Colonel Rodger Howard

Col Roger J. Howard serves as the Mission Support Group Commander assigned to the 132d Wing, Iowa Air National Guard, Des Moines, Iowa. His duties and responsibilities include directing all agile combat support operations within the group including civil engineering, crash/fire/rescue, disaster preparedness, environmental management, personnel, command, control, communications and computer systems (C4), logistics plans, programs and readiness, base supply, transportation, vehicle maintenance, contracting, security forces, and base services. Col Howard commands more than 290 trained, organized, and equipped personnel within the Wing in order to deploy and employ agile combat support ready forces around the world. He recently served as the Chief of Staff for the Task Force Reserve in support of COVID-19 operations for the Iowa National Guard, a first-ever tasking for the 132d Wing.
Col Howard began his military career in the United States Navy as a torpedoman’s mate serving onboard the USS Helena fast attack submarine. He transitioned to the Iowa Air National Guard, 185th Air Refueling Wing in Sioux City, Iowa in August 1998 as a traditional guardsman in the Security Forces Squadron. His extensive experience includes joint planning, application of air power in support of special operations and command and control of tactical operations. Col Howard has been deployed several times in support of named operations to Europe, the Middle East, and South America. In 2006 he was selected for a commission and attended the Academy of Military Science and served in a variety of positions throughout the 185th Air Refueling Wing including the Mission Support Executive Officer, Security Forces Operations Officer, Security Forces Commander, Antiterrorism Officer, and Installation Deployment Officer. In March 2014, he was selected as the executive officer for the Director of Staff at the Joint Forces Headquarters in Johnston, Iowa. During this time, he also served as a member of the Joint Staff in the J7 Education and Training Section charged with organizing and reporting on critical training operations ensuring up-to-date Domestic Operations readiness capabilities. In March 2015, Col Howard was selected as the 132d Security Forces Commander and Antiterrorism Officer and remained in that position until December 2019, when he was assigned as the 132d Mission Support Group Deputy Commander.
EDUCATION 1999 Security Forces Apprentice Course, Lackland AFB, TX
2000 Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice, Wayne State College, Wayne, NE
2002 Security Forces Craftsman Course, Lackland AFB, TX
2003 Iowa Law Enforcement Academy, Des Moines Police Department Regional Academy, IA
2006 Academy of Military Science, McGhee-Tyson AFB, TN
2006 Security Forces Officers Course, Camp Bullis, TX
2010 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL
2012 Logistics Readiness Officer Course, Lackland AFB, TX
2015 Master of Art Degree in Management & Leadership, Briar Cliff University, Sioux City, IA
2017 Air Command and Staff College Distance Learning Program
2020 Air War College Distance Learning Program
ASSIGNMENTS 1. February 1991 – February 1995, Torpedoman’s Mate, USS Helena, Pearl Harbor, HI
2. August 1998 – February 2006, Security Forces Member, 185th Air Refueling Wing, Sioux City, IA
3. December 1999, Fire Team Member, Security Forces, Incirlik, Turkey, Operation NORTHERN WATCH
4. May – June 2000, Security Response Team, Curacao, N.A., Operation JOINT FORGE
5. June 2001, Security Response Team, Ascension, Paraguay, Operation NEW HORIZON
6. August – December 2002, Controller, Base Defense Operations Center, Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Operation ENDURING FREEDOM
7. February – May 2003, Flight Line Security, Acrotiri, Cyprus, Operation IRAQI FREEDOM
8. February 2006 – August 2006, Executive Officer, Mission Support Group, 185th Air Refueling Wing, IA
9. August 2006 – May 2007, Operations Officer, Security Forces Squadron (SFS), 185th Air Refueling Wing, IA
10. May 2007 – October 2011, Wing Antiterrorism Officer, 185th Air Refueling Wing, IA
11. November 2007 – October 2011, Commander, SFS, 185th Air Refueling Wing, IA
12. May – December 2008, Flight Commander, 64th ESFS, Eskan Village, KSA, Operation IRAQI FREEDOM
13. October 2011 – March 2014, Installation Deployment Officer, 185th Air Refueling Wing, IA
14. March 2014 – March 2015, Executive Officer, Joint Forces Headquarters, Johnston, IA
15. March 2015 – December 2019, Commander, SFS & Wing Antiterrorism Officer, 132d Wing, Des Moines, IA
16. July 2017 – January 2018, Commander, 407th ESFS, Al Jaber AB, Kuwait, Operation INHERENT RESOLVE
17. March – June 2020, Chief of Staff, Task Force Reserve, 132d Wing, IA, Operation NEW CROWN
18. December 2019 – February 2021, Deputy Commander, 132d Mission Support Group
19. February 2021 – Present, Commander, 132d Mission Support Group
AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Meritorious Service Medal with Two Oak Leaf Clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with Four Oak Leaf Clusters
Army Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with Two Oak Leaf Clusters
STATE AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Iowa Humanitarian Service Ribbon with Oak Leaf Cluster
Iowa Leadership Ribbon with Torch
Iowa National Guard State Service Ribbon with Three Oak Leaf Clusters
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
National Guard Association of the United States
Iowa National Guard Officer’s Association
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION 2d Lt, 17 February 2006
1st Lt, 17 February 2008
Capt, 17 February 2010
Maj, 05 April 2014
Lt Col, 24 May 2018
Col, 26 May 2022
(Current as of 18 January 2023)