Col. George R. Watkins is the commander, 325th Fighter Wing, Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. The fighter wing’s mission is to project unrivaled combat airpower for America. The wing is currently transitioning to the F-35A Lightning II aircraft and upon completion, will become the Air Force’s newest operational fighter wing with three F-35A squadrons tasked to maintain combat readiness in support of national defense.

As the installation commander, Colonel Watkins supports the 23,000 Airmen, civilians, contractors and families who call Tyndall AFB home. The 325th FW hosts 19 tenant units from multiple major commands and across several military mission sets. These supported mission partners include First Air Force (Air Forces Northern), the 601st Air Operations Center, the 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group, the Air Force Civil Engineer Center, the 337th Air Control Squadron and Silver Flag.

Colonel Watkins graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott, Arizona, then served at Incirlik Air Base in support of Operation Northern Watch. He graduated Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training as a Distinguished Graduate, then graduated as Outstanding Graduate and Distinguished Graduate from F-16 initial qualification training. He has deployed on combat missions in support of operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and Freedom’s Sentinel. He served as the Commander, 34th Fighter Squadron during transition from the F-16 mission to stand-up of the first operational F-35A combat coded squadron, and met the requisites for the historic declaration of Initial Operational Capability by Commander Air Combat Command, Sept. 2, 2016. He next served a joint assignment as Senior Air Force Advisor for Strategy and Force Development, Office of the Secretary of Defense. His most recent assignment was as the commander of the 56th Operations Group at Luke AFB, Arizona.

Colonel Watkins is a graduate of the National War College and a Command Pilot with more than 3,000 hours in F-35 and F-16 aircraft.

EDUCATION
1999 B.S., Electrical Engineering, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Arizona
2004 Squadron Officer’s School, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2006 NATO Tactical Leadership Program, Florennes, Belgium
2007 USAF Fighter Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nevada
2011 M.A., International Relations, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma
2012 Masters of Military Operational Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2014 Air War College, by correspondence
2018 M.S., National Security Strategy, National War College, Fort McNair, Washington D.C.
2020 Senior National Security Fellowship, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Washington D.C.

ASSIGNMENTS