Col. Sergio E. Anaya

Colonel Sergio E. Anaya is the commander, 62nd Airlift Wing, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. He ensures the readiness of more than 2,400 active-duty military and civilian personnel, along with 40 permanently assigned C-17A Globemaster III aircraft that support worldwide combat and humanitarian airlift and airdrop operations. As the provider of the Prime Nuclear Airlift Forces, the 62nd Airlift Wing is the only wing in the Department of Defense tasked to airlift nuclear and nuclear-related cargo.

In addition, the 62nd Airlift Wing serves as the primary active-duty wing in support of Operation Deep Freeze, partnering with Reserve, Guard and civilian agencies to provide airlift support for the National Science Foundation’s U.S. Antarctic Program. The wing also provides mission support to the 446th Airlift Wing (Associate). Colonel Anaya also serves as the U.S. Air Force Senior Service Component Commander at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, representing interests of approximately 7,000 Total Force Airmen to the Joint Base Partnership Council and the surrounding community.

Colonel Anaya graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1999 and earned a master’s degree in 2020 from Johns Hopkins University. He is a Latin America Foreign Area Officer (FAO), a graduate of the Chilean Air Command and Staff College in Santiago, Chile, and a Georgetown University National Defense Fellow.

Prior to his current position, Colonel Anaya was the commander, 62nd Operations Group, 62nd Airlift Wing at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Colonel Anaya previously served as a military assistant to the Department of Defense Executive Secretary within the Office of the Secretary of Defense. In this capacity, Colonel Anaya managed and reviewed official correspondence for the secretary and deputy secretary of defense, and served as liaison with the White House, the National Security Council, and the inter-agencies in support of presidential support actions. Colonel Anaya is a graduate of the USAF Weapons Instructor Course and a command pilot with more than 4,100 hours in the C-17A, C-21A, T-1, and T-37.

EDUCATION
1999 Bachelor of Science, Basic Sciences, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado
2004 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
2007 C-17A Weapons Instructor Course, McGuire AFB, New Jersey
2009 Masters of Aeronautical Science, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Florida
2009 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB (by correspondence)
2012 Chilean Air Command and Staff College, Santiago, Chile
2013 Joint and Combined Warfighting School, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Virginia
2014 Air War College, Maxwell AFB (by correspondence)
2018 National Defense Fellow, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
2020 Master of Arts, Global Policy, Johns Hopkins University (SAIS), Washington, D.C.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1999 - June 2000, Adjutant, 510th Fighter Squadron, Aviano Air Base, Italy
2. June 2000 - June 2001, Student, undergraduate pilot training, Laughlin AFB, Texas
3. June 2001 - June 2003, Pilot Scheduler, 14th Airlift Squadron, Charleston AFB, South Carolina
4. June 2003 - June 2005, C-17A Aircraft Commander, Assistant Chief of Squadron Tactics, 14th Airlift Squadron, Charleston AFB.
5. June 2005 - June 2006, C-17A Instructor Aircraft Commander, Chief of Safety, 7th Airlift Squadron, McChord AFB, Washington
6. June 2006 - December 2007, C-17A Evaluator Aircraft Commander, Readiness Flight Commander, 7th Airlift Squadron, McChord AFB, Wash.
7. December 2007 - July 2009, Weapons Officer, Assistant Operations Officer, 7th Airlift Squadron, McChord AFB, Wash.
8. July 2009 - August 2010, Wing Weapons and Tactics Flight Commander, 62nd Operations Support Squadron, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington
9. August 2010 - December 2011, Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, 62nd Operations Group, JBLM
10. December 2011 - March 2013, Student, Chilean Air Command and Staff College, Santiago, Chile
11. April 2013 - July 2014, Political-Military Affairs Officer, U.S. Southern Command, Miami, Florida
12. July 2014 - August 2015, Special Assistant to the Commander, Commander's Action Group, U.S. Southern Command, Miami
13. September 2015 - June 2017, Commander, Air Operations Squadron, Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Illinois
14. July 2017 - May 2018, National Defense Fellow, Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
15. May 2018 - June 2019, Executive Officer to the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virgina
16. June 2019 - June 2021, Military Assistant to the Executive Secretary, Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Pentagon, Arlington
17. June 2021 - June 2023, Commander, 62nd Operations Group, JBLM
18. June 2023 - present, Commander, 62nd Airlift Wing, JBLM

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. April 2013 - June 2014, Political-Military Affairs Officer, U.S. Southern Command, Miami
2. July 2014 - August 2015, Special Assistant to the Commander, Commander's Action Group, U.S. Southern Command, Miami
3. June 2019 - June 2021, Military Assistant to the Executive Secretary, Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Pentagon, Arlington

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: More than 4,100 including 930 combat hours
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-1, C-17A, C-21A

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air and Space Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant, June 2, 1999
First Lieutenant, June 2, 2001
Captain, June 2, 2003
Major, Feb. 1, 2009
Lieutenant Colonel, July 1, 2014
Colonel, Aug. 1, 2020

(Current as of June 2023)