COLONEL PATRICK H. VETTER

U N I T E D S T A T E S A I R F O R C E

Colonel Patrick H. Vetter is the vice commander, of the 37th Training Wing, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, the largest training wing in the U.S. Air Force. He assists the wing commander with the organization's four primary training missions, which graduate more than 86,000 students annually. These four missions are the basic military training of all enlisted people entering the Air Force, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard; technical training for a wide array of Air Force support functions encompassing more than 380 separate courses; officer and enlisted medical training; English language training for international military personnel from more than 110 countries at the Defense Language Institute English Language Center; and specialized maintenance and security training for Latin American students from more than 20 countries at the Inter-American Air Forces Academy.

Colonel Vetter was commissioned in 1987 after graduating from the United States Air Force Academy. He has commanded squadrons in the United States, Europe, and at deployed locations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. His Headquarters staff tours include Tactical Air Command, Air Combat Command, Air Staff, United States Air Forces in Europe, Combined Security Transition Command, Afghanistan, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Prior to his current position, the colonel was the Principal Deputy for Nuclear Surety, Assistant Secretary of Defense (NBC), Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

EDUCATION
1987 Bachelor of Science degree U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1992 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1996 Master's degree in Public Administration, Troy State University, Ala.
1999 Air Command and Staff College by correspondence
2004 Air War College, by correspondence
2004 Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy
2008 Master's degree in strategic studies, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 1987 - October 1990, Chief, Security Police Support Branch, 67th Security Police Squadron, Bergstrom AFB, Texas
2. October 1990 - June 1991, Shift Commander, 24th Security Police Squadron, Howard AFB, Panama
3. June 1991 - June 1992, Assistant Operations Officer, 24th Security Police Squadron, Howard AFB, Panama
4. June 1992 - May 1994, Squadron Section Commander, 24th Security Police Squadron, Howard AFB, Panama
5. May 1994 - June 1996, Staff Officer/Executive Officer, Headquarters Security Police, Air Combat Command, Langley, AFB, Va.
6. June 1996 - June 1998, Commander, 65th Security Forces Squadron, Lajes Air Base, Azores.
7. June 1998 - June 2000, Executive officer, Headquarters Air Force, Security Forces, Washington, D.C.
8. June 2000 - August 2002, Commander, 20th Security Forces Squadron, Shaw AFB, S.C.
9. August 2002 - May 2003, Security and Law Enforcement Branch Chief, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe Directorate of Security Forces, Ramstein AB, Germany
10. May 2003 - June 2005, Operations Division Chief, Headquarters USAFE Directorate of Security Forces, Ramstein AB, Germany
11. June 2005 - May 2006, Commander, 31st Security Forces Squadron, Aviano AB, Italy
12. May 2006 - July 2007, Deputy Commander, 31st Mission Support Group, Aviano, AB, Italy
13. July 2007 - June 2008, Student Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
14. June 2008 - June 2010, Principal Deputy for Nuclear Surety, Assistant Secretary of Defense (NBC), Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
15. June 2010 - Present, Vice Commander, 37th Training Wing, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with six oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 27, 1987
First Lieutenant May 27, 1989
Captain May 27, 1991
Major Dec. 1, 1998
Lieutenant Colonel Aug. 1, 2003
Colonel Jan. 1, 2009

(Current as of December 2011)