COLONEL HENRY E. PFLUGRADT III
Colonel Henry Pflugradt III is currently the commander of the 374th Operations Group, 374th Airlift Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan. He is responsible for the combat readiness of three operational squadrons, employing the Yokota airfield complex, C-130J Super Hercules, and the C-12J Huron to advance national security objectives. The 374th Operations Group delivers intratheater airlift, operational support airlift, aeromedical evacuation, and search-and-rescue capabilities across the Indo-Pacific region.
Colonel Pflugradt graduated from the University of Missouri with a Bachelor of Arts degree and earned his commission as a Distinguished Graduate of the Air Force ROTC program. Upon graduation, he attended specialized undergraduate pilot training at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi. As a C-130E/H/J pilot, Colonel Pflugradt commanded more than 600 combat sorties directly supporting United States Central Command objectives for Operations ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM, NEW DAWN, and Joint Special Operations Command. He also led Europe’s largest and most diverse Operations Support Squadron at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Prior to his current assignment, Colonel Pflugradt served as the United States Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa Liaison Officer to Headquarters Air Force.
EDUCATION
2005 Distinguished graduate, Bachelor of Arts, University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo.
2005 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2010 Distinguished graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2012 Master of Arts in Business Management, American Military University, Charlestown, W. Va.
2012 Distinguished graduate, United States Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
2016 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2017 Advanced Integrated Supply Chain Management Course, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, Mo.
2023 Distinguished graduate, Master of Science in National Resource Strategy, Eisenhower School, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2005 - March 2006, Stan/Eval Liaison Officer, 48th Airlift Squadron, Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark.
2. March 2006 - September 2006, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Columbus AFB, Miss.
3. September 2006 - April 2007, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas
4. April 2007 - December 2007, Student, C-130E/H Initial Qualification, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
5. December 2007 - July 2011, C-130E/H Instructor Pilot, 61st Airlift Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
6. July 2011 - August 2014, C-130H Weapons Officer and Evaluator Pilot, 30th Airlift Squadron, Cheyenne, Wyo.
7. August 2014 - June 2016, C-130J Weapons Officer and Evaluator Pilot, 37th Airlift Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
8. June 2016 - June 2017, Joint Mobility Fellow, Scott AFB, Ill.
9. June 2017 - July 2019, Distribution Branch Chief and Executive Officer to the Director of Operations, United States Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
10. July 2019 - June 2020, Director of Operations, 37th Airlift Squadron, Ramstein AB, Germany
11. June 2020 - June 2022, Commander, 86th Operations Support Squadron, Ramstein AB, Germany
12. June 2022 - June 2023, Student, The Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, Washington, D.C.
13. June 2023 - July 2025, Deputy Director for Russia Policy and Military Assistant, Office of the Under Secretary of War for Policy, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
14. July 2025 - June 2026, United States Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa Liaison Officer to Headquarters Air Force, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
15. June 2026 - Present, Commander, 347th Operations Group, Yokota AB, Japan
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2017 - July 2019, Distribution Branch Chief and Executive Officer to the Director of Operations, United States Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill., as a major
2. June 2023 - July 2025, Deputy Director for Russia Policy and Military Assistant, Office of the Under Secretary of War for Policy, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a lieutenant colonel and colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 4,000 hours including more than 880 combat hours
Aircraft flown: T-37B, T-44A, C-130E/H1/H2/H3, WC-130H, and C-130J
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with seven oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air and Space Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 1, 2005
First Lieutenant June 1, 2007
Captain June 1, 2009
Major November 1, 2015
Lieutenant Colonel October 1, 2019
Colonel March 1, 2025
(Current as of June 2026)