Colonel Ryan J. Vetter is the Commander, 374th Mission Support Group, Yokota Air Base, Japan. He leads over 2,800 personnel across six squadrons and one geographically separated flight and manages over $7 billion assets to provide combat support, agile expeditionary capabilities and mission-ready forces for the 374th Airlift Wing and over 50 mission partners including Headquarters U.S. Forces, Japan and 5th Air Force. The group provides installation force protection, communications, contracting, logistics, civil engineering, and personnel, services and quality of life programs for over 11,500 military and civilian personnel and families.
Colonel Vetter was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant from Officer Training School. He has served in a number of base communications, group, numbered air force, major command, and air staff assignments and has commanded a communications squadron. He has deployed in support of Operations IRAQI FREEDOM and NEW DAWN as a combat advisor and Iraqi Air Force training mentor. Most recently he supported Operation ALLIES REFUGE while deployed to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, as the United States ended operations in Afghanistan. Prior to his current assignment, Colonel Vetter was the Chief of the Cyberspace Operations Division, Headquarter Air Force Global Strike Command. He is married and has three children.
EDUCATION
1997 Bachelor of Science in Electronic Engineering Technology, Colorado Technical University, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1999 Basic Communications Officer Training, Keesler Air Force Base, Miss.
2005 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2008 Master of Business Administration and Management, Webster University, St Louis, Mo.
2008 Advanced Communication Officer Training, Keesler Air Force Base, Miss.
2009 Air Command and Staff College (correspondence)
2011 Cyberspace 300 Course, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
2013 Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
2016 Air War College (correspondence)
2017 Cyber 400 Course, National Defense University, Pentagon, Washington D.C.
2018 Master of Science in National Resource Strategy, Eisenhower School for National Security, National Defense University, Fort McNair, Washington D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1999 – January 2001, Executive Officer, 319th Operations Group, Grand Forks Air Force Base, N. Dak.
2. January 2001 – January 2004, Critical Technologies Engineer and Operations Crew Commander, Standard Systems Group, Maxwell Air Force Base Gunter Annex, Ala.
3. January 2004 – January 2005, Plans and Support Flight Commander, 22d Communications Squadron, McConnell Air Force Base, Kan.
4. January 2005 – June 2006, Information Systems Flight Commander, 22d Communications Squadron, McConnell Air Force Base, Kan.
5. June 2006 – May 2007, Instructor and Flight Commander, 24th Training Squadron, Officer Training School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
6. May 2007 – Jul 2009, Student Squadron Director of Operations and Student Squadron Commander, 24th Training Squadron, Officer Training School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. (Aug 07 – Feb 08, Flight Commander, Air Force Officer Course, Coalition Air Force Training Team, Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq, Rustamiyah, Iraq)
7. July 2009 – June 2010, Director of Operations, 24th Training Squadron, Officer Training School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
8. June 2010 – October 2011, Deputy Chief, C4 Plans Division, Communications Directorate, 3rd Air Force, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Feb 11 – Aug 11, Senior Communications Advisor, Middle Euphrates Operations Center Transition Team, 1st Advise and Assist Brigade, COS Echo, Iraq)
9. October 2011 – June 2012, Chief, Contingency Plans Branch, Communications Directorate, HQ United States Air Forces Europe, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
10. June 2012 – June 2013, Student, Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
11. July 2013 – July 2015, Commander, 17th Communications Squadron, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas
12. July 2015 – July 2016, Deputy Commander, 17th Mission Support Group, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas
13. July 2016 – July 2017, Chief, IT Budget Branch, Portfolio Management Division, Cyberspace Capabilities and Compliance Directorate, Office of Information Dominance and Chief Information Officer, Headquarters Air Force, Pentagon, Washington D.C.
14. July 2017 – June 2018, Student, Eisenhower School, National Defense University, Fort McNair, Washington D.C.
15. June 2018 – June 2020, Chief, Cyber Operations and Plans, DISA Africa Field Office, Stuttgart, Germany
16. June 2020 – May 2022, Chief, Cyberspace Operations Division, Directorate of Operations and Communications, Headquarters Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale Air Force Base, Lou. (Jul 21 – Jan 22, Director of Staff, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar)
17. June 2022 – Present, Commander, 374th Mission Support Group, 374th Airlift Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2018 – June 2020, Chief, Cyber Operations and Plans, DISA Africa Field Office, Stuttgart, Germany, as a lieutenant colonel
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with six oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Combat Action Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Jan, 1999
First Lieutenant Jan, 2001
Captain Jan, 2003
Major Aug, 2008
Lieutenant Colonel Jan, 2014
Colonel Apr, 2020
(Current as of Jun 2022)