Colonel James M. Gallagher is commander of the 5th Mission Support Group at Minot Air Force Base, N.D. He is the senior leader and manager of support activities necessary to maintain the combat readiness of all units assigned to the base. Units assigned to the 5th Mission Support Group include the 5th Civil Engineer Squadron, 5th Communications Squadron, 5th Force Support Squadron, 5th Security Forces Squadron, 5th Logistics Readiness Squadron and 5th Contracting Squadron.
Colonel Gallagher entered the Air Force as a graduate of Officer Training School. He has served as an operations officer for an operations support squadron, commander of a cadet group at the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo., and as deputy commander for a mission support group. He has held a variety of staff positions at the joint, unified command, and allied force levels. Prior to his current assignment, he was Director of Intelligence, Joint Functional Component Command for Global Strike and Integration, United States Strategic Command at Offutt AFB, Neb.
The colonel is a master navigator with over 2,500 flight hours; he is also an intelligence officer and operations support officer.
EDUCATION:
1982 Bachelor of Science in political science, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Ill.
1990 Squadron Officer School by correspondence, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1994 Master of Arts in political science, University of Hawaii, Hawaii
1997 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence 1999 Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
2001 Air War College, by correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS:
1. June 1999 - May 2002, Chief, Theater Missile Defense Cell, SHAPE, Belgium
2. May 2002 - June 2004, Commander, Cadet Group 3, and later, Deputy Commander, 10th Mission Support Group, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.
3. June 2004 - September 2007, Director of Intelligence, JFCC for Global Strike and Integration, Offutt AFB, Neb.
4. September 2007 - June 2008, Director of Intelligence, AFDDEC, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
5. June 2008 - present, Commander, 5th Mission Support Group, Minot AFB, N.D.
FLIGHT INFORMATION:
Rating: Master navigator
Flight hours: More than 2,500, 150+ combat
Aircraft flown: B-52G/H
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Medal
Joint Service Commendation Medal Air Force Commendation Medal
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTIONS:
Second Lieutenant April 13, 1984
First Lieutenant April 13, 1986
Captain April 13, 1988
Major March 1, 1996
Lieutenant Colonel August 1, 2000
Colonel February 1, 2007
(Current as of June 2008)