51st Fighter Wing commander takes final flight

Col. Patrick Malackowski took his final flight as the 51st Fighter Wing commander here July 12. Members of the 51st Maintenance Squadron line up and say farewell during the wing commander's last stroll down the flight-line. Colonel Malackowski served as wing commander of the 51st FW since December 2009. He and his family will depart Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea and head to Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, where he will become the 13th Air Force vice commander. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Daylena Gonzalez) Hi-res

by Staff Sgt. Daylena Gonzalez
51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs

7/12/2011 - OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- Col. Patrick Malackowski took his final flight as the 51st Fighter Wing commander here July 12. Colonel Malackowski served as wing commander of the 51st FW since December 2009. He and his family will depart Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea and head to Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, where he will become the 13th Air Force vice commander.



Col. Patrick Malackowski took his final flight as the 51st Fighter Wing commander here July 12. Friends and family say farewell during the wing commander's last stroll down the flight-line. Colonel Malackowski served as wing commander of the 51st FW since December 2009. He and his family will depart Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea and head to Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, where he will become the 13th Air Force vice commander. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Daylena Gonzalez) Hi-res



Col. Patrick Malackowski took his final flight as the 51st Fighter Wing commander here July 12. Colonel Malackowski served as wing commander of the 51st FW since December 2009. He and his family will depart Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea and head to Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, where he will become the 13th Air Force vice commander. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Daylena Gonzalez) Hi-res



Col. Patrick Malackowski took his final flight as the 51st Fighter Wing commander here July 12. The 51st Command Chief Master Sergeant and crew members hose down the colonel with champagne and water, to celebrate his final flight. Colonel Malackowski served as wing commander of the 51st FW since December 2009. He and his family will depart Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea and head to Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, where he will become the 13th Air Force vice commander. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Daylena Gonzalez) Hi-res



Col. Patrick Malackowski took his final flight as the 51st Fighter Wing commander here July 12. The 51st Command Chief Master Sergeant and crew members hose down the colonel with champagne and water, to celebrate his final flight. Colonel Malackowski served as wing commander of the 51st FW since December 2009. He and his family will depart Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea and head to Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, where he will become the 13th Air Force vice commander. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Daylena Gonzalez) Hi-res

Source


Background info:

Official USAF online bio of Colonel Patrick C. Malackowski



Col. Patrick C. Malackowski is Commander, 51st Fighter Wing, Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea. The wing's mission is to plan, support and execute military operations, to include counterair, interdiction, close air support and inter-theater airlift. The 51st Fighter Wing consists of more than 5,861 people in four groups, to include an F-16 fighter squadron and an A-10 fighter squadron. The wing also supports five tenant units directly involved in warfighting activities. In addition, it maintains and administers 48 geographically separated units at 18 sites throughout the Korean peninsula, including seven munitions sites.

Colonel Malackowski entered the Air Force in 1986 after receiving his commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy. His previous assignments include weapons officer, numbered air force chief of training and readiness, operations officer, fighter squadron commander and Commander, 438th Air Expeditionary Group. Colonel Malackowski is a command pilot with more than 3,200 flying hours in the A-10. Before he assumed his current position, he served as Commander, 57th Operations Group, Nellis AFB, Nev.

EDUCATION
1986 Bachelor of Science degree in management, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1994 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1996 U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
1999 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1999 Master of Science degree in Military Operational Art and Science, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2005 U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Carlisle, Pa.
2005 Master of Science degree in Strategic Studies, Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Carlisle, Pa.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 1986 - January 1987, U.S. Air Force Academy Candidate Counselor, USAF Academy, Colo.
2. January 1987 - January 1988, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Williams AFB, Ariz.
3. February 1988 - September 1988, A-10 Upgrade Training, Davis Monthan AFB, Ariz.
4. October 1988 - July 1992, Flight Lead, Instructor Pilot, and Flight Examiner, 91st Tactical Fighter Squadron, and 81st Tactical Fighter Wing, RAF Bentwaters, United Kingdom
5. July 1992 - January 1995, Flight Examiner and Flight Commander, 354th Fighter Squadron, McChord AFB, Wash.
6. January 1995 - August 1998, Chief, Wing Flight Safety, and Wing Weapons and Tactics, 347th Wing, Moody AFB, Ga.
7. August 1998 - July 1999, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
8. July 1999 - December 2000, Chief, Training and Readiness, 13th Air Force Headquarters, Andersen AFB, Guam
9. December 2000 - June 2002, Operations Officer, Weapons School A-10 Division, Nellis AFB, Nev.
10. July 2002 - July 2004, Commander, 81st Fighter Squadron, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany
11. July 2004 - July 2005, Student, US Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.
12. July 2005 - November 2006, Deputy Commandant, USAF Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
13. December 2006 - December 2007, Commander, 438th Air Expeditionary Group, Al Asad Air Base, Iraq
14. January - June 2008, Deputy Commander, 57th Operations Group, Nellis AFB, Nev.
15. June 2008 - December 2009, Commander, 57th Operations Group, Nellis AFB, Nev.
16. December 2009 - present, Commander, 51st Fighter Wing, Osan AB, Republic of Korea

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: More than 3,400
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-38 and A-10

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Bronze Star with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Kuwait Liberation Medal, Government of Kuwait

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 28, 1986
First Lieutenant May 28, 1988
Captain May 28, 1990
Major September 1, 1997
Lieutenant Colonel February 1, 2002
Colonel July 1, 2007

Source