Col. Lindsay C. Droz is the 78th Air Base Wing commander at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. She commands more than 2,700 personnel assigned to three groups, a communications directorate, an operations support squadron, a comptroller squadron and 17 wing staff agencies. She is directly responsible for logistics, medical, civil engineer, security and mission support functions, in addition to managing facilities and equipment valued at $8.1 billion, and executing an operating budget of $170.8 million. She trains, deploys, and redeploys more than 1,800 Airmen annually in support of Air and Space Expeditionary Force and combatant commander requirements. Additionally, Col. Droz serves as the installation commander supporting the base's 54 Mission Partners, including a major command, an air logistics complex and three wings on the 6,935-acre installation; Georgia's largest single-site industrial complex. She is also responsible for the safety, security, morale and welfare of more than 23,000 Total Force Airmen assigned to Robins Air Force Base, and 28,000 local dependents and retirees.
Col. Droz was commissioned in May 1998 after graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy as a distinguished graduate. She has held a variety of assignments at both the wing and staff levels, leading operational maintenance on the F-16, F-117, and F-15E aircraft weapons systems. She has deployed in support of Operations Northern Watch, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom and served as the commander of the 402nd Aircraft Maintenance Group at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia.
EDUCATION
1998 B.S. in Behavioral Sciences, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.
1999 Aircraft Maintenance Officer’s Course, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas
2004 Advanced Maintenance and Munitions Officer School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
2004 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2008 Master of Science, Aviation and Aerospace Management, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2009 Air Command and Staff College, Montgomery, Ala., by correspondence
2012 Master of Science, National Security Studies, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.
2013 Air War College, Montgomery, Ala., by correspondence
2015 Master of Science, National Security Strategy, National War College, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 1998 – March 2001, Aerospace Ground Equipment Flight Commander, 20th Equipment Maintenance Squadron, Propulsion Flight Commander, 20th Component Repair Squadron; and Sortie Support Flight Commander, 55th Fighter Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.
2. March 2001 – January 2003, Sortie Generation Flight Commander, 8th Fighter Squadron; Officer in Charge, 8th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, 49th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Holloman AFB, N.M.
3. January 2003 – January 2007, OIC, 421st Aircraft Maintenance Unit, 388th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron; Maintenance Operations Flight Commander, 388th Maintenance Operations Squadron, Hill AFB, Utah
4. January 2007 – August 2009, Deputy Propulsion Branch Chief, and later, Propulsion Branch Chief, Directorate of Logistics, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va.
5. August 2009 – February 2010, Special Action Officer and Deputy Director, Commander's Action Group, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va.
6. December 2010 – July 2012, Student, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.
7. July 2012 – June 2014, Commander, 4th Equipment Maintenance Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
8. August 2014 – June 2015, Student, National War College, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C.
9. June 2015 – May 2018, Politico-Military Affairs Officer, Joint Staff/J5, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
10. May 2018 – July 2019, Commander, 386th Expeditionary Maintenance Group, Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait
11. July 2019 – June 2021, Commander, 402nd Aircraft Maintenance Group, Robins AFB, Ga.
12. June 2021 – Present, Commander, 78th Air Base Wing, Robins AFB, Ga.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2003 12th Air Force General Lew Allen Jr. Trophy
2004 Top Third Award, Squadron Officer School
2005 ACC General Lew Allen Jr. Trophy
2012 Outstanding USAF Graduate Award, Naval Postgraduate School
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 27, 1998
First Lieutenant May 27, 2000
Captain May 27, 2002
Major Sept. 1, 2007
Lieutenant Colonel Dec. 1, 2011
Colonel April 1, 2018
(Current as of June 2021)