LIEUTENANT COLONEL JOSEPH P. WITT
Lt Col Joseph P. Witt is the Commander of the 132d Operations Group, Des Moines Air National Guard Base, Iowa. He leads an organization of nearly 400 Airmen who provide persistent multi-role airpower, cyber capabilities, and distributed training in support of Federal and State missions.
Lt Col Witt entered the United States Air Force in June 2000, as a cadet at the USAF Academy. He received his bachelor’s degree and commissioned in June 2004, and began Undergraduate Pilot Training, ultimately completing that training in April 2006. As an F-16 pilot, Lt Col Witt was assigned to various roles with units in Germany, the Republic of Korea, South Carolina, and Alaska. In 2017, Lt Col Witt separated from active duty to join the Iowa Air National Guard. He was certified as an MQ-9 pilot in 2019 and has held various positions within the 132d Wing including Program Manager, Assistant Director of Operations, and Director of Operations. Prior to his current position, the Lieutenant Colonel was the Commander of the 132d Operations Support Squadron, Des Moines ANGB, Iowa.
Lt Col Witt is a command pilot with more than 1,200 combat hours and has supported several operations including IRAQI FREEDOM, ENDURING FREEDOM, OCTAVE QUARTZ and INHERENT RESOLVE.
EDUCATION
2004 Bachelor of Science, Management Science, United States Air Force Academy, Colo.
2004 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2010 Masters of Business Administration, Trident University, Calif.
2012 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2015 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2021 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS OR CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1.June 2004 – March 2005, Transition Officer, 33rd Operations Support Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
2.March 2005 – September 2005, Student Pilot, 3rd Flying Training Squadron, Moody AFB, Ga
3.September 2005 – April 2006, Student Pilot, 50th Flying Training Squadron, Columbus AFB, Miss.
4.April 2006 – March 2007, Student Pilot, 309th Fighter Squadron, Luke AFB, Ariz.
5.March 2007 – July 2010, F-16 Flight Lead, 22nd Fighter Squadron, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany
6.July 2010 – January 2011, Flight Commander, 607th Air Support Operations Group, Osan AB, Republic of Korea
7.January 2011 – June 2014, Chief, Wing Flight Safety, 20th Fighter Wing, Shaw AFB, S.C.
8.June 2014 – March 2017, Chief, Advanced Programs, 353rd Combat Training Squadron, Eielson AFB, Alaska
9.March 2017 – October 2020, Program Manager, Distributed Training Operations Center, Des Moines Air National Guard Base,Iowa
10.October 2020 – July 2022, Assistant Director of Operations, 124th Attack Squadron, Des Moines ANGB, Iowa
11.July 2022 – Aug 2023, Director of Operations, 124th Attack Squadron, Des Moines ANGB, Iowa
12.Aug 2023 – Feb 2025, Commander, 132nd Operations Support Squadron, Des Moines ANGB, Iowa
13.Feb 2025 – Present, Commander, 132nd Operations Group, Des Moines ANGB, Iowa
FLIGHT INFORMATION Rating: Command Pilot Flight hours: more than 2,300 Aircraft flown: T-38, F-16, MQ-9 MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters Aerial Achievement Medal with six oak leaf clusters Air and Space Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster Air and Space Achievement Medal STATE AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Iowa Leadership Ribbon with Torch Iowa National Guard State Service Ribbon
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS 2006 Distinguished Graduate, Undergraduate Pilot Training
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION Second Lieutenant June 2, 2004 First Lieutenant June 2, 2006 Captain June 2, 2008 Major May 1, 2014 Lieutenant Colonel Nov. 16, 2019
(Current as of February 2025)