Colonel Tucker “Cinco” Hamilton is the Commander of the 96th Operations Group at Eglin AFB, Florida. As part of the 96th Test Wing, the 96th Operations Group plans, executes, and reports on USAF conventional munitions tests on F-15C/E, F-15EX, A-10, F-16, UH-1, HH-60W, and MH-139 aircraft. Testing covers the entire spectrum from laboratory and in-facility ground tests to open-air flight tests. The Group also plans, directs, and executes developmental test and evaluation on multiple Air Force Special Operations Command assets, including CV-22 and MC/AC-130 aircraft, as well as provides direct oversight of the Big Safari rapid acquisition flight test programs.

Col Hamilton graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder, where he majored in Aerospace Engineering. Upon graduating he was awarded the Thomas Jefferson Award, the university’s top honors for all around performance given to one senior from all campuses. Following undergraduate pilot training at Vance AFB, OK and F-15C training at Tyndall AFB, FL, Col Hamilton served as an F-15C four-ship flight lead, Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, and Assistant Weapons Officer at Eglin AFB, Florida. Following this assignment, he became an Air Liaison Officer in Germany where he was the acting Director of Operations. During this assignment, Col Hamilton earned a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Tennessee. While in Germany, Col Hamilton was picked as initial cadre to stand-up the first Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance squadron in Afghanistan. He became the first flight commander and led Airmen through initial stand-up, transforming an empty compound to being combat ready in two weeks. After graduating from USAF Test Pilot School, he returned to Eglin AFB, and served as an evaluator F-15C/E Test Pilot for the 40th Flight Test Squadron. Col Hamilton was the project pilot for eleven cutting edge programs, flew critical missions for a variety of weapons including AIM-9X, AIM- 120D, Python-5, and SDB-II.

After this assignment, Col Hamilton served in the F-35 Joint Program Office as the Developmental Test Lead, managing all test flight operations for the US Air Force, Navy and Marines Corps. Afterwards, Col Hamilton took command of the F-35 Integrated Test Force and 461st Flight Test Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base, California. He directed an integrated team conprised of ildaactive duty, government civilians, and contractors in the planning, execution and reporting of F-35 Developmental Testing. While in command, he oversaw the successful completion of the System Development and Demonstration of the F-35 and delivered a fully combat coded F-35 to the warfighter. As Director of the Artificial Intelligence Accelerator at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass, his organization was responsible for delivering AI technology to Air Force and Space Force organizations through a partnership with MIT. Col Hamilton is a Command Pilot with combat experience and more than 2,077 flying hours in the F- 35A/B/C, F-15C/D/E, F-15EX, MC-12W, F-18, F-16, A-10, T-38A/C, T-34, and T-6.