Thomas Crimmins, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force, is the national defense fellow at The Washington Institute. Most recently, he served as director of staff of the Forty-Third Airlift Wing at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina. In this capacity, he led the commander's staff of 150 personnel in sixteen distinct agencies, synchronizing efforts to support the wing's combat airlift mission.
Prior to joining the Forty-Third Airlift Wing, Colonel Crimmins commanded the Forty-First Airlift Squadron and the 737th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron. Previously, he was assigned to the Pentagon as U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) branch chief, and also served as country director for Iraq and Jordan for the deputy undersecretary of the Air Force for international affairs.
A highly decorated officer, Colonel Crimmins is a command pilot -- call sign "Crimminal" -- who has logged more than 3,000 hours in the C-130E/H.
Education: M.A., Air University; M.A., Texas Tech University; B.A., U.S. Air Force Academy; distinguished graduate, Air Command and Staff College; graduate, Squadron Officer School.
