Lt. Col. Paul C. Tisa is the Commander of the 8th Airlift Squadron, 62d Airlift Wing, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. In this role, Lt. Col. Tisa is responsible for executing the tactical mission of Air Mobility Command through the training and equipping of 140 Airmen and the assignment of aircrews to worldwide missions.
Lt. Col. Tisa received his commission in 2006 from the United States Air Force Academy. Since then, he has been assigned to multiple assignments and has world-wide operational experience including air-land and airdrop support to the Global War on Terrorism, and combat duty in Operations ENDURING FREEDOM, INHERENT RESOLVE, and FREEDOM’S SENTINEL. Prior to his current position, Lt. Col. Tisa was the Director of Operations for the 8th Airlift Squadron. In that role, he served as the deputy to the Squadron Commander and managed day-to-day operations.
Lt. Col. Tisa was born in Marcellus, New York, and is a senior pilot with over 2,600 hours, including 788 combat and combat support hours.
EDUCATION
2006 Bachelor of Science, Astronautical Engineering, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2008 Master of Science, Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mass.
2009 Aerospace Basic Course, Columbus Air Force Base, Columbus, Miss.
2011 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, Ala.
2015 Master of Science, Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University, Pa.
2016 Doctor of Philosophy and CSAF Scholar Program, Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University, Pa.
2018 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 2006 – May 2008, AFIT Student, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mass.
2. May 2008 – November 2009, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Columbus AFB, Miss.
3. November 2009 – March 2010, Initial C-17 Training, Altus AFB, Okla.
4. March 2010 – May 2013, Chief Awards and Decorations, Chief Executive Officer, Assistant Flight Commander Readiness, Aircraft Commander Airdrop, 17th Airlift Squadron, Joint Base Charleston, S.C.
5. May 2013 – October 2016, CSAF Prestigious PhD Student, Carnegie Mellon University, Pa.
6. October 2016 – September 2020, Assistant Operations Officer, Director of Wing Current Operations, Chief Squadron/Group Standardization and Evaluation, Evaluator/Instructor/Lead Airdrop Pilot, 7th Airlift Squadron, 62nd Operations Group, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
7. September 2020 – July 2023, Mobility Analysis Branch Chief, AF/A9, SAF/SA, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
8. July 2023 – October 2023, Chief Pilot, 8th Airlift Squadron, JB Lewis-McChord, Wash.
9. October 2023 – June 2024, Director of Operations, 8th AS, JBLM, Wash.
10. June 2024 – Present, Commander, 8th AS, JBLM, Wash.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Ratings: Senior Pilot
Flight hours: More than 2,600
Aircraft flown: C-17A
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air and Space Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with three service stars
Meritorious Unit Award with one oak leaf cluster
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 31, 2006
First Lieutenant May 31, 2008
Captain May 31, 2010
Major May 1, 2010
Lieutenant Colonel April 15, 2022
(Current as of August 2024)