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| Library > Biographies > COLONEL JOSEPH J. TURK JR. |
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COLONEL JOSEPH J. TURK JR.
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Colonel Joseph J. Turk Jr., is the Commander, 721st Mission Support Group, and Installation Commander, Cheyenne Mountain AFS, Colo. He leads a 550-person group composed of three squadrons and a test control division, providing and operating secure, survivable systems, and facilities for North American Aerospace Defense Command, United States Northern Command, United States Strategic Command, and Air Force Space Command crews to perform their air defense, space surveillance, and missile warning missions. He directs all support operations, maintenance, and testing for Cheyenne Mountain's integrated tactical warning and attack assessment systems.
Colonel Turk entered the Air Force in 1987 as a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and is a fully qualified Joint Specialty Officer. His career includes assignments in communications, acquisition, and training units at the combatant command, Air Force major command, center, wing, and squadron level. He has served in special duty assignments at Officer Training School and the Air Combat Command Inspector General's Office. Colonel Turk has deployed twice in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, most recently to Baghdad, Iraq, as the Director of the Mission Support Unit, Coalition Air Forces Training Team, Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq, where he led 56 personnel at five locations training and advising 400 Iraqi Airmen on all aspects of base support operations.
Prior to his current assignment, Colonel Turk was the Director of Logistics, Communications and Security for 14th Air Force at Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
EDUCATION
1987 Bachelor of Science Degree in International Affairs, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1997 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2001 Master of Arts degree in Business Administration and Management, Troy State University, Ala.
2003 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2003 Master of Military Operational Art and Science Degree, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2003 Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
2010 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2010 Master of Strategic Studies Degree, with academic distinction, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 1987 - November 1987, student, Basic Communications Officer Training, Keesler AFB, Miss.
2. November 1987 - January 1989, Director of Operations, 1926th Communications Squadron,
Robins AFB, Ga.
3. January 1989 - March 1992, Chief War and Exercise Plans, then Chief Communications Requirements, 2005th Communications Wing, Sembach AB, Germany
4. March 1992 - May 1996, Acquisition Logistics Manager, then Deputy Program Manager, B-2 Mission Planning Program, Mission Planning Systems Directorate, Electronic Systems Center, Hanscom AFB, Mass.
5. June 1996 - August 1999, Flight Training Officer, Flight Commander, Executive Officer to the Commandant, then Operations Officer, 24th Training Squadron and 22d Training Support Squadron, Officer Training School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
6. August 1999 - September 2001, Chief Plans and Programs Branch, then Executive Officer to the Inspector General, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va.
7. September 2001 - June 2002, Chief Network Services, Communications and Information Systems Directorate, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va.
8. July 2002 - June 2003, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
9. July 2003 - September 2003, student, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
10. October 2003 - August 2005, Deputy Chief Architecture and Integration, then Executive Officer, Command, Control, Communications, and Warfighting Integration Directorate, Headquarters European Command, Stuttgart-Vaihengen, Germany
11. August 2005 - June 2007, Commander, 367th Training Support Squadron, Hill AFB, UT (Deployed as Deputy Commander, 386th Expeditionary Mission Support Group, Ali Al Salem AB, Kuwait, September 2006- January 2007)
12. June 2007 - July 2009, Deputy Commander, 782d Training Group, Sheppard AFB, TX (Deployed as Director, Mission Support Unit, Coalition Air Forces Training Team, Mutli-National Security Transition Command-Iraq, Baghdad, Iraq, February 2008 - February 2009)
13. July 2009 - May 2010, student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
14. June 2010 - July 2011, Director, Logistics, Communications, and Security, 14th Air Force, Air Forces Strategic, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
15. July 2011 - Present, Commander, 721st Mission Support Group, and Installation Commander, Cheyenne Mountain AFS, Colo.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with six oak leaf clusters
Joint Meritorious Unit Citation
Air Force Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Organizational Excellence Unit Award
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal with bronze star device
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Air Force Expeditionary Medal with gold foil and oak leaf cluster
OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS
82d Training Wing Lance P. Sijan Leadership Award, Field Grade Officer Category, 2007
Wright Brothers Officership Award, Air War College Class 2010
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant - May 27, 1987
First Lieutenant - May 27, 1989
Captain - May 27, 1991
Major - Aug. 1, 1999
Lieutenant Colonel - May 1, 2004
Colonel - Nov. 1, 2009
(Current as of July 2011)
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