Col Patrick C. Winstead serves as the Deputy Commander, 18th Air Force, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. As Air Mobility Command’s sole numbered air force, 18th Air Force is responsible for providing forces to execute rapid global mobility and sustainment for American’s armed forces through airlift, aerial refueling, aeromedical evacuation, and air mobility support. With approximately 36,000 Airmen and approximately 400 aircraft, 18th Air Force manages the global air mobility enterprise through 12 wings and one direct reporting unit.
Colonel Winstead is a 1996 graduate of North Carolina State University, earning his commission through NC State’s Air Force ROTC program. A Command Pilot with over 3,800 flying hours, Colonel Winstead has served as a C-17A instructor and evaluator pilot, wing combat operations and tactics officer, SOLL II Left Seat Pilot, operations group stan/eval branch chief, wing executive officer and squadron director of operations. He commanded the 535th Airlift Squadron at Hickam Field, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and served on the HQ US Pacific Command J3 staff in several leadership positions. Colonel Winstead was an Air Force Fellow at Stanford University and served as the Vice Commander, 437th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina. He most recently served as Chief, Personnel Division (A1K), Directorate of Manpower, Personnel and Services, HQ Air Mobility Command.
EDUCATION
1996 Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State Univ, Raleigh, NC
1996 Bachelor of Science in Multidisciplinary Studies, North Carolina State Univ, Raleigh, NC
2002 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, AL
2004 Master Degree in Organizational Management, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
2009 Graduate, Air Command and Staff College (Correspondence)
2017 Air Force Fellow, Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC), Stanford Univ, CA
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1996–Apr 1997, Assistant to the Commander, AFROTC Det 595, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
2. Apr 1997–May 1998, Student, Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Vance AFB, OK
3. May 1998–Aug 1998, Student, C-17 Initial Qualification Training, Altus AFB, OK
4. Aug 1998–June 2002, Pilot & Instructor Aircraft Commander, Pilot Scheduler, Training Officer, 14th Airlift Squadron, Charleston AFB, SC
5. June 2002–June 2003, Air Force Intern, Pentagon, Washington, DC
6. June 2003–Feb 2007, Evaluator Aircraft Commander, SOLL II Left Seat Pilot, Readiness Flight Commander, Wing Command Post Deputy Chief and Assistant Operations Officer, 16th Airlift Squadron, Charleston AFB, SC
7. Feb 2007–June 2010, Evaluator Aircraft Commander, 3rd Operations Group Airlift Standards & Evaluations Branch Chief, and 3rd Wing Executive Officer, Elmendorf AFB, AK
8. June 2010–May 2011, Director of Operations, 535th Airlift Squadron, Hickam Field, JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, HI
9. May 2011–Mar 2013, Commander, 535th Airlift Squadron, Hickam Field, JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, HI
10. Mar 2013–July 2013, Deputy Commander, 15th Operations Group, Hickam Field, JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, HI
11. July 2013–July 2016, Chief of Special Technical Operations (J39), J3 Executive Assistant, and Chief, Operational Concepts, Research and Application Division (J38), HQ US Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, HI
12. July 2016–June 2017, Air Force Fellow, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
13. June 2017–Aug 2019, Vice Commander, 437th Airlift Wing, JB Charleston, SC
[Deployed Aug – Nov 2018, Commander, 385th Air Expeditionary Group, Al Udeid AB, Qatar]
14. Aug 2019–Apr 2023, Chief, Personnel Division (A1K), Directorate of Manpower, Personnel and Services, HQ Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, IL
[Deployed Jan–Apr 2022, Director of Mobility Forces, AFCENT, Shaw AFB, SC, and Al Udeid AB, Qatar]
15. Apr 2023–Present, Deputy Commander, 18th Air Force, Scott AFB, Ill.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: More than 3,800
Operational aircraft qualifications: C-17A
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-1, C-17A
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Flying Cross
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Meritorious Unit Award with oak leaf cluster
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 10, 1996
First Lieutenant June 10, 1998
Captain June 10, 2000
Major July 1, 2006
Lieutenant Colonel December 1, 2010
Colonel April 1, 2017
(Current as of May 2023)