Colonel Jason R. Herring is the Commander of the 621st
Contingency Response Wing (CRW), Joint Base
McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, with additional
forces stationed at Travis Air Force Base, California, and
at twenty Army and Marine Corps installations worldwide.
The 621st is the Nation’s only Contingency Response
Wing consisting of the 621st and 821st Contingency
Response Groups as well as the 621st Air Mobility
Advisory Group. The Wing has three primary missions:
advising partner nations and joint partners; directing
theater-wide command and control; and projecting
mobility airpower around the globe for contingency and
humanitarian operations. The Wing accomplishes its
mission with a lean force of 1,500 professional Airmen.
Col. Herring entered the Air Force through the Reserve
Officer Training Corps in July 1999, after receiving a
degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of
Virginia. From 2015 to 2017, he commanded the 435th
Contingency Response Squadron at Ramstein Air Base,
Germany. Under his leadership, the unit opened three
expeditionary air bases and executed numerous airfield
surveys and aerial port operations in the European and
African geographic theaters. Prior to taking command, Col
Herring was the Vice Wing Commander of the 100th Air
Refueling Wing at Royal Air Force Mildenhall where he was responsible for providing a strategic forward airfield and
United State Air Forces Europe-Air Forces Africa’s sole air refueling capability in the European and African theaters.
Col Herring is a command pilot with over 3,800 flying hours in the T-1A, C-130E/H, KC-10, and KC-135 and more than
1,150 combat hours in support of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM.
EDUCATION
1999 Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va.
2005 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2008 Master of Business Administration, Liberty University, Lynchburg, Va.
2009 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2012 Master of National Security and Strategic Studies, Naval Command and Staff College, Newport R.I.
2013 Master of Military Strategy, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2014 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2018 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1999 – March 2000, Airlift Planner, 17th Operations Support Squadron, Charleston AFB, S.C.
2. April 2000 – April 2001, Student, Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Columbus AFB, Miss.
3. May 2001 – September 2001, Student, Pilot Instructor Training, Randolph AFB, Texas
4. October 2001 – July 2004, T-1A Check Pilot, Executive Officer, 48th Flying Training Squadron, Columbus AFB,
Miss.
5. August 2004 – January 2005, Student, C-130E Initial Qualification and Mission Training, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
6. February 2005 – December 2007, C-130E/H Instructor Pilot, Director of Staff, Flight Commander, Chief of Training,
2nd Airlift Squadron, Pope AFB, N.C.
7. January 2008 – June 2011, KC-10 Instructor Pilot, Director of the Wing Operations Center, Assistant Operations
Officer, 6th Air Refueling Squadron, 60th Air Mobility Wing, Travis AFB, Calif.
8. July 2011 – June 2012, Student, Naval Command and Staff College, Newport Naval Station, R.I.
9. July 2012 – June 2013, Student, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
10. July 2013 – September 2014, Chief, Irregular Warfare Strategy, Plans and Policy Division, Directorate of Operations,
Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington D.C.
11. October 2014 – June 2015, Chief, Strategic Planning Branch, Directorate of Strategic Plans, Headquarter U.S. Air
Force, Washington D.C.
12. June 2015 – June 2017, Commander, 435th Contingency Response Squadron, Ramstein AB, Germany
13. July 2017 – June 2018, Student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
14. June 2018 – May 2021, U.S. Transportation Command Liaison Officer to U.S. Africa Command, Kelley Barracks,
Stuttgart, Germany
15. June 2021 – June 2023, Vice Commander, 100th Air Refueling Wing, RAF Mildenhall, UK
16. June 2023 – Present, Commander, 621st Contingency Response Wing, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: 3,800, including more than 1,150 combat hours
Aircraft flown: T-1A, C-130E/H, KC-10, and KC-135
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with six oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 22, 1999
First Lieutenant May 22, 2001
Captain May 22, 2004
Major May 1, 2009
Lieutenant Colonel October 1, 2014
Colonel October 1, 2020
(CURRENT AS OF JUNE 2023)