Colonel Kerry J. Proulx is commander of the 51st Mission Support Group, 51st Fighter Wing, Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea. As commander, she provides leadership and direction for five diverse squadrons totaling more than 2,600 personnel, supporting the Air Force's most permanently forward-deployed wing, a Numbered Air Force and 20 tenant units. Colonel Proulx provides guidance for maintaining more than 1,100 real property facilities, $1.9 billion real property replacement value, $71 million in operations and maintenance (O&M) budget, and oversees an air base defense mission, including the largest security forces squadron in the Pacific.
Colonel Proulx earned her commission in 1994 from Officer Training School, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. For her initial assignments, she served in a variety of assignments as a Personnel Officer to include Section Chief, Executive Officer and Squadron Section Commander while assigned to Tyndall AFB, Florida, and Dyess AFB, Texas. After serving in a special duty position at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, she was selected for the Air Force Intern Program. Upon graduation, she relocated to Incirlik AB, Turkey to serve as the 39th Mission Support Squadron, Military Personnel Flight Commander and was dual-hatted as the Personnel for Contingency Operations (PERSCO) Team Chief with direct support to the three simultaneous theatre operations: NORTHERN WATCH, ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM. She then was assigned to the Headquarters Air Force Personnel Center at Randolph AFB, Texas, where she served in various positions to include her selection to pioneer the stand up and develop the policy for the USAF’s newly established 365-Day Extended Deployment Program. She then returned to Maxwell AFB to attend Air Command and Staff College and remained after graduation to command the 42d Mission Support Squadron. Following command, Colonel Proulx relocated to Washington D.C. to serve in a political-military affairs strategist (PAS), joint billet at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at Ft. McNair. Shortly after arrival, she was selected to serve as the Executive Officer to the Dean of Faculty and culminated her tour as the Executive Officer to the Commandant. Upon completion of her joint tour, Colonel Proulx relocated to Pentagon to serve as the Chief, Senior Executive Recruitment and then Deputy Director, Air Force Senior Executive Management, Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower, Personnel and Services, Headquarters U.S. Air Force. Prior to her current position, Colonel Proulx was the Deputy Chief, Personnel Division, Directorate of Manpower, Personnel and Services, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, HI. During her career, Colonel Proulx deployed four times in support of Operations JOINT FORGE, JOINT GUARD, SOUTHERN WATCH and the NATO Stabilization Forces’ (SFOR) Bosnia-Herzegovina.
EDUCATION
1988 Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island
1996 Master of Science Degree in Business Management, Troy State University, Troy, Alabama
1999 Air Force Squadron Officer School, by correspondence
1999 Private Pilot Certificate, Single-Engine Land Airplane, Elmdale Airpark, Abilene, Texas
2000 Air Force Squadron Officer School, Residence, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2001 Instrument Rating, Private Pilot Certificate, Single-Engine Land Airplane, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2001 Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare Course (USMC Squadron Officer School-equivalent), by seminar
2002 Certificate of Leadership, The George Washington University, Washington D.C.
2005 Air Command and Staff College, Correspondence
2007 Master of Science Degree in Military Operations Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2012 Air War College, Correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 1994 - Jul 1995, Chief, Personnel Systems Management and Readiness, 325th Mission Support Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Florida
2. July 1995 - June 1996, Chief, Personnel Relocations and Employment, 325th Mission Support Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Florida
3. July 1996 - August 1997, Executive Officer, 325th Mission Support Group, Tyndall AFB, Florida
4. August 1997 - June 1999, Squadron Section Commander, 39th Airlift Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas
5. June 1999 - February 2000, Assistant Chief, Current Operations, 317th Airlift Group, Dyess AFB, Texas
6. February 2000 - January 2001, Deputy Chief, Evaluations, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
7. January 2001 - June 2001, Chief, Plans and Programs, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
8. June 2001 - June 2002, Air Force Intern, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
9. June 2002 - September 2003, Military Personnel Flight Commander, 39th Mission Support Squadron, Incirlik AB, Turkey
10. September 2003 - March 2004, Chief, Selection Board Support Branch, USAF Selection Board Secretariat, Headquarters Air Force Personnel Center, Randolph AFB, Texas
11. March 2004 - June 2005, Executive Officer, Directorate of Personnel Program Management, Headquarters Air Force Personnel Center, Randolph AFB, Texas
12. June 2005 - November 2005, Chief, Joint Assignments and Special Assignment Programs Branch, Directorate of Assignments, Headquarters Air Force Personnel Center, Randolph AFB, Texas
13. November 2005 - August 2006, Chief, Joint Assignments and 365-Day Extended Deployments Branch, Directorate of Assignments, Headquarters Air Force Personnel Center, Randolph AFB, Texas
14. August 2006 - June 2007, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
15. July 2007 - July 2009, Commander, 42d Mission Support Squadron, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
16. July 2009 - July 2011, Executive Officer, Dean of Faculty and Academic Programs, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Ft. McNair, Washington, D.C.
17. May 2011 - July 2012, Executive Officer to the Commandant, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Ft. McNair, Washington, D.C.
18. July 2012 - December 2013, Chief, Senior Executive Recruitment, Senior Executive Management Office, Chief of Staff for Manpower, Personnel and Services, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
19. December 2013 - July 2014, Deputy Director, Air Force Senior Executive Management, Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower, Personnel and Services, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
20. July 2014, Deputy Chief, Personnel Division, Directorate of Manpower, Personnel and Services, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
21. July 2016 – present, Commander, 51st Mission Support Group, Osan AB, Republic of Korea
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Meritorious Unit Award with one device
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with five oak leaf clusters
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with two oak leaf cluster
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with bronze star device
Humanitarian Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with gold border
NATO Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant - 3 May 1994
First Lieutenant - 3 May 1996
Captain - 3 May 1998
Major - 1 June 2004
Lieutenant Colonel - 1 June 2009
Colonel - 1 October 2015
(Current as of July 2016)