Col. Kenneth M. Kirkpatrick is the Deputy Commander, 349th Air Mobility Wing, Travis Air Force Base, California. As the principal advisor and second in command to the wing commander, he helps lead more than 2,700 Airmen across 21 squadrons and four groups in the Air Force Reserve Command’s largest associate wing. He oversees funding, training, and support for combat-ready crews operating the C-5M, C-17, and KC-46A, and provides executive oversight of human resources, finance, training, planning, and communication functions supporting Air Force Reserve and Department of Defense mission requirements across a $100M budget.
Kirkpatrick entered in 2002 the Air Force upon his graduation from the U.S. Air Force Academy. He held various leadership roles at the squadron, group, and wing levels, including Chief of Standardization & Evaluation, Chief of Current Operations, Chief of Awards and Decorations, Assistant Director of Operations, Flight Commander, and Executive Officer. He also served as Chief of Wing Flight Safety and Assistant Chief of Wing Safety. Prior to his current position Col. Kirkpatrick served as Deputy Director of Operations, 4th Numbered Air Force, where he supported the senior operations advisor to the NAF Commander. He directed and assessed operational readiness, training, and employment activities across the NAF portfolio, ensuring units remained prepared to execute global mobility, aeromedical evacuation, airlift, and support missions aligned with Department of the Air Force operational policy.
As the commander of the 729th Airlift Squadron, March Air Reserve Base, California, he led 114 Combat-Ready Airmen in support of presidential, DOD, and humanitarian airlift taskings. His leadership included mission planning, foreign threat assessments, and the safe execution of high-priority Air Mobility Command missions. During his command, he also led more than 250 operations and maintenance personnel through a 90-day combat deployment, the squadron’s first in over two decades. Under his direction, the squadron delivered sustained mobility support to combatant commanders, demonstrating exceptional adaptability and mission effectiveness while reestablishing the unit’s combat deployment legacy.
As an accomplished mobility aviator, he has served as an Instructor and Evaluator Pilot across Air Mobility Command, Air Education and Training Command, Pacific Air Forces, and AFRC. He was selected as the C-17 Globemaster III Aerial Demonstration Team Lead Pilot during the period when the DOD maintained only one such team. His flying career includes extensive combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as humanitarian operations such as Hurricane Katrina evacuations and presidential support missions.
After separating from active duty in 2014, he joined the Air Force Reserve and was hired by United Airlines, where he currently serves as a Captain and Line Check Pilot on the Boeing 737. His civilian leadership roles at United include Flight Manager, Pilot Interviewer, Assistant Chief Pilot in Los Angeles, and currently Senior Manager, United Aviate Academy Support/Pilot Strategy.
EDUCATION
2002 Bachelor of Science, General Engineering, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Co.
2002 Aerospace Basic Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Al.
2004 Joint Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin AFB, Tx.
2008 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Al.
2008 Master of Science, Aeronautical Science with distinction, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, by correspondence
2011 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Al., by correspondence
2023 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Al., by correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS or CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. May 2003 - Dec 2004, Joint Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin Air Force Base, Tx.
2. Dec 2004 - Dec 2008, C-17 Instructor Aircraft Commander, McGuire AFB, N.J
3. Dec 2008 - Nov 2011, C-17 Formal Training Unit Evaluator Aircraft Commander, Altus AFB, Ok.
4. December 2011 - July 2014, C-17 Operations Group Stan/Eval Evaluator Aircraft Commander, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hi.
5. July 2014 - April 2023, C-17 Instructor Aircraft Commander, March Air Reserve Base, Calf.
6. April 2023 - July 2025, Commander 729th Airlift Squadron, March ARB, Calf.
7. July 2025 - May 2026, Deputy Director Air Operations Strategic Plans, Fourth Air Force, March ARB, Calf.
8. May 2026 - Present, Deputy Commander, 349th Air Mobility Wing, Travis AFB, Calf.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Command Pilot: More than 4,700 flight hours
First Officer: More than 1,000 flight hours
Captain: More than 790 flight hours
Aircraft flown: B-737 700/800/900/MAX, B-757, B-767, C-17A, T-1, T-37
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Lusters
Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster
Air and Space Commendation Medal
Air and Space Achievement Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster
Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award with 7 Oak Leaf Clusters
Combat Readiness Medal with 7 Oak Leaf Clusters
National Defense Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Humanitarian Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal
Air and Space Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border
Air and Space Longevity Service Award with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters Air and Space Training Ribbon