Colonel Christopher J. Leonard is the Installation Commander, 10th Air Base Wing, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. He commands a team of more than 3,000 military, civilian, and contractor personnel who conduct base-level activities for the entire installation, including security, civil engineering, communications, logistics, finance, contracting, chaplaincy, legal, lodging, medical, military and civilian personnel, and force support programs. The 10th Air Base Wing supports more than 4,000 cadets and a total military community of more than 25,000 personnel. He is responsible for a $150 million annual operating budget and serves as the Crisis Action Team Commander during all Air Force Academy installation contingency operations.
Prior to his current position, Col. Leonard was Senior Military Assistant, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Installations, Environment, and Energy, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Va. In addition to Commanding at the Group and Squadron level, his staff experience includes headquarters tours at the Joint, Air Force, and major command levels. Col. Leonard’s expeditionary experience includes numerous deployments in support of Operations Southern Watch and Iraqi Freedom.
Col. Leonard entered the Air Force in May 1997 after graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy.
EDUCATION
1997 Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2000 Master of Science in Engineering and Enviro Management, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio
2002 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Ala.
2006 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Ala. (by correspondence)
2010 Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Ala. (by correspondence)
2011 Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Leavenworth County, Kan.
2015 National Defense Fellow, Belfer Center for Science & International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, Mass.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1997-Aug. 1998, Program Manager, Cultural and Natural Resources, 28th Civil Engineer Squadron, Ellsworth Air Force Base, Rapid City, S.D.
2. Aug. 1998-Mar. 2000, Student, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio
3. Mar. 2000-Nov. 2000, Student, Naval Explosive Ordnance School, Eglin Air Force Base, Okaloosa County, Florida
4. Nov. 2000-June 2002, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight Commander, 20th Civil Engineer Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base, Sumter, S.C.
5. June 2002-Jan. 2003, Assistant Chief, Wing Plans and Inspections, 20th Fighter Wing, Shaw Air Force Base, Sumter, S.C.
6. Jan. 2003-May 2003, Chief, Maintenance Engineering, 20th Civil Engineer Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base, Sumter, S.C.
7. May 2003-May 2004, Contingency and Electrical Flight Commander, 39th Civil Engineer Squadron, Incirlik Air Base, Turkey
8. May 2004-May 2005, Readiness Flight Commander, 39th Civil Engineer Squadron, Incirlik Air Base, Turkey
9. May 2005-May 2006, Command Civil Engineer Inspector, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley Air Force Base, Hampton, Va.
10. May 2006-Nov. 2006, Liaison to 3rd Ordnance Battalion (EOD), 732rd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Detachment 5, Victory Base, Iraq
11. Nov. 2006-July 2007, Chief, Southwest Asia Delivery Team, Air Combat Command A7, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley Air Force Base, Hampton, Va.
12. July 2007-May 2008, Engineering Flight Commander, 35th Civil Engineer Squadron, Misawa Air Base, Japan
13. May 2008–June 2009, Chief of Civil Engineering/Air Advisor, Coalition Air Force Transition Team Headquarters, Baghdad International Zone, Iraq
14. June 2009-June 2010, Operations Flight Commander, 35th Civil Engineer Squadron, Misawa Air Base, Japan
15. June 2010-June 2011, Student, Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Leavenworth County, Kan.
16. June 2011-June 2012, Commander, 8th Civil Engineer Squadron, Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea
17. June 2012-Aug. 2013, MILCON Branch Chief, Office of the Civil Engineer, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Installations and Mission Support, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
18. Aug. 2013-July 2014, Executive Officer to the Director of Civil Engineers, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Installations and Mission Support, Headquarters U. S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
19. July 2014-July 2015, National Defense Fellow, Belfer Center for Science & International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, Mass.
20. July 2015-July 2017, CBRN Defense Branch Chief, Joint Requirement Office, J8, Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
21. July 2017-July 2020, Commander, 48th Mission Support Group, RAF Lakenheath, England
22. July 2020-June 2021, Senior Military Assistant, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Installations, Environment, and Energy, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Va.
23. July 2021-Present, Installation Commander, 10th Air Base Wing, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2015-July 2017, CBRN Defense Branch Chief, Joint Requirement Office, J8, Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
• Legion of Merit
• Bronze Star
• Defense Meritorious Service
• Medal Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
• Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
• Army Commendation Medal with Valor device
• Air Force Combat Action Medal
• Army Combat Action Badge
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant 28 May 1997
First Lieutenant 28 May 1999
Captain 28 May 2001
Major 1 Nov. 2006
Lieutenant Colonel 1 Dec. 2010
Colonel 1 April 2017
(Current as of May 2021)