Colonel Damon C. Vorhees is the Commander, 1st Weather Group, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. He leads 820 Airmen at seven worldwide operating locations conducting global weather operations to meet enduring and emerging requirements for all 11 Combatant Commands. The group's six Operational Weather Squadrons work alongside other Information Warfare units to deliver decision advantage for Combatant Commanders and their component commanders and enable operations across the spectrum of conflict.
Colonel Vorhees was commissioned in 2000 from the Pennsylvania State University and has experience in weather support to both Air Force and Army operations, including as a launch weather officer on over 20 space, ballistic missile, and test vehicle launches, and as the commander of the 28th Operational Weather Squadron, United States Central Command’s lead weather unit. He also holds a secondary specialty as a Foreign Area Officer with a concentration in the United States Indo-Pacific Command Region. Colonel Vorhees has deployed twice to Southwest Asia.
Prior to his current assignment, Colonel Vorhees served as the Gulf Branch Chief, then Special Assistant to the of Regional Affairs, Regional Affairs Directorate, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia.
EDUCATION
2000 Bachelor of Science (w/Honors) in meteorology, Pennsylvania State University
2001 Aerospace Basic Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2006 Distinguished Graduate, Master of Science in meteorology, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.
2007 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2010 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2012 Distinguished Graduate, Pashto Basic Course, Defense Language Institute, Presidio of Monterey, Calif.
2013 Distinguished Graduate, Master of Arts in national security studies (South Asia), Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.
2016 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS
1.June 2000 – August 2000, student, Weather Officer Course, Keesler Air Force Base, Miss.
2.August 2000 – September 2002, assistant flight commander, 28th Operational Weather Squadron, Shaw AFB, S.C.
3.September 2002 – August 2004, wing weather officer, 48th Operations Support Squadron, RAF Lakenheath,England
4.August 2004 – April 2006, student, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.
5.April 2006 – June 2007, Flight Commander, Weather Systems and Requirements, 30th Weather Squadron,Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
6.June 2007 – April 2010, Flight Commander, Launch Weather Operations, 30th Weather Squadron, VandenbergAFB, Calif. (May – November 2008, staff weather officer, Headquarters U.S. Army Central, Camp Arifjan, Kuwait)
7.April 2010 – February 2011, assistant operations officer, 30th Weather Squadron, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
8.February 2011 – June 2012, student, Defense Language Institute, Presidio of Monterey, Calif.
9.June 2012 – March 2014, student, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.
10.March 2014 – July 2016, country director, South Asia, and Branch Chief, South Asia & Oceania, InternationalAffairs Division, Strategy, Plans, and Programs Directorate, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base PearlHarbor-Hickam, Hawaii
11.August 2016 – July 2018, Commander, 28th Operational Weather Squadron, Shaw AFB, S.C.
12.July 2018 – July 2020, executive officer to the Commander, Ninth Air Force, Shaw AFB, S.C.
13.July 2020 – November 2021, Chief, Gulf Branch, Central Division, Regional Affairs Directorate, Deputy UnderSecretary of the Air Force, International Affairs, Pentagon, Va. (April - October 2021, Deputy Director, TheaterSecurity Cooperation, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces Central, Al Udeid AB, Qatar)
14.November 2021 – May 2022, special assistant to the Director of Regional Affairs, Regional Affairs Directorate,Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs, Pentagon, Va.
15.May 2022 – present, Commander, 1st Weather Group, Offutt AFB, Neb.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2000 Graduated with Honors and Phi Beta Kappa from the Pennsylvania State University
2008 Air Force Space Command Weather Company Grade Officer of the Year
2010 Air Force Space Command Weather Field Grade Officer of the Year