Colonel Sean W. McCurdy is currently serving as the commander of the 22nd Operations Group at McConnell AFB, Kansas. As commander, he is directly responsible for the employment of 18 KC-135 Stratotanker and 22 KC-46 Pegasus aircraft through four local squadrons and one Total Force Integrated geographically separated squadron at Pease Air National Guard Base, New Hampshire. The mission of the 22nd Operations Group includes in-flight refueling, global reach airlift, strategic support of conventional and non-conventional operations, as well as execution of U.S. Strategic Command Operations requirements for the Air Force, Department of Defense and allied nations worldwide.

Colonel McCurdy earned his commission from the United States Air Force Academy in 2003. Upon graduation, he attended Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training at Columbus AFB, Mississippi, where he trained in the T-37 and T-1 aircraft and went on to a KC-135R assignment at the 91st Air Refueling Squadron at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. He has maintained qualifications as an instructor, and evaluator pilot, and has multiple deployments in support of ongoing operations in North Africa, Central and Southwest Asia as an aircrew member. Additionally, he has had multiple operational and deployed assignments at the Squadron, Group, Wing, MAJCOM, and Joint levels. In 2013, Colonel

McCurdy was selected for Air Mobility Command’s PHOENIX MOBILITY Leadership Development program, where he became a Contingency Response Officer versed in rapid mobility airbase-opening operations in support of both combat and foreign humanitarian assistance operations. Colonel McCurdy went on to command the 435th Contingency Response Squadron, a unit that supports USAFE-AFAFRICA’s expeditionary airfields on demand mission through crisis action planning, deployment execution, airfield assessments, aircraft maintenance, and mobile aerial port operations. Most recently, Colonel McCurdy was the Chief of Joint Force Air Component Evaluations, NATO Headquarters Allied Air Command, Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

Colonel McCurdy is a senior pilot with over 2,800 flight hours and has flown combat sorties during OPERATIONS ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM, and UNIFIED PROTECTOR. Additionally, he has multiple contingency response deployments in support of both USTRANSCOM and USAFRICOM operations.

EDUCATION

2003 Bachelor of Science, Management, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2010 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2011 Master of Science degree, National Security Studies, American Military University, Charles Town, W. Va.
2017 Masters of Arts, Operational Arts and Sciences, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2022 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. (Non-Residence/Distance Learning)

ASSIGNMENTS

1. September 03 – December 04, Student, Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Columbus AFB, Miss.
2. December 04 – May 05, Student, KC-135 Copilot Initial Qualification Training, Altus AFB, Okla.
3. May 05 – August 06, Pilot, 91st Air Refueling Squadron, MacDill AFB, Fla.
4. August 06 – January 08, Pilot, Training Flight Officer, 91st Air Refueling Squadron, MacDill AFB, Fla.
5. January 08 – January 09, Assistant Flight Commander, 91st Air Refueling Squadron, MacDill AFB, Fla.
6. January 09 – July 09, Flight Commander, 91st Air Refueling Squadron, MacDill AFB, Fla.
7. July 09 – June 10, Assistant Chief of Standardizations/Evaluations, 91 Air Refueling Squadron, MacDill AFB, Fla.
8. June 10 – July 11, Chief, Weapons and Tactics, 100th Operations Support Squadron, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom
9. July 11 – June 12, Executive Officer, 100th Operations Group, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom
10. July 16 – July 17, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
11. July 17 – June 18, Chief, Russian Activities Branch, HQ USAFE-AFAFRICA, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
12. June 18 – May 19, Chief, European Plans Branch, HQ USAFE-AFAFRICA, Ramstein AB, Germany
13. May 19 – July 21, Commander, 435th Contingency Response Squadron, Ramstein AB, Germany
14. July 21 – July 22, Deputy Division Chief, HQ AMC Command Readiness, Scott AFB, Ill.
15. July 22 – July 23, Senior Executive Officer to the Commander, 18th AF, AFB, Ill.
16. July 23 – July 25, Chief of JFAC EVALS, NATO Headquarters Allied Air Command, Ramstein AB, Germany
17. July 25 – Present, Commander 22nd Operations Group, McConnell AFB, Kan.

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 23 – July 25, Chief of JFAC EVALS, NATO Headquarters Allied Air Command, Ramstein AB, Germany, as a Colonel

FLIGHT INFORMATION

Rating: Senior Pilot
Flight hours: More than 2800
Primary aircraft flown: T-37B, T-1A, KC-135R/T

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with six oak leaf clusters Air Medal with seven oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters Meritorious Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with six oak leaf clusters Combat Readiness Medal with two oak leaf clusters National Defense Service Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal Iraq Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster United Nations Medal
Non-Article 5 NATO Medal

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant 31 May 2000
First Lieutenant 31 May 2002
Captain 31 May 2004
Major 1 February 2010
Lieutenant Colonel 1 July 2015
Colonel 1 July 2021

(Current as of 22 July 2025)