Colonel Jason N. Gingrich

Col. Jason N. Gingrich is the Commander of the 39th Air Base Wing, Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. As Commander, Col. Gingrich is responsible for approximately 3,500 U.S. military, civilian and contractor personnel and the combat readiness of U.S. Air Force units at Incirlik and four geographically-separated units in Turkey. He is also responsible for Base Operations Support Integration (BOS-I) activities for Turkey-based joint and combined combat forces conducting operations in the region.

Col. Gingrich received his commission through the ROTC program at Pennsylvania State University in 1997.  He served in a variety of positions in Air Combat Command, Air Force Special Operations Command, and Pacific Air Forces as an   HH-60G instructor and evaluator pilot.  Additionally, he served as the branch chief for vertical lift acquisitions on the Headquarters Air Force Staff.  Prior to this assignment, Col. Gingrich was the Senior Military Advisor in the Office of the Defense Advisor for the United States Mission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Brussels, Belgium. 

Col. Gingrich has also commanded at the squadron and group levels.  He is a command pilot with over 2,500 flying hours and 170 combat hours in the HH-60G. He has deployed to and flown in support of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM, FREEDOM’S SENTINEL, NATO’s Resolute Support mission and AFRICOM operations.

 

EDUCATION
1997       Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, Penn.
2003       Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2006       United States Air Force Weapons Instructor Course, Nellis AFB, Nev.
2009       Masters of Science in Environmental Policy and Management, American Military University, W.Va.
2010       Masters of Science in Military Arts and Science, Marine Corps Command and Staff College, Va.
2012       Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2016       Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies, Naval War College, R.I.

 

ASSIGNMENTS
1. February 1998-October 1998, Officer in Charge of Squadron Operations Center, 9th Airlift Squadron, Dover Air Force Base, Del.
2. October 1998-June 1999, Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Vance AFB, Okla.
3. June 1999-March 2000, Specialized Undergraduate Helicopter Pilot Training, Fort Rucker, Ala.
4. March 2000-October 2000, Formal Training Unit-HH-60G, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
5. October 2000-May 2002, Resource Advisor, 41st Rescue Squadron, Moody AFB, Ga.
6. May 2002-May 2003, Chief of Current Operations, 41st Rescue Squadron, Moody AFB, Ga.
7. May 2003-March 2005, Chief of Plans and Exercises, 41st Rescue Squadron, Moody AFB, Ga.
8. March 2005-June 2006, Chief of Training, 33rd Rescue Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Japan
9. June 2006-August 2007, Chief of Weapons and Tactics, 33rd Rescue Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan
10. August 2007-June 2008, Flight Commander, 33rd Rescue Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan
11. June 2008-August 2009, Assistant Director of Operations, 33rd Rescue Squadron Kadena AB, Japan
12. August 2009-June 2010, Student, Marine Corps Command and Staff College, Quantico, Va.
13. June 2010-June 2012, Special Operations Forces/Combat Search and Rescue Branch Chief, Global Reach Programs, Headquarters Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
14. June 2012-June 2013, Director of Operations, 41st Rescue Squadron, Moody AFB, Ga.
15. June 2013-August 2015, Commander, 66th Rescue Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
16. August 2015-August 2016, Student, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
17. August 2016-July 2018, Commander, 347th Rescue Group, Moody AFB, Ga.
18. July 2018-July 2021, Senior Military Advisor, Office of the Defense Advisor, US Mission to NATO, Brussels, Belgium
19. July 2021-Present, Commander, 39th Air Base Wing, Incirlik AB, Turkey

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight Hours: more than 2,500
Aircraft Flown: HH-60G, HH-60F, HH-60H, EC-155, AS-332 and HC-130J

 

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Combat Action Medal

 

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Jan. 19, 1998
First Lieutenant Jan. 19, 2000
Captain Jan. 19, 2002
Major Aug. 1, 2007
Lieutenant Colonel Dec. 1, 2011
Colonel June 1, 2016

 

(Current as of July 2021)