Col. Ryan E. “RY” Richardson is the Commander, 42nd Air Base Wing, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. He leads all base operating, infrastructure, and services support for 42,000 active duty, Reserve, civilian, and contract personnel, students, and families at Maxwell and Gunter Annex in direct support of Air University, 908th Airlift Wing, Air Force Materiel Command units, Defense Information Systems Agency and more than 40 other mission partners. As Maxwell’s installation commander, he partners with local officials across a three-county,12-city region with an annual military economic impact of $2.1 billion.
Col. Richardson received his commission in 1998 through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at South Dakota State University. He has commanded at the group and squadron levels and previously served in a variety of assignments at major command, forward operating agency, secretariat, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, combatant command, and Joint Staff levels. Col. Richardson has deployed in support of operations Joint Forge and Enduring Freedom. He has served forward as the Director, Manpower, Personnel, and Services in support of operations Inherent Resolve and Freedom’s Sentinel and the Resolute Support mission.
Col. Richardson’s previous assignment was as Director, Manpower, Personnel, and Services, U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa, Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
EDUCATION
1998 Bachelor of Science, Biology (pre-med), South Dakota State University, Brookings, S.D.
2003 Squadron Officer School (outstanding contributor), Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2009 Master of Arts, Business Administration, and Management, Webster University, St. Louis, Mo.
2011 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2012 Strategic Policy Fellowship, Washington, D.C.
2018 Master of Science, National Security Strategy, National War College, Ft. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2020 Data Science for Data Leadership, Arlington, Va.
2021 Leading Strategically, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo.
ASSIGNMENTS
May 1999 – February 2001, Squadron Section Commander, 15th Reconnaissance Squadron, Creech Air Force Base, Nev.
February 2001 – July 2001, Squadron Section Commander, 99th Mission Support Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
July 2001 – July 2002, Executive Officer, 99th Support Group, Nellis AFB, Nev.
July 2002 – June 2003, Chief, Air Expeditionary Force Plans and Exercises, Directorate of Personnel, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
June 2003 – June 2004, Chief, Air Expeditionary Force and Deployment Accountability, Directorate of Personnel, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
June 2004 – September 2005, Deputy Chief, Senior Officer Management Division, Directorate of Personnel, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
September 2005 – March 2007, Military Personnel Flight Commander, Altus AFB, Okla.
March 2007 – September 2007, Commander, 97th Mission Support Squadron, Altus AFB, Okla.
September 2007 – April 2009, Recorder, U.S. Air Force Selection Board Secretariat, Headquarters Air Force Personnel Center, Randolph AFB, Texas
April 2009 – January 2010, Senior Recorder, U.S. Air Force Selection Board Secretariat, Headquarters Air Force Personnel Center, Randolph AFB, Texas
January 2010 – October 2010, Chief of Operations, U.S. Air Force Selection Board Secretariat, Headquarters Air Force Personnel Center, Randolph AFB, Texas
October 2010 – June 2011, Program Manager, U.S. Air Force Electronic Board Operations, Headquarters Air Force Personnel Center, Randolph AFB, Texas
June 2011 – June 2012, Strategic Policy Fellow, Joint Chiefs of Staff J5, Pol-Mil Africa and Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Legislative Liaison, Washington, D.C.
June 2012 – July 2013, Chief, Colonel Force Support Assignments, Deputy Chief of Staff, Manpower, Personnel and Services, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
July 2013 – July 2015, Commander, 48th Force Support Squadron, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England
July 2015 – July 2016, Executive Officer, Headquarters Air Force Personnel Center, Randolph AFB, Texas
July 2016 – July 2017, Director, AFCENT/A1 (Forward), U.S. Air Forces Central Command, Southwest Asia
July 2017 – June 2018, Student, National War College, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C.
June 2018 – July 2019, Chief, Special Operations Support Team, U.S. Special Operations Command – U.S. Agency for International Development, Washington, D.C.
July 2019 – July 2021, Commander, 56th Mission Support Group, Luke AFB, Ariz.
August 2021 – July 2022, Director, Manpower, Personnel and Services, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
July 2022-present, Commander, 42nd Air Base Wing, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
July 2016 – July 2017, Director, AFCENT/A1 (Forward), U.S. Air Forces Central Command, Southwest Asia, as a lieutenant colonel
June 2018 – July 2019, Chief, Special Operations Support Team, U.S. Special Operations Command–U.S. Agency for International Development, Washington, D.C., as a lieutenant colonel, then colonel
MAJOR DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Army Commendation Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2003 Air Mobility Command/A1 Company Grade Officer of the Year and AMC Jr. Personnel Manager of the Year
2006 97th Air Mobility Wing Company Grade Officer of the Year and Air Education and Training Command Jr. Personnel Manager of the Year
2007 97th AMW Lance P. Sijan Award
2009 Air Force Personnel Center Field Grade Officer of the Year and AFPC Force Support FGO of the Year
2010 AFPC Lance P. Sijan Award and Air Force/A1 General Robert J. Dixon Award
2014 U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General Norm Lezy Award
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant February 1999
First Lieutenant February 2001
Captain February 2003
Major September 2008
Lieutenant Colonel March 2014
Colonel March 2019
(Current as of July 31, 2023)