Colonel James Long II

Col James Long is Commander of the 12th Flying Training Wing, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas. The 12 FTW is the Source of America's Airpower, delivering unrivaled airpower leaders for the future of the U.S. Air Force. The wing consists of two flying groups and a maintenance group spanning more than 700 miles from Joint Base San Antonio, Texas to Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. The 12 FTW is responsible for five aviation training pipelines, Pilot Instructor Training, Undergraduate Combat Systems Officer Training, Undergraduate Remotely Piloted Aircraft pilot training, Career Enlisted Aviator training, and Fighter Bomber Fundamentals which prepares wingmen to transition into Fighter Training Units across the Air Force. Additionally, the wing oversees Electronic Warfare Training for the U.S. Joint Force and ally/partner nations from around the globe.

Col. Long is a native of Del Rio, Texas. He graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science in Social Sciences and then attended specialized undergraduate pilot training at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas. Col. Long then served two operational tours as a C-17 pilot at McChord AFB, Washington and Charleston AFB, South Carolina, ultimately qualifying as a Lead Airdrop Evaluator Pilot. He subsequently served as a Prime Nuclear Airlift Force Inspector and Executive Officer to the Air Mobility Command Inspector General before attending Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell AFB, Alabama. He completed a joint assignment with U.S. Central Command J5 as Political-Military Country Director for the Central Asia region before taking command of the 16th Airlift Squadron at Joint Base Charleston executing missions in support of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM, INHERENT RESOLVE and ALLIES REFUGE. Col. Long then became the Senior Executive Officer to the Commander of the United States Air Force Expeditionary Center located at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. Then attended Senior Developmental Education at the USAF Air War College located at Maxwell AFB, Alabama. Prior to his current position, Col. Long was the Deputy Commander, 6th Air Refueling Wing, MacDill AFB, Florida.

Col. James S. Long II is a command pilot with more than 4,500 flying hours, including 1,592 combat hours, in the C-17A.