot, 36th Airlift Squadron, Yokota Air Base, Japan
8. October 2009 – November 2012, C-130 Evaluator Pilot, 29th Weapon Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
9. December 2012 – June 2015, Mobility Analyst, Headquarters Air Force, Pentagon, Washington D.C.
10. July 2015 – July 2016, Detachment Commander, 730th Air Mobility Squadron Detachment 1, Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean
Territory
11. August 2016 – December 2017, Director of Operations, 34th Combat Training Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
12. January 2018 – July 2018, Commander, 870th Air Expeditionary Squadron, Djibouti, Africa
13. July 2018 – April 2020, Commander, 34th Combat Training Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
14. May 2020 – July 2021, Deputy Executive Assistant to the Commander, NATO Allied Joint Force Command, Naples, Italy
15. August 2021 – July 2022, Deputy Branch Head, J3, NATO Allied Joint Force Command, Naples, Italy
16. August 2022 – February 2023, Director of Operations, 618th Air Operations Center, Scott AFB, Ill.
17. March 2023 – Present, Deputy Commander, 314th Airlift Wing, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 2020 – July 2021, Deputy Executive Assistant to the Commander, NATO Allied Joint Force Command, Naples, Italy, as a
lieutenant colonel
2. August 2021 – July 2022, Deputy Branch Head, J3, NATO Allied Joint Force Command, Naples, Italy, as a lieutenant colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 2,500
Aircraft flown: T-6, T-44, C-130E/H/J
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Medal
Air and Space Commendation Medal
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Air and Space Achievement Medal
Army Achievement Medal
EFFECTIVE DATE OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant November 15, 2001
First Lieutenant November 15, 2003
Captain November 15, 2005
Major November 1, 2011
Lieutenant Colonel October 1, 2016
Colonel August 1, 2022
(Current as of July 2023)