Colonel Michael “Tucker” Kump is the Deputy Commander, 93d Air Ground Operations Wing, Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. The Wing consists of four groups with over 2,500 Airmen at 20 locations throughout the Continental U.S. Subordinate units are the 3d Air Support Operations Group at Fort Cavazos, Texas, the 18th Air Support Operations Group at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, the 5th Combat Weather Group at Fort Liberty, and the 820th Base Defense Group at Moody AFB. The 3d and 18th ASOGs provide Tactical Air Control Party team ground-based, low-profile command and control and strike capabilities for the joint force. The 820th BDG provides rapidly deployable, fully integrated, highly specialized forces for active internal and external base defense. The 5th Combat Weather Group provides meteorological and environmental information from non-permissive, hostile, and data-denied areas in order to predict future conditions, wherever and whenever needed.
Col. Kump entered the Air Force in May 2002 through the United States Air Force Academy. He completed A-10 Initial Qualification Training in August 2005, and since then has held a variety of operational flying and air liaison positions at the squadron, group, and wing levels. He has deployed in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and Operation FREEDOM’S SENTINEL. Additionally, he commanded a deployed air support operations squadron and served as the senior air liaison officer for NATO’s RESOLUTE SUPPORT Mission in Kabul, Afghanistan. He is a Command Pilot with over 2,300 flying hours in the A/OA-10. Prior to his current position, the colonel was the Nuclear Strike Branch Chief, J-36 Nuclear Operations Division, Nuclear and Homeland Defense Operations, Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington D.C.
EDUCATION
2002 Bachelor of Science, Computer Engineering, United States Air Force Academy, Colo.
2002 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2007 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2013 Master of Arts, Management and Leadership, Webster University, St. Louis, Mo.
2013 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2022 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2023 Nuclear Commanders Course, Offutt AFB, Neb.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. March 2003 – December 2003, T-34 Undergraduate Naval Pilot Training, Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Fla.
2. January 2004 – December 2004, T-38 Undergraduate Pilot Training, Vance Air Force Base, Okla.
3. January 2005 – August 2005, A-10 Initial Qualification Training, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., August 2005 – October 2007, Assistant Chief of Weapons and Tactics and A-10 Flight Lead, 25th Fighter Squadron, Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea
4. October 2007 – December 2007, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
5. December 2007 – July 2009, Assistant Chief of Scheduling and A-10 Flight Lead, 75th Fighter Squadron, Moody AFB, Ga. (September 2008 – March 2009, Chief of Scheduling and A-10 Flight Lead, 75th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, Bagram AB, Afghanistan)
6. July 2009 – February 2010, Chief of Group Training and A-10 Flight Lead, 23rd Fighter Group, Moody AFB, Ga.
7. February 2010 – July 2011, Flight Commander and A-10 Instructor Pilot, 75th Fighter Squadron, Moody AFB, Ga. (September 2010 – March 2011, Flight Commander and A-10 Instructor Pilot, 75th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, Kandahar AB, Afghanistan)
8. July 2011 – July 2012, Assistant Director of Operations and Division Air Liaison Officer, 604th Air Support Operations Squadron, United States Army Garrison Red Cloud, Republic of Korea
9. July 2012 – September 2013, Chief of Standardization and Evaluation and A-10 Instructor Pilot, 25th Fighter Squadron, Osan AB, Republic of Korea
10. September 2013 – July 2014, Director of Staff and A-10 Instructor Pilot, 25th Fighter Squadron, Osan AB, Republic of Korea
11. August 2014 – February 2015, Assistant Director of Operations, 682nd Air Support Operations Squadron, Pope Field, N.C.
12. February 2015 – September 2016, Director of Operations, 682nd Air Support Operations Squadron, Pope Field, N.C. (February 2015 – September 2015, Detachment Commander, 817th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Squadron, Al Udeid AB, Qatar)
13. September 2016 – April 2018, Chief of Wing Plans and Programs, 355th Fighter Wing, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
14. April 2018 – April 2019, Commander, 817th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Squadron, Resolute Support Headquarters, Kabul, Afghanistan
15. July 2019 – May 2023, Chief of Advanced Programs, Secretary of the Air Force International Affairs, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
16. May 2023 – June 2024, Action Officer and Branch Chief, Joint Staff, J-36 Nuclear Operations Division, Nuclear and Homeland Defense Operations, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
17. July 2024 – Present, Deputy Commander, 93d Air Ground Operations Wing, Moody AFB, Ga.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 2023 – June 2024, Operations Officer, Joint Staff J-36 Nuclear and Homeland Defense Operations Directorate, Pentagon, Washington D.C., as a colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: More than 2,300, including more than 700 combat hours
Aircraft Flown: T-34, T-38, and A-10
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with six oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Meritorious Unit Award with five oak leaf clusters
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with ‘V’ device and four oak leaf clusters
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with three service stars
Korean Defense Service Medal
North Atlantic Treaty Organization Medal
2015 Headquarters Air Force Fighter Duty Officer of the Year
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 29, 2002
First Lieutenant May 29, 2004
Captain May 29, 2006
Major April 1, 2012
Lieutenant Colonel March 1, 2017
Colonel Nov. 1, 2023
(Current as of July 2024)