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Lieutenant Colonel CRAIG E. LOWER

Lt Col Craig Lower is the Commander of the 5th Air Support Operations Squadron where he leads 98 U.S. Air Force Special Warfare Tactical Air Control Party, Mission Support, Intelligence, and civilian specialist, providing combat mission ready personnel ready to tackle the Combatant Commander’s objectives. He also serves as the principal airpower advisor to 2-Star Commanders in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

Lt Col Lower enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1998 and has been a member of the Tactical Air Control Party. He received his commission from the Officer Training School in 2010 continuing his service in the TACP career field. He has held a multitude of positions within the TACP community supporting the Joint force as a Joint Terminal Attack Controller, JTAC-I, JTAC-SEE, AFSPECWAR-I, AFSPECWAR evaluator, ALO-I, Battalion Air Liaison Officer, Brigade ALO, Division ALO, and Corps ALO. He has served on multiple deployments at Operation Detachment Alpha (ODA) team level, Company, Battalion, Brigade, Division, Corps, at the Air Operations Center, and finally on joint staff.

Lt Col Lower has seven combat deployments supporting OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM, OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, HORN OF AFRICA, OPERATION ATLANTIC RESOLVE, and OPERATION INHERENT RESOLVE. He has been stationed at 9 separate duty locations in his 28 plus years of service. Prior to his current position, Lt Col Lower was the Operations Officer at the 19th Air Support Operations Squadron, Fort Campbell, Kentucky.


EDUCATION

2002 Airmen Leadership school, Osan AB, ROK.

2007 Non-Commissioned Officers Academy, Tyndall AFB, FL

2009 Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice, Troy University

2011 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, AL (Distinguished Graduate)

2016 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL

2022 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL by correspondence

2025 USAF Leader Development Course, Maxwell AFB, AL


ASSIGNMENTS

  1. June 1998 - July 1998, Basic Training, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas
     
  2. July 1998 - February 1999, Tactical Air Control Party Tech School, Hurlburt Field, Florida
     
  3. February 1999 – February 2002, 3d Air Support Operations Squadron (ASOS), Tactical Air Command and Control Specialist, Battalion Enlisted Terminal Attack Controller, ETAC-Instructor, Fort Wainwright Army Instillation, Alaska
     
  4. February 2002 - February 2003, 604th ASOS, Battalion ETAC, ETAC Instructor, Camp Stanley, Republic of Korea
     
  5. February 2003 – February 2006, 25th ASOS, Bravo Flight NCOIC, Joint Terminal Attack Controller- Instructor, JTAC Evaluator, Chief of Stan/Eval, Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii
     
  6. March 2006 – July 2010, SOLE, Fires Team Subject Matter Expert, 623d AOC, Hurlburt Field, Florida
     
  7. July 2010 – October 2010, student, Officer Training School, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
     
  8. October 2010 – October 2014, 15th ASOS, JTAC, JTAC-Instructor, JTAC- Evaluator, Chief or Stan/Eval, Flight Commander, Fort Stewart Army Instillation, Georgia
     
  9. October 2014 – April 2017, 13th ASOS, JTAC, JTAC-Instructor, JTAC-Evaluator, Air Liaison Officer Instructor, Division Flight Commander, Operation Atlantic Resolve Detachment Commander, Baumholder, Germany; Fort Carson Army Instillation, Colorado
     
  10. April 2017 – July 2020, 6th Combat Training Squadron, Air Liaison Instructor, Chief of Senior Air Liaison Skills Course, Joint Firepower Course Instructor, Nellis AFB, Nevada

11. July 2020 – June 2023, 1st Air Support Operations Group, Director of Support, CJTF-OIR Fires planner, Camp Arifjan, Kuwait; A5 - Chief of Plans, Joint Base Lewis McChord, Washington

12. June 2023 – June 2026, Operations Officer, 19th Air Support Operations Squadron, Fort Campbell, Kentucky

13. June 2026 – Present, Commander, 5th Air Support Operations Squadron, Joint Base Lewis McChord, Washington


MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Bronze Star Medal, with oak leaf cluster, with "V" device

Meritorious Service Medal, with 2 oak leaf clusters

Joint Service Commendation Medal

Air Force Commendation Medal, with 4 oak leaf clusters

Army Commendation Medal, with 4 oak leaf clusters

Joint Service Achievement Medal

Air Force Achievement Medal

Army Achievement Medal, with 1 oak leaf

Air Force Combat Action Medal


EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
 

Airman First Class        June 10, 1998

Senior Airman              October 10, 2000

Staff Sergeant               December 1, 2002

Technical Sergeant       July 1, 2006

Master Sergeant            July 1, 2010

Second Lieutenant        October 26, 2010

First Lieutenant            October 26, 2012

Captain                        October 26, 2014

Major                           August 1, 2020

Lieutenant Colonel       June 1, 2025


(Current as of June 2026)