Colonel Joseph Coughlin is the Deputy Dean of Admissions and Business Operations at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, Honolulu, Hawaii. He leads all business and support operations with a team of 70 intra-service personnel providing finance, information technology, security, protocol, supply, and infrastructure needs in executing security outreach courses for military and civilian students from around the globe.
Col. Coughlin graduated from Tolland High School, Tolland, Connecticut, attended Lyndon State College in Lyndonville, Vermont and was commissioned upon graduation through the Reserve Officer Training Corps in 2000. He is a command meteorologist and has served a in a variety of operational and staff assignments at the Detachment, Squadron, Group, Major Command, Headquarters Air Force and Secretary of Defense levels.
Prior to this assignment, Colonel Coughlin commanded the 8th Mission Support Group, Kunsan AB, South Korea. He was responsible for overseeing base communication, engineering, security, law enforcement, transportation, supply, personnel support, logistics readiness and housing for the famed “Wolf Pack”.
EDUCATION
2000 Bachelor of Science, Meteorology; Bachelor of Science, Mathematics, Lyndon State College, Lyndonville, VT
2000 Weather Officer Course, Keesler AFB, MS
2000 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, AL
2005 Master of Science, Meteorology, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA
2006 Squadron Officer School in residence, Maxwell AFB, AL
2010 Air Command and Staff College (Correspondence)
2013 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL
2017 Air War College (Correspondence)
ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 2000 – August 2000, Student, Weather Officer Course, Keesler Air Force Base, MS
2. August 2000 – August 2003, Assistant Flight Commander, Contingency Operations, USAFE Operational Weather Squadron, Sembach Airbase, Germany
3. August 2003 – March 2005, Student, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA
4. March 2005 – July 2007, Staff Weather Officer, Data Masked
5. July 2007 – January 2009, Wing Executive Officer, Data Masked
6. January 2009 – May 2011, Commander, Detachment 3, 3rd Weather Squadron, Fort Bliss, TX
(November 2010 – May 2011, Director of Operations, 19th Expeditionary Weather Squadron, Bagram AB, Afghanistan)
7. May 2011 – July 2012, Director, Weather Officer Assignments, AF Personnel Center, Randolph AFB, Texas
8. July 2012 – June 2013, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL
9. June 2013 – June 2015, Director of Operations, 18th Weather Squadron, Fort Bragg, NC
10. June 2015 – July 2017, Commander, 17th Operational Weather Squadron, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, HI
11. July 2017 – August 2018, Weather Branch Chief, Pacific Air Forces Operations Directorate, Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam, HI
12. August 2018 – August 2021, Chief, Air Force Weather Resources, Headquarters Air Force Weather Directorate, Pentagon
13. August 2021 – June 2022, Special Assistant to the Senior Advisor for Climate to the Secretary of Defense, Pentagon
14. June 2022 – June 2023, Commander, 8th Mission Support Group, Kunsan AB, Republic of Korea
15. June 2023 – present, Deputy Dean of Admissions and Business Operations, Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, Honolulu, HI
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with six oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with bronze star
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
(Current as of June 2024)