Colonel Patrick C. Williams is the Commander, 557th Weather Wing, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. He leads more than 1,450 active duty and civil service personnel at 19 locations around the world providing centralized weather insights, products and services, including climatological and electromagnetic spectrum degradation forecasts, to Air Force, Space Force, Army, Joint Force, and other Department of Defense activities. The 557th Weather Wing executes worldwide weather operations to enable air and space superiority, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, rapid mobility, global strike, and command and control in support of all geographic and functional combatant commands.
Colonel Williams received his commission from the United States Air Force Academy in May 1998. He became well versed in aviation, cyber, space, intelligence, and Army operations and held a wide variety of positions to include 2d Weather Group Commander, 19th Expeditionary Weather Squadron Commander, command weather briefer, flight commander, staff officer for Air, Army, and Joint Staffs, program element monitor, executive officer and aide-de-camp. Colonel Williams served two combat tours in Iraq (as flight commander) and Afghanistan (as 19th Expeditionary Weather Squadron Commander) respectively.
EDUCATION
1998 Bachelor of Science in Meteorology, U.S. Air Force Academy
2002 Squadron Officer School via correspondence
2003 Distinguished Graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL
2003 Master of Engineering in Space Operations, University of Colorado
2008 Air Command and Staff College via correspondence
2010 Air Force Fellowship, Strategic Policy Intern, IDE, Washington DC
2010 Air War College via correspondence
2015 Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, Ft McNair, Washington DC
2020 National and International Security Leadership, Alan Freed Associates, Washington DC
2020 China and the Far East, Alan Freed Associates, Washington DC
ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 1998 - Sep 2000, Command Weather Briefer, 21 Operations Support Squadron, Peterson AFB, CO
2. Sep 2000 - Jun 2003, Aerospace Weather Commander, 614th Space Operation Support Flight, Vandenberg AFB, CA
3. Jun 2003 - Aug 2004, Staff Weather Officer (Flight Commander), 3d Weather Squadron, Ft Hood AIN, TX
4. Jul 2003 - Mar 2004, Staff Weather Officer, 4th Infantry Division, OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM, Tikrit, Iraq
5. Aug 2004 - Apr 2006, Executive Officer, 3d Air Support Operations Group, Ft Hood AIN, TX
6. May 2006 - Jun 2007, Aide-de-Camp to 8th AF, JFCC/GSI, AFNETOPS Commander, 8th Air Force, Barksdale AFB, LA
7. Jun 2007 - Aug 2009, Flight Commander, 26th Operational Weather Squadron, Barksdale AFB, LA
8. Aug 2009 - Jul 2010, Strategic Policy Intern, Air Force Fellows Program, National Capital Region, Spaatz Center for Officer Education, Air University, Pentagon D.C.
9. Jul 2010 - Apr 2012, Program Element Monitor, Headquarters Air Force, Pentagon, Washington DC
10. Apr 2012 - Apr 2013, Commander, 19th Expeditionary Weather Squadron, Bagram Airfield, OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, Afghanistan
11. Apr 2013 - Jul 2014, Deputy Director, Army Policy, Headquarters Department of the Army, Washington DC
12. Jun 2014 - Jul 2015, Student, Eisenhower School, National Defense University, Ft McNair, Washington DC
13. Jul 2015 - Jul 2018, Space Branch Chief, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Pentagon Washington DC
14. Jul 2018 - Jun 2020, Commander 2d Weather Group, Offutt AFB NE
15. Jun 2020 - Present, Commander, 557th Weather Wing, Offutt AFB, NE
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Army Commendation Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, and the NATO Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1999 Member, AFSPC Williams Award (Outstanding Base Weather Station of the Year), Peterson AFB, CO
2001 Commander, AFSPC Moorman Award (Outstanding Specialized Weather Unit of the Year), Vandenberg AFB, CA
2002 Commander, AFSPC Moorman Award (Outstanding Specialized Weather Unit of the Year), Vandenberg AFB, CA
2002 AFSPC Grisham Award (Outstanding Weather Company Grade Officer of the Year), Vandenberg AFB, CA
2004 Member, ACC Grimes/Williams Award (Outstanding Base Weather Unit of the Year), Fort Hood, TX
2006 8th Air Force Spirit of Hope Award (Outstanding Volunteerism), Fort Hood, TX
2006 Member, Air Force Sword Look Force Development Program, Fort Hood, TX
2008 Air Force Weather Agency, Weather Field Grade Officer of the Year, Barksdale AFB, LA