Colonel Curtis R. Bass is Commander of the 461st Air Control Wing, Robins Air Force Base, Ga. He is responsible for the worldwide employment of the E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) and the Deployable Air Traffic Control and Landing System. The wing trains and deploys combat mission ready aircraft, aircrews and support to designated theaters of operation, and conducts sustained combat operations to provide uninterrupted command, control, battle management, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance in support of the Combatant Commanders.
Colonel Bass received his commission in 1995 through Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at Mississippi State University. In 1996, he graduated from Undergraduate Controller Training at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida and has since been qualified in multiple crew positions on the E-8C JSTARS, E-3B/C AWACS, and the Korean ROCC/SOCC system. A Master Air Battle Manager with more than 2,500 hours, Colonel Bass has flown numerous contingency, counter narco-terrorism, and joint staff directed operations to include OPERATION NOBLE EAGLE, NORTHERN DENIAL, SOUTHERN WATCH, NORTHERN WATCH, IRAQI FREEDOM and ENDURING FREEDOM.
Colonel Bass has received numerous awards including Company Grade Officer of the Year, Air Battle Manager of the Year, Top Gun Instructor of the Year, Senior Director of the Year, and Top Scope Controller of the Year. He was also the recipient of the 2003 Pacific Air Forces Air Battle Manager of the Year award. He has held staff positions at Headquarters Air Force in AF Test and Evaluation, and the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force in the Pentagon. He has previously served in a Joint position at HQ North American Aerospace Defense Command, and commanded at the Squadron and Group level.
In 2011, Colonel Bass was selected to command the E-8C JSTARS Combat Flying Squadron at Al Udeid AB, Qatar, the 7th Expeditionary Airborne Command and Control Squadron. He commanded over 200 rotational personnel, flying crews, and five $360 million dollar command and control / surveillance aircraft on missions over Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, and the Persian Gulf in support of air, sea, and ground forces. After Squadron command, he was a student at the United States Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. Prior to his current assignment, he was the Director of Operations (A3), U.S. Air Forces Central Command and Commander, 609th Air Operations Center, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. As Director of Operations, he provided operational council to the AFCENT Commander concerning the direction and control of all assigned and attached Air Force forces in a 20-nation area of responsibility. As Commander, he led over 900 Joint and Coalition personnel providing command and control over air operations across the 4.3 million square mile U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.
EDUCATION
1995 Bachelor of Arts International Law-International Relations, Mississippi State University 2001 Graduate USAF Weapons School, Nellis AFB, NV
2002 Squadron Officers School, Maxwell AFB, AL
2008 Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College (residence), Maxwell AFB, AL 2008 Air War College (correspondence), Maxwell AFB, AL
2013 Master of National Security and Strategic Studies, U.S. Naval War College, Newport NAS, RI
ASSIGNMENTS
1. Jun 1995 – Oct 1995, Assistant Professor of Aerospace Science, AFROTC Det 425, Mississippi State University
2. Oct 1995 – Mar 1996, Student, Aviation Preflight Indoctrination, NAS Pensacola, Florida
3. Mar 1996 – Jul 1996, Student, Undergraduate Controller Training, 325 FW, Tyndall AFB, Florida
4. Jul 1996 – Jul 1997, Instructor/Evaluator Weapons Director & Senior Director, 621 ACS, Osan AB, Republic of Korea
5. Sep 1997 – Aug 2000, E-3 Weapons Director, Instructor Senior Director, Deputy Chief of Weapons and Tactics, 964 AACS, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma
6. Aug 2000 – Jul 2001, Instructor Senior Director, Chief of Weapons and Tactics, 966 AACS, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma
7. Aug 2001 – Feb 2002, Weapons Officer, Chief of Tactics, 962 AACS, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
8. Feb 2002 – Jun 2003, Wing Tactics Officer, 3 WG / 3 OSS, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
9. Jun 2003 – Feb 2004, Evaluator Senior Director, Flight Commander, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
10. Feb 2004 – Apr 2005, Weapons School Instructor / E-3 Evaluator Senior Director, 8 WPS, Nellis AFB, Nevada
11. Apr 2005 – Jun 2006, Chief-Weapons School Academics / Editor, Weapons Review Magazine, USAF Weapons School (Gp), Nellis AFB, Nevada
12. Jun 2006 – Jun 2007, Executive Officer to the Commander, USAF Warfare Center, Nellis AFB, Nevada
13. Aug 2007 – Jun 2008, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
14. Jun 2008 – Jun 2009, Chief-Programs Branch, HQ Air Force Test & Evaluation, Policy and Programs Division, Pentagon
15. Jun 2009 – Apr 2010, Military Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force, Pentagon
16. Apr 2010 – Jun 2011, Director of Operations, 16 ACCS, Robins AFB, Georgia
17. Jul 2011 – Jul 2012, Commander, 7 EACCS, Al Udeid AB, Qatar
18. Jul 2012 – Jun 2013, SDE Student, U.S. Naval War College, Newport NAS, Rhode Island
19. Jul 2013 – Oct 2013, Branch Chief, C2 Sys Integration Branch / C2 Sys Division, NORAD, Peterson AFB, Colorado
20. Nov 2013 – Apr 2015, Military Deputy, C2 Sys Division, NORAD, Peterson AFB, Colorado
21. May 2015 – Jun 2016, Chief, C2 Operations Divisions, NORAD, Peterson AFB, Colorado
22. Jul 2016 – Jun 2017, AFCENT Director of Operations & Commander, 609th Air Operations Center, Al Udeid AB, Qatar
23. Jul 2017 – present, Commander, 461 Air Control Wing, Robins AFB, Georgia
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Master Air Battle Manager Flight Hours: More than 2500+
Aircraft Flown: E-3B/C AWACS, E-8C JSTARS
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with 2 oak leaf clusters PACAF Air Battle Manager of the Year, 2003
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 13, 1995
First Lieutenant May 31, 1997
Captain May 31, 1999
Major November 1, 2005
Lieutenant Colonel March 1, 2009
Colonel July 1, 2015
(Current as of 27 July 2017)