Col. Frederick “Trey” Coleman III is the Commander, 505th Command and Control Wing, Hurlburt Field, Fla. The mission of the wing is to prepare and enable the joint force to execute war-winning command and control of air power. As commander, Col. Coleman is responsible for testing and delivering advanced command and control systems, and training command and control personnel. The 505th CCW is comprised of the 505th Test and Training Group at Hurlburt Field, Fla., 505th Combat Training Group at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., and Detachment 1, 505th CCW at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
Col. Coleman entered the U.S. Air Force in 1999 upon graduation from Northwestern College in Saint Paul, Minn. and he was commissioned through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at University of St. Thomas. A Master Air Battle Manager (ABM), the colonel has more than 2,600 flying hours in the E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS), including more than 400 combat and combat support hours, flying in support of Operations SOUTHERN WATCH, ENDURING FREEDOM, and IRAQI FREEDOM.
Col. Coleman is a graduate of Air Command and Staff College, the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, and the Eisenhower School at National Defense University (NDU). He also served as the Commander of the 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron (AACS) in Okinawa, Japan, and he was the Levant Branch Chief at U.S. Air Forces Central Command (AFCENT), Strategic Plans Division (J5), MacDill AFB, Fla. Prior to his current position, the colonel was the Commander, 609th Air Operations Center, AFCENT, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar.
EDUCATION
1999 Bachelor of Science, Psychology, Northwestern College, St. Paul, Minn.
2002 Master of Science, Psychology, Walden University, St. Paul, Minn.
2005 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2011 Master of Military Art, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2012 Master of Philosophy, Strategy, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2014 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2016 Master of Science, National Resource Strategy, Eisenhower School, NDU, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 1999 - September 2000, ABM Student, 325th Training Support Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
2. September 2000 - October 2001, Air Weapons Officer (AWO) Student, 552d Training Squadron, Tinker AFB, Okla.
3. October 2001 - September 2003, AWO, 964th AACS, Tinker AFB, Okla.
4. September 2003 - August 2004, Replacement Training Unit Instructor AWO, 966th AACS, Tinker AFB, Okla.
5. August 2004 - February 2005, Assistant Flight Commander, 964th AACS, Tinker AFB, Okla.
6. February 2005 - June 2006, Flight Commander, 964th AACS, Tinker AFB, Okla.
7. June 2006 - May 2007, Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, 964th AACS, Tinker AFB, Okla.
8. May 2007 - July 2008, Chief of AWACS Mission Crew, Standardization and Evaluation, 3rd Operations Group, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
9. July 2008 - July 2009, Chief, Wing Inspections & Exercises, Plans & Programs, 3rd Wing, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
10. July 2009 - June 2010, Wing Executive Officer, 3rd Wing, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
11. June 2010 - June 2011, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
12. June 2011 - July 2012, Student, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
13. July 2012 - May 2013, Director of Operations, 961st AACS, Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan
14. May 2013 - July 2015, Commander, 961st AACS, Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan
15. July 2015 - July 2016, Student, Eisenhower School, NDU, Washington, D.C.
16. July 2016 - March 2018, Strategic War Planner, Levant Branch, U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.
17. March 2018 - June 2019, Branch Chief, Levant Branch, Plans (J5), U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.
18. June 2019 - July 2021, Commander, 609th Air Operations Center, AFCENT, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar
19. July 2021 - present, Commander, 505th Command and Control Wing, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2016 - March 2018, Strategic War Planner, Levant Branch, AFCENT, MacDill AFB, Fla., as a lieutenant colonel
2. March 2018 - June 2019, Branch Chief, Levant Branch, Plans (J5), AFCENT, MacDill AFB, Fla., as a lieutenant colonel and colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: master air battle manager
Flight hours: more than 2,600
Combat hours: more than 400
Aircraft flown: E-3 B/C AWACS
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 22, 1999
First Lieutenant May 22, 2001
Captain May 22, 2003
Major May 1, 2009
Lieutenant Colonel Nov. 1, 2012
Colonel Feb. 1, 2019
(Current as of May 2023)