Colonel KEITH WHITEHOUSE

Colonel Keith Whitehouse is Vice Commander, 940th Air Refueling Wing, Beale Air Force Base, California. The wing provides global reach airpower and deploys expeditionary forces in support of worldwide combat, contingency and humanitarian requirements. The wing operates eight KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft performing refueling, airlift and aeromedical evacuation missions supporting US and coalition contingency operations and National security objectives.  

Colonel Whitehouse was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1992 following his graduation from the University of Southern California. His first assignment was to The Basic School, Quantico, VA for the Basic Officer Course, with follow on orders to Pensacola FL for flight training. After earning his gold wings, he was sent to MCAS Cherry Point, NC and Little Rock AFB, AR for KC-130 training. His first operational assignment was at MCAS Futenma, Okinawa, Japan in 1995, where he helped provide logistical and air refueling support for Marine units throughout the Pacific. After his upgrade to Aircraft Commander, he was transferred back to Quantico, VA for Command and Control Systems School. After this training, Colonel Whitehouse was assigned to MCAS Miramar for another flying assignment. Here he was upgraded to instructor and evaluator pilot, earned his Weapons and Tactics Instructor patch, and served as the Squadron Quality Assurance Officer, Aviation Safety Officer, Aircrew Training Officer, and was the head of the Wing’s Airlift Transportation Coordination department. In 2003, Col Whitehouse transferred to the Air Force Reserve as a KC-10 pilot with the 70th ARS. During his time in the 70th, he upgraded to KC-10 aircraft commander and instructor pilot and served as a Flight Commander, Chief of Training, Assistant Chief Pilot, and Formal Training Unit Instructor. In 2009, Colonel Whitehouse accepted an Active Duty Assignment where he was the KC-10 Chief of Tactics for the 60th Operations Support Squadron at Travis AFB and architect of the Mobility Air Forces Electronic Flight Bag project. In 2014, he returned to the 349th Air Mobility Wing to be the Deputy Operations Group Commander and Commander of the 70th Air Refueling Squadron.

 

Prior to his current assignment, Colonel Whitehouse was the Inspector General, 452nd Air Mobility Wing, stationed at March Air Reserve Base, California. He led a team of full-time and traditional reservists in conducting inspections of wing processes and exercises and investigating complaints and advised the Wing Commander on matters of unit efficiency, effectiveness, and military discipline.

 

Colonel Whitehouse has accumulated 500 combat flight hours in support of Operations NORTHERN WATCH, IRAQI FREEDOM, and ENDURING FREEDOM, NEW DAWN, INHERENT RESOLVE and FREEDOM’S SENTINEL.


EDUCATION
1992 Bachelor of Arts, International Relations, University of Southern California,

Los Angeles, California

1998 Command and Control Systems School, Quantico, Virginia

1999 Naval Aviation Safety School, Monterey, California

2000 Weapons and Tactics Instructor School, Yuma, Arizona

2007 Air Command and Staff College, correspondence, Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Alabama

2013 Master of Science, Project Management, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Florida

2014 Air War College, correspondence, Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Alabama

 

 

 


ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 1992 – December 1992, Student, The Basic School, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia.

2. January 1993 – June 1994, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Naval Air Stations Pensacola, Florida and Corpus Christi, Texas

3. June 1994 – April 1995, Student, Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Training Squadron 253, MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina

4. May 1995 – June 1998, Copilot and Aircraft Commander, Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152, MCAS Futenma, Okinawa, Japan

5. July 1998 – May 1999, Student, Command and Control Systems Squadron, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia

6. June 1999 – June 2003, NATOPS Evaluator/Weapons & Tactics Instructor, Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352, MCAS Miramar, California

7. July 2003 – September 2009, Pilot & Instructor Pilot, Chief of Training, Flight Commander, 70th Air Refueling Squadron, Travis AFB, California

8. October 2009 – January 2014, Chief of KC-10 Tactics & Electronic Flight Bag Project Manager, 60th Operations Support Squadron, Travis AFB, California

9. February 2014 – July 2014 Assistant Process Manager, 349th Air Mobility Wing, Travis AFB, California

10. July 2014 – April 2015, Deputy Group Commander, 349th Operations Group, Travis AFB, California

11. April 2015 – October 2017, Commander, 70th Air Refueling Squadron, Travis Air Force Base, California

12. October 2017 – March 2018, Deputy Group Commander, 349th OG, Travis AFB, California

13. March 2018 – June 2020, Inspector General, 452d AMW, March ARB, California

14. June 2020 – Present, Vice Commander, 940th Air Refueling Wing, Beale Air Force Base, California

 

FLIGHT INFORMATION

Rating: command pilot

Flight hours: more than 4,500 hours

Aircraft flown: T-34, T-44, KC-130 F/R/T, KC-10

 

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters

Air Medal with one oak leaf cluster

Navy Commendation Medal

Air Force Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster

Joint Meritorious Unit Award

Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor device

Navy Unit Commendation

Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation

National Defense Service Medal with two bronze service stars

Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal

Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal

Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border

Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with three bronze stars

Air Force Longevity Service Ribbon with four oak leaf clusters

Armed Forces Reserve Medal with one device

Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon (Pistol)


EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 8, 1992

First Lieutenant June 1, 1994

Captain September 1, 1996

Major May 1, 2002

Lieutenant Colonel May 1, 2009

Colonel March 10, 2018

 

(Current as of July 2020)