Colonel Michael Trimble is the Commander, 19th Operations Group, Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. The 19th Operations Group consists of more than 550 personnel and 29 C-130J aircraft executing 16,000 flying hours annually, with an operating budget of $5.1 million. Additionally, Colonel Trimble is responsible for operating the installation’s airfield and providing operations support to Air Mobility Command, Air Education and Training Command, Air Force Reserve, and Air Force Weapons School flight operations at Little Rock AFB.
Colonel Trimble received his commission in 2004 from AFROTC Detachment 890 at the University of Virginia. He initially served as a C-130E/H Instructor Navigator at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. He then completed pilot training at Columbus AFB and NAS Corpus Christi from 2009-2010. In 22 years on active duty, he has served in leadership, flying, and staff positions at the squadron, wing, and headquarters levels. He is a command pilot in the C-130J with more than 3,200 total flight hours, including 555 combat hours in Operations IRAQI FREEDOM, ENDURING FREEDOM, FREEDOM’S SENTINEL, and INHERENT RESOLVE. Col Trimble graduated from the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, and holds a PhD in Military Strategy. Prior to his current position, Colonel Trimble served as Chief of the Commander’s Action Group, United States Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.
EDUCATION
2004 Bachelor of Arts, English, University of Virginia
2004 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, AL
2008 Master of Arts, International Relations, University of Oklahoma
2011 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL (in residence)
2017 Air Command and Staff College and JPME I, Maxwell AFB, AL (in residence)
2018 School of Advanced Air and Space Studies (Class XXVII), Maxwell AFB, AL
2023 Doctor of Philosophy in Military Strategy, Lorenz Fellow, Air University,
Maxwell AFB, AL
2023 Joint Combined Warfighting School (JPME II), Norfolk, VA
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2004-March 2005, Squadron Adjutant, 21st Air Mobility Operations
Squadron, McGuire AFB, NJ
2. March 2005-February 2006, Student Navigator, 562nd Flight Training Squadron,
Randolph AFB, TX
3. February 2006-July 2006, C-130E/H Navigator, 62nd Airlift Squadron, Little Rock
AFB, AR
4. July 2006-July 2009, C-130E/H Instructor Navigator and Assistant Flight
Commander, and Scheduler, 37th Airlift Squadron, Ramstein AB, Germany
5. July 2009-March 2010, Undergraduate Pilot Training Student, Columbus AFB,
MS
6. March 2010-October 2010, Undergraduate Pilot Training Student, NAS Corpus
Christi, TX
7. October 2010-July 2011, C-130J Pilot, 714th Training Squadron, Little Rock AFB,
AR
8. July 2011-July 2014, C-130J Instructor Pilot, Flight Commander, Chief of
Scheduling, and Executive Officer, 37th Airlift Squadron, Ramstein AB, Germany
9. July 2014-July 2016, C-130J Evaluator Pilot, Chief of Standardization and
Evaluations, and Assistant Director of Operations, 61st Airlift Squadron, Little
Rock AFB, AR (Apr 2015-Sep 2015, C-130J Evaluator Pilot and Assistant
Director of Operations, 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, Bagram Air Base,
Afghanistan)
10. July 2016-June 2017, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB,
AL
11. June 2017-June 2018, Student, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies,
Maxwell AFB, AL
12. June 2018-July 2019, Deputy Branch Chief, Strategic Synchronization Branch,
Strategy Division, Directorate of Strategy, Concepts, and Assessments, Air
Force Headquarters, Pentagon
13. July 2019-May 2020, Chief of Safety, 19th Airlift Wing, Little Rock AFB, AR
14. May 2020-May 2022, Commander, 19th Operations Support Squadron, Little
Rock AFB, Arkansas
15. May 2022-August 2023, Air University Lorenz PhD Fellow (Senior
Developmental Education), Maxwell AFB, AL
16. August 2023-May 2025, Executive Officer to the Deputy Commander;
previously, Branch Chief, Campaign Plans; United States Transportation
Command, Scott AFB, IL
18. May 2025-Apr 2026, Chief, Commander’s Action Group, United States
Transportation Command, Scott AFB, IL
19. Apr 2026-Present, Commander, 19th Operations Group, Little Rock AFB,
Arkansas
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 2023-Apr 2026, Chief, Commander’s Action Group; Executive Officer to
the Deputy Commander; and Branch Chief, Campaign Plans; United States
Transportation Command, Scott AFB, IL as a Colonel and Lieutenant Colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: more than 3,200
Aircraft flown: C-130J, C-130E/H, TC-12B, T-6A
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Army Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2004 Distinguished Graduate, ROTC Detachment 890, University of Virginia
2004 Outstanding Contributor, Air and Space Basic Course
2006 Distinguished Graduate, C-130E/H Navigator Formal Training Unit
2010 Distinguished Graduate, Undergraduate Pilot Training
2011 Distinguished Graduate, C-130J Pilot Formal Training Unit
2011 Distinguished Graduate and Outstanding Contributor, Squadron Officer
School
2014 Distinguished Graduate, C-130J Instructor Pilot School
2015 General Joseph Smith Trophy (Unit Award for AMC’s Most Outstanding Airlift
Squadron—61 AS)
2015 Field Grade Officer of the Year, 19th Operations Group
2017 Distinguished Graduate and Outstanding Team Member, Air Command and
Staff College
PUBLICATIONS
“Air Force Strategic Bombing and Its Counterpoints from World War I to Vietnam.” Joint Force Quarterly 9, 4th Quarter 2018.
Asymmetric Advantage: Air Advising in a Time of Strategic Competition. Lemay Papers series, no. 5. Maxwell AFB, AL: Air University Press, 2019.
“Movement and Maneuver at Leyte, October 1944.” Joint Force Quarterly 117, 2nd Quarter 2025. (Co-author.)
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
First Lieutenant 26 June 2006
Captain 26 June 2008
Major 1 January 2015
Lieutenant Colonel 1 June 2019
Colonel 1 April 2025
(Current as of May 2026)