Col. Ryan N. Bakazan is the commander of the 635th Supply Chain Operations Wing, Air Force Sustainment Center, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. He is responsible for leading and directing operations for two Supply Chain Groups, a Materiel Maintenance Group, the Air Force’s Petroleum Office, Vehicle and War Reserve Materiel Global Management offices. Additionally, he leads the Basic Expeditionary Airfield Resources, or BEAR, Center of Excellence at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, ensuring Air Force BEAR-base resources are postured for worldwide deployment to support contingencies and exercises. The wing is postured at 12 direct operating locations comprised of more than 1,600 logistics professionals providing 24/7 supply-chain command and control for warfighters around the globe.
Col. Bakazan earned his commission from Officer Training School in 1998 and then graduated Supply Operations technical training as a Distinguished Graduate in 1999.
Col. Bakazan has a diversified background in logistics serving in positions at wing, major command, Air Staff, and Joint levels. Prior to his current assignment, Col. Bakazan served as Commander, 735th Supply Chain Operations Group, Joint Base Langley Eustis, Virginia.
EDUCATION
1998 Bachelor of Arts, Economics and Political Science, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
1998 Officer Training School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1999 Supply/Fuels Officer Operations Course, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas (Distinguished Graduate)
2002 Master of Science in Administration, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant
2003 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2008 Air Command & Staff College, by correspondence
2011 Air Force Fellow, Strategic Policy Internship for IDE, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Va.
2012 Air War College, by correspondence
2017 Master of Science, National Resource Strategy, The Dwight D. Eisenhower School Strategy, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. (Distinguished Graduate)
2017 LogTech Advanced Logistics and Technology Course, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina
2021 USAF Global Supply Chain Executive Development Program, University of Tennessee
ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 1998 – March 2001, various flight commander positions culminating as the Commander, Combat Operations Flight, 319th Supply Squadron, 319th Air Refueling Wing, Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D.
2. March 2001 – July 2003, various flight commander positions culminating as the Commander, Fuels Management Flight, 39th Logistics Readiness Squadron, 39th Wing, Incirlik Air Base, Turkey
3. July 2003 – June 2004, Education with Industry – ExxonMobil, Fairfax, Va.
4. June 2004 – June 2005, Logistics Planning & Energy Operations Officer, Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va.
5. June 2005 – July 2006, Aide-de-Camp to the Director, Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va.
6. July 2006 – October 2007, various positions culminating as the Operations Officer, 375th Logistics Readiness Squadron, 375th Airlift Wing, Scott Air Force Base, Ill.
7. October 2007 – October 2008, Chief, AMC AEF Cell, Directorate of Installations and Mission Support, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill.
8. October 2008 – June 2010, Commander, Defense Energy Support Center–Kuwait, Kuwait City, Kuwait
9. June 2010 – June 2011, Air Force Strategic Policy Internship for IDE, with duties in the Air Force Directorate of Plans and Programs and the Air Force Inspector General’s Office, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
10. June 2011 – June 2013, Commander, 51st Logistics Readiness Squadron, Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea
11. June 2013 – May 2015, Deputy Panel Chair, Logistics Panel, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Installations and Mission Support, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Va.
12. May 2015 – July 2016, Executive Officer to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering, and Force Protection, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
13. August 2016 – June 2017, Student, The Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
14. June 2017 – June 2018, Deputy Air Force National Account Manager, Directorate of Logistics Operations (J-3), Headquarters, Defense Logistics Agency, Fort Belvoir, Va.
15. June 2018 – July 2019, Air Force National Account Manager, Directorate of Logistics Operations (J-3), Headquarters, Defense Logistics Agency, Fort Belvoir, Va.
16. August 2019 – June 2022, Commander, 735th Supply Chain Operations Group, Joint Base Langley Eustis, Va.
17. June 2022 – Present, Commander, 635th Supply Chain Operations Wing, Scott Air Force Base, Ill.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Achievement Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant September 25, 1998
First Lieutenant September 25, 2000
Captain September 25, 2002
Major June 1, 2008
Lieutenant Colonel November 1, 2012
Colonel February 1, 2019
(Current as of June 2022)