Lt Col Eric C. Knight is the Commander of the 132d Intelligence Support Squadron (ISS), 132d Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Group, 132d Wing, Iowa Air National Guard, Des Moines Air National Guard Base, Iowa. The mission of the 132d ISS is to provide superior systems, initial skills and continuation training, weapons and tactics, plans and programs, and exercise/deployment support to 206 Airmen of the 132d ISR Group, enabling the most lethal and ready ISR Group in the Air Force to deliver tailored geospatial and precision target intelligence to meet Joint Force Air Component Commander requirements. Specifically, the 132d ISS enables the 132d ISR Group to produce target studies, target graphics, intermediate target development worksheets, precise aim-points for coordinate seeking weapons, weaponeering solutions, collateral damage estimates, and battle damage assessments.
Lt Col Knight earned his commission in 2001 as a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Nebraska. He has extensive experience in targeting, operations intelligence, and ISR processing, exploitation, and dissemination (PED) as part of the Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS), providing analysis and reporting of data collected from U-2, Global Hawk, Predator, Reaper and MC-12 ISR platforms. He has served in multiple deployed positions, including joint operational tours as the DCGS LNO at the CENTCOM Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) supporting Operation IRAQI FREEDOM/Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and as a Collection Manager on the ISAF CJ2 Staff supporting Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.
EDUCATION
2001 Bachelor of Arts, History and German, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
2002 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2005 USAF Combat Targeting Course, Goodfellow AFB, Texas
2009 Squadron Officer School, in correspondence
2010 Master of Arts, Security Studies, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
2017 Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2019 Joint and Combined Warfighting School—Hybrid, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
2020 Air War College, in correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS
- June 2001 – February 2002, Student, Intelligence Officer Applications Course, Goodfellow AFB, Texas
- February 2002 – October 2004, Chief, Operations Training and Flight Commander, Mission Management, 30th Intelligence Squadron (DGS-1), Langley AFB, Va.
- October 2004 – July 2006, Officer in Charge, Targets Intelligence Section, 1st Operations Support Squadron, Langley AFB, Va.
- July 2006 – February 2009, Individual Mobilization Augmentee (IMA) ISR Mission Commander, 30th Intelligence Squadron (DGS-1), Langley AFB, Va.
- February 2009 – February 2013, IMA to the Director of Operations, 8th Intelligence Squadron (DGS-5), Hickam AFB, Hawaii
- February 2013 – January 2016, Flight Commander and Assistant Director of Operations, 63d Intelligence Squadron (DGS-1), Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
- January 2016 – July 2016, Chief, Warfighting Capabilities Branch, ISR Directorate, Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC), Robins AFB, Ga.
- July 2016 – June 2017, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
- June 2017 – February 2023, Assistant Director of Operations and Director of Operations, 820th Intelligence Squadron, Offutt AFB, Neb.
- March 2023 – Present, Commander, 132d Intelligence Support Squadron, Iowa Air National Guard, Des Moines ANGB, Iowa
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Remote Combat Effects Campaign Medal
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with bronze M Device
NATO Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 30, 2001
First Lieutenant May 30, 2003
Captain May 30, 2005
Major May 30, 2012
Lieutenant Colonel Sept. 14, 2018
(Current as of October 2023)