Colonel Metodi V. Roulev is the Deputy Commander, 19th Airlift Wing, Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, the "Home of Herk Nation." The wing is responsible for providing worldwide deployable C-130 aircraft, aircrew, support personnel, and equipment for Air Mobility Command and Air Expeditionary Force tasking’s while serving more than 10,000 personnel and families in the Little Rock community. As deputy commander, Col. Roulev assists the commander in directing the combined efforts of all operations and support activities of the installation and the wing’s worldwide mobility mission that includes the operation and sustainment of 62 C-130 aircraft. He is responsible for ensuring the readiness and well-being of 10,000 Active Duty, Reserve, Air National Guard, and civilian personnel and their families. Col. Roulev works in concert with the 314th Airlift Wing (AETC), the 189th Airlift Wing (ANG), the 913th Airlift Group (AFRC), and the 29th Weapons Squadron (ACC).
Colonel Roulev, a native of Velingrad, Bulgaria, commissioned in the US Air Force in 2002 after graduating from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. He earned his intelligence officer badge in 2003 and subsequently cross-trained into aviation, earning his pilot wings in 2008. He has been an Instructor Pilot and Flight Examiner in multiple C-130H variants, and an Aircraft Commander in the C-130J. Colonel Roulev has served in a variety of positions at the squadron, group, wing and major command levels. Additionally, he has served multiple tours in Southwest Asia and Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa, in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom, New Dawn, Enduring Freedom and Octave Shield. Prior to assuming his current position, Colonel Roulev was a student at the Air War College and served as the Academic Year 2023 Class President at Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. Colonel Roulev is a C-130J Aircraft Commander with over 2,600 hours in the T-37A/B, T-44A, C-130E/H and C-130J aircraft. He has flown 840 combat hours in support of Operations Joint Forge, Joint Guardian, Joint Enterprise, Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, New Dawn and Octave Shield.
EDUCATION
2002 Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Rutgers University, N.J.
2002 Air & Space Basic Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala
2003 Intelligence Officer School, Goodfellow AFB, Tex.
2008 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2011 Master of Science in Aeronautical Science, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical
University, Fla.
2012 Air Command & Staff College, via Correspondence, Air University, Maxwell
AFB, Ala.
2016 Air Command & Staff College, resident program, Air University, Maxwell AFB,
Ala.
2023 Air War College, resident program, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2002 – January 2003, Deputy Chief, Intelligence Training, Moody Air Force
Base, Ga.
2. January 2003 – October 2003, Student, Intelligence Officer School, Goodfellow
AFB, Tex.
3. October 2003 – Mar 2004, Chief, Special Security Office, HQ 16th Air Force,
Aviano Air Base, Italy
4. March 2004 – June 2004, Intelligence Officer, 510th Fighter Squadron, Aviano
AB, Italy
5. June 2004 – May 2005, Chief, Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection, HQ 16th Air
Force, Aviano AB, Italy
6. May 2005 – November 2005, Executive Officer, 31st Operations Group, Aviano
AB, Italy
7. November 2005 – August 2006, Watch Officer, Intelligence Operations Center,
16th Air Force, Headquarters United States Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein AB,
Germany
8. September 2006 – March 2007, Executive Officer, 80th Operations Support
Squadron, Sheppard AFB, Tex.
9. March 2007 – December 2007, T-37A/B Student, Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot
Training, 89th Flying Training Squadron, Sheppard AFB, Tex.
10. January 2008 – August 2008, T-44A Student, VT-31 Squadron, Advanced
Maritime Flight Training, Naval Air Station Corpus Christy, Tex.
11. September 2008 – October 2008, Student, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell
AFB, Ala.
12. October 2008 – July 2009, Student, C-130 Formal Training Unit, 62nd Airlift
Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
13. July 2009 – March 2010, Assistant Flight Commander and Pilot C-130E/H,
50th Airlift Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
14. April 2010 – October 2011, Flight Commander and Aircraft Commander
C-130E/H, 50th Airlift Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
15. October 2011 – June 2013, Chief, Commander’s Action Group, and C-130H
Flight Examiner, 19th Airlift Wing, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
16. June 2013 – July 2015, Chief, C-130H Aircrew Training and C-130H Command
Evaluator, Operations Directorate, Headquarters Air Mobility Command,
Scott AFB, Ill.
17. July 2015 – June 2016, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell
AFB, Ala.
18. June 2016 – May 2017, Regional Desk Officer and Foreign Area Officer,
Eastern Europe, International Affairs Division, Headquarters United States
Air Forces Europe, Ramstein AB, Germany
19. May 2017 – January 2018, Branch Chief and Foreign Area Officer, Eastern
Europe, International Affairs Division, Headquarters United States Air Forces
Europe, Ramstein AB, Germany
20. January 2018 – June 2018, Student, C-130J Formal Training Unit, Pilot Initial
Qualification course, 62nd Airlift Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
21. July 2018 – September 2019, Director of Operations, 43d Operations Support
Squadron, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina. Attached flying duties with 39th
Airlift Squadron, Dyess AFB, Tex.
22. September 2019 – June 2020, Chief of Safety and Aircraft Commander
C-130J, 43d Air Mobility Operations Group, Pope Army Airfield, N.C.
23. June 2020 – April 2022, Commander, 43d Air Mobility Squadron, Pope Army
Airfield, N.C.
24. April 2022 – June 2022, Deputy Group Commander for Operations, 43d Air
Mobility Operations Group, Pope Army Airfield, N.C.
25. July 2022 – June 2023, Student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
26. July 2023 – July 2025, USTRANSCOM Liaison Officer to USAFRICOM, Kelly
Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany
27. July 2025 – Present, Deputy Commander, 19th Airlift Wing, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Senior Pilot
Flight hours: More than 2,600
Aircraft Flown: T-37A/B, T-44A, C-130E/H and C-130J
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Unit Award with one oak leaf cluster
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters
Distinguished Graduate, Intelligence Officer School
Distinguished Graduate, C-130E/H Formal Training Unit
AFCENT “Aircrew of Distinction”
2017 HQ USAFE International Affairs Excellence Award
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 22, 2002
First Lieutenant May 29, 2004
Captain May 29, 2006
Major August 1, 2012
Lieutenant Colonel May 1, 2017
Colonel September 1, 2023
(Current as of July, 2025)