Lt. Col. Jon Quinlan is the Deputy Commander, 367th Recruiting Group (AFRC) Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. He aids the commander in managing nearly 500 Airmen and civilian personnel across more than 240 locations worldwide, responsible for a variety of accession programs and recruiting operations that sustain the combat capability of the Air Force Reserve.
Lt. Col. Quinlan was commissioned after graduating from the Southern Illinois University Reserve Officer Training Corps program in 2003. He began his career on active duty as a public affairs officer serving as the chief of media operations at Little Rock AFB and deployed as a news media liaison during OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM. He was selected for cross-training and flight training as an Air Battle Manager in 2006.
As an Air Battle Manager, he flew in the E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) supporting Pacific Commands’ higher headquarters national security objectives in defense of South Korea and the region. As a Control and Reporting Center Air Surveillance Officer, he directed combat air support missions and de-conflicted joint fires for OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM. He served in various assignments as an ABM, including Flight Commander, Readiness Chief and Current Operations Chief, before transferring to the reserve component. In 2014, while mobilized to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, he led a joint PA staff supporting the missions of providing safe, humane, legal, and transparent care and custody of detainees, intelligence collection and support of military commissions. He played a critical role as DoD spokesman during the transfer of the five Afghan/Taliban detainees to Qatar, supporting thousands of national and international media. Lt. Col. Quinlan was activated in 2018 to establish a PA plans division at U.S. Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Illinois. He also provided direct joint support to the Secretary of Defense as a Senior DoD Spokesman and IMA to the Director of Defense Press Operations, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, Pentagon, Washington D.C. Prior to assuming is current position, Lt. Col. Quinlan served as the IMA to the Director of Public Affairs at Air Force Reserve Command. In his civilian career, he serves as a supervisory public affairs specialist and strategic planner for the 78th Air Base Wing, Robins AFB, Georgia.
EDUCATION
2003 Bachelor of Science, Mass Communications, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, Ill.
2008 Squadron Officers School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2011 Master of Arts in Communication Management, Webster University, St. Louis, Mo.
2018 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS
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July 2003 - September 2004, Chief of Media Relations, 314th Airlift Wing, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
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September 2004 - March 2006, Deputy Chief of Public Affairs, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
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March 2006 - November 2007, Student, Undergraduate Air Battle Manager Training, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
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November 2007 - October 2008, Officer in Charge of Scheduling and E-3 Air Weapons Officer, 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan
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October 2008 - July 2010, Assistant Flight Commander and later Chief of Readiness, 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan
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July 2010 - January 2011, Control and Reporting Center Instructor Air Surveillance Officer and Chief, Mission Planning Cell, 71st Expeditionary Air Control Squadron, Southwest Asia
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January 2011 - November 2011, Flight Commander and E-3 Air Surveillance Officer, 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan
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November 2011 - November 2012, Chief of Current Operations and E-3 Instructor Air Surveillance Officer, 964th Airborne Air Control Squadron, Tinker AFB, Okla.
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November 2012 - July 2019, Chief of Public Affairs, 507th Air Refueling Wing, Tinker AFB, Okla.
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July 2019 - December 2020, Chief, Readiness and Resources Division, HQ AFRC, Robins AFB, Ga.
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December 2020 - January 2023, IMA to the Director of Defense Press Operations, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, Pentagon, Washington D.C.
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January 2023 - March 2024, IMA to the Director of Public Affairs, Air Force Reserve Command, Robins Air Force Base, Ga.
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April 2024 - Present, Deputy Commander, 367th Recruiting Group, Robins AFB, Ga.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
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March 2014 - August 2014,Deputy Director of Public Affairs, Joint Task Force Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, U.S. Southern Command, as a major
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November 2017 - October 2018, Chief of PA Plans, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill., as a major
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December 2020 - January 2023, IMA to the Director of Defense Press Operations, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, Pentagon, Washington D.C., as a lieutenant colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Air Battle Manager
Flight hours: 1,268
Aircraft flown: E-3 B/C
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Aerial Achievement Medal
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters
Iraq Campaign Medal with bronze service star
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
(Current as of September 2024)