Colonel Thang “Tom” Doan serves as the 18th Mission Support Group, Kadena Air Base, Japan. He leads the largest group in the U.S. Air Force with a direct budget of $7 million, $450 million of assets, and 4,200 military and civilian members comprising five squadrons. The group is also responsible for the operation of the Okuma Recreation Facility on Okinawa as well as the Bellows Air Force Station Recreation Facility in Hawaii.
Colonel Doan earned his commission in May 1996 through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Arizona State University. He has since held transportation and logistics positions in the Pacific Air Forces, Air Mobility Command, United States Central Command, Headquarters Air Force, Air Education & Training Command, United States Air Forces in Europe, United States Transportation Command, and Air Force Special Operations Command.
EDUCATION
1996 Bachelor of Science in Geography, Arizona State University
1997 Transportation Officer Course
2001 Transportation Combat Readiness Resources
2002 Squadron Officer School
2003 Masters of Science in Human Relations, University of Oklahoma
2010 Air Command and Staff College, In-Residence
2011 Certification in Supply Chain Management, Pennsylvania State University
2013 Air War College, by Correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 1996 – July 1997, Assistant Flight Commander, 64th Logistics Squadron, Reese Air Force Base, Texas
2. July 1997 – November 1998, Vehicle Operations Flight Commander, 92nd Transportation Sq, Fairchild AFB, Washington
3. November 1998 – October 1999, Combat Readiness & Resources Flight Commander, 92nd Transportation Sq, Fairchild AFB, Washington
4. October 1999 – November 2000, Traffic Management Officer, 92nd Transportation Sq, Fairchild AFB, Washington
5. November 2000 – August 2001, Director of Operations Aerial Port Flight, 733rd Air Mobility Sq, Kadena Air Base, Japan
6. August 2001 – June 2002, Air Freight Flight Commander, 733rd Air Mobility Sq, Kadena AB, Japan
7. June 2002 – June 2004, Combat Readiness & Resources Flight Commander, 733rd Air Mobility Sq, Kadena AB, Japan
8. June 2004 – July 2005, Transportation Plans & Functional Management Branch, Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Illinois
9. July 2005 – July 2006, Protocol Officer to the Commander, Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Illionis
10. July 2006 – July 2007, Operations Officer, 5th Air Mobility Sq, Mubarak AB, Kuwait
11. July 2007 – July 2009, Action Officer Air Force Operations Group, Headquarters Air Force, Washington D.C.
12. July 2009 – June 2010, Student, Air Command & Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
13. June 2010 – August 2011, Commander, 729th Air Mobility Squadron, Lajes Field, Azores, Portugal
14. August 2011 – June 2013, Branch Chief DPO Strategic Opportunities, USTRANSCOM, Scott AFB, Illinois
15. June 2013 – June 2014, Commander, 376th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Sq, Transit Center Manas, Kyrgyzstan
16. July 2014 – July 2017, Division Chief Special Operation Forces Acquisition Technology & Logistics, MacDill AFB, Florida
17. July 2017 – July 2018, Director Air Operations, U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania
18. July 2018 – Present, Commander, 18th Mission Support Group, Kadena AB, Japan
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 2011 - June 2013, Branch Chief, DPO Strategic Opportunities, USTRANSCOM, Scott AFB, Illinois
2. June 2014- July 2017, Division Chief Acquisition Operations, USSOCOM, MacDill AFB, Florida
3. July 2017 – July 2018, Director Air Operations, United States Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Bronze Star
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 29, 1996
First Lieutenant May 20, 1998
Captain May 29, 2000
Major April 1, 2007
Lieutenant Colonel May 1, 2011
Colonel, 1 July, 2017
(Current as of 14 May 2018)