Colonel Lawrence N. Yazzie

Col Yazzie is the Commander of 183d Mission Support Group, 183d Wing, Illinois Air National Guard, Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport, Springfield, Illinois. He oversees the numerous unique and diverse units, consisting of Security Forces Squadron, Force Support Squadron, Engineering Installation Squadron, Civil Engineering Squadron, Logistics Readiness Squadron, and Communications Flight. Colonel Yazzie commands more than 365 trained, organized, and equipped personnel within the Wing in order to deploy and employ agile combat support ready forces around the world, ensure personnel are accessible, capable and ready to protect the US homeland, and enhancing the strong partnership with the Republic Poland.

The Colonel played four years of Division I basketball at the United States Air Force (USAF) Academy. After graduating, he spent nearly eight years on active duty and deployed twice to Kyrgyz Republic and Kuwait, supporting Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM. He joined the Iowa Air National Guard (ANG) and commanded the 132nd Communications Flight. While serving as a guardsman, he worked for Proctor & Gamble as a Project Manager and Engineer from 2008 to 2012 and Wells Fargo Home Mortgage as an IT Project Manager for a year. In 2013, he accepted the Supervisory IT Specialist position in the wing and stood up Iowa’s newest cyber unit. In 2015, he took command of the 168th Cyberspace Operations Squadron, providing cyberspace operations and cybersecurity expertise for US Cyber Command and Combatant Commanders, the State of Iowa and Kosovo State Partner. In 2021, he served as the Director of NGB’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion before transitioning to the Vice Director of NGB’s Chief Information Officer/J6 role.

Colonel Yazzie is an outstanding leader with 22 years of experience and 7 years of formal project management in IT, cybersecurity and manufacturing for the USAF, Iowa and Illinois National Guard, and two Fortune 500 Companies.

EDUCATION

2000 Bachelor of Science degree, Pre-Law, USAF Academy, Colorado

2001 Communications & Information Officer Training, 333d Training Squadron, Keesler AFB, Mississippi

2005 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Alabama, in-residence

2007 Bachelor of Arts degree, Computer Research & Information Management, Webster University, Missouri

2014 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence

2015 Cyber Warfare Operations Training, 39th Information Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Florida

2019 Air War College, by correspondence

ASSIGNMENTS

1. May 2000 – June 2001, Admissions Advisor, USAF Academy, USAF Academy, Colorado

2. June 2001 – April 2002, Plans Officer, 56th Communications Squadron, Luke Air Force Base, Arizona

3. April 2002 – July 2003, Executive Officer, 56th Operations Group, Luke AFB, Arizona

4. July 03 – Aug 04, Officer in Charge of Network Administration Branch, 56th Communications Squadron, Luke AFB, Arizona

5. August 2004 – July 2006, Test Director, National Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellite System, AF Operational Test & Evaluation Center (AFOTEC) Detachment 4, Peterson AFB, Colorado (April – September 2005, Executive Officer, 376th Air Expeditionary Wing, Manas Air Base, Kyrgyz Republic)

6. July 2006 – May 2007, Quality Assurance Evaluator, AF Space Command/A6, Peterson AFB, Colorado

7. May 2007 – July 2008, Acting Commander, 132d Communications Flight, Des Moines Air National Guard Base, Iowa (June – October 2007, Executive Officer, 387th Air Expeditionary Group, Abdullah Al-Mubarak AB, Kuwait)

8. July 2008 – November 2015, Commander, 132d Communications Flight, Des Moines ANGB, Iowa

9. November 2015 – October 2021, Commander, 168th Cyberspace Operations Squadron, Des Moines ANGB, Iowa

10. October 2021 – June 2022, Director, NGB Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Arlington Hall Readiness Center, Virginia

11. June 2022 – April 2023, Vice Director, NGB Office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO)/J6, Arlington Hall Readiness Center, Virginia

12. April 2023 – Present, Commander, 183d Mission Support Group, Abraham Lincoln Capitol Airport, Springfield, Illinois

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS

1. October 2021 – June 2022, Director, NGB Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Arlington Hall Readiness Center, Virginia

2. June 2022 – April 2023, Vice Director, NGB Office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO)/J6, Arlington Hall Readiness Center, Virginia

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Defense Meritorious Service Medal

Meritorious Service Medal (with three Oak Leaf Clusters)

Air and Space Commendation Medal (with three Oak Leaf Clusters)

Air and Space Achievement Medal (with two Oak Leaf Cluster)

Meritorious Unit Award (with Oak Leaf Cluster)

Outstanding Unit Award with Valor Device (with ten Oak Leaf Clusters)

National Defense Service Medal

Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal

Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

Humanitarian Service Medal

Air and Space Overseas Ribbon (Short)

Air and Space Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border (with Oak Leaf Cluster)

Air and Space Longevity Service (with three Oak Leaf Clusters)

Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with Hourglass Device)

Air and Space Training Ribbon

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS

2003 56th Operations Support Squadron CGO of the Quarter

2003 56th Fighter Wing Communications & Information CGO of the Year

2004 56th Fighter Wing Communications & Information CGO of the Year

2005 AFOTEC Detachment 4 Communication & Information CGO of the Year

2005 Squadron Officer School Top Third Graduate Award

2006 AFOTEC Detachment 4 Captain Lance P. Sijan Recipient

2015 Information Dominance Lt Gen Grant Award (Small Unit)