Colonel DANIEL J. WITTMER

Colonel Daniel J. Wittmer is the Commander, Air National Guard Air Force Reserve Command Test Center (AATC), Tucson AZ. He leads a Total Force test center with over 260 National Guard, Reserve, Active, Civilian, and government support contract personnel. He is responsible for planning, coordinating, and conducting operational and developmental test and evaluation for mature weapons systems as directed by the Air National Guard (ANG), Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC), Air Combat Command (ACC), Air Mobility Command (AMC), and Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). Colonel Wittmer advises the Director of the Air National Guard and the Commander of the Air Force Reserve Command on modernization, testing, and tactics development to increase the combat capability across the breadth of their operational systems.

Colonel Wittmer was commissioned in December 1998 through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He has extensive air superiority experience as an F-15C Aircraft Commander and evaluator pilot.  Colonel Wittmer has served as Weapons Officer, operational, and test and evaluation pilot in numerous locations throughout the world and served as an instructor and Director of Operations at the 433d Weapons Squadron, United States Air Force Weapons School.  Col Wittmer served as the commander of the 194th Fighter Squadron, Fresno ANGB, Fresno CA.  He has extensive staff experience and has served as a branch chief and division chief at the Air National Guard Readiness Center.  Prior to his current assignment, Colonel Wittmer was the Chief of the Director of the Air National Guard’s Action Group where he served as the principal adviser to the Director of the Air National Guard and developed policy and strategy on force structure, missions, and operations for 108,400 Air National Guard members.  

EDUCATION
1998 University of Illinois, Bachelor of Arts, Speech Communications, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois
2007 United States Air Force Weapons School
2009 Air University, Squadron Officer School, by correspondence
2015 Air University, Air Command Staff College-Joint, by correspondence
2019 Air University, Air War College, by correspondence
2022 National Defense University, National War College
2023 Leadership in Homeland Security, Harvard University

ASSIGNMENTS
1.    May 1999 – August 2000, Chief, Personnel Readiness, 96th MSS, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida
2.    August 2000 – April 2002, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas
3.    April 2002 – October 2002, F-15C Initial Qualification Training, 2nd Fighter Squadron, Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida
4.    October 2002 – March 2005, F-15C Pilot; Chief Squadron Training 493rd Fighter Wing, RAF Lakenheath, UK
5.    March 2005 - September 2005, F-15C Pilot; Chief, Wing Strategic Plans 48th Fighter Squadron, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, UK
6.    September 2005 – June 2007, F-15C Instructor Pilot; Mission Commander; Assistant Chief, Weapons and Tactics 101st Fighter Squadron, Barnes ANGB, Massachusetts
7.    June 2007 – December 2007, Student, United States Air Force Weapons School, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada
8.    January 2008 – December 2010, F-15C Instructor Pilot; Mission Commander; Chief, Weapons and Tactics 131st Barnes ANGB, Massachusetts
9.    Dec 2010 – August 2011, F-15C Instructor Pilot; Mission Commander; Chief, Wing Weapons and Tactics, 104th Fighter Wing, Barnes ANGB, Massachusetts
10.    August 2011 - December 2013, Director of Operations, 433rd Weapons Squadron, USAF Weapons School, Nellis Air Force Base, NV
11.    December 2013 - December 2014, F-15C Pilot; Chief, Current Operations, 104th Fighter Wing, Barnes ANGB, Massachusetts
12.    December 2014 - February 2016, Assistant Chief, Weapons and Tactics, HQ United States Air Forces Europe, Ramstein, Germany
13.    February 2016 - June 2017, Director, F-15C Test, Air National Guard/Air Force Reserves Test Center, OL-1, Jacksonville, Florida
14.    June 2017 - June 2018, Commander, 194th Fighter Squadron, Fresno CA
15.    June 2018 – February 2019, Chief, Combat Air Forces Branch, Plans and Programs Directorate, Air National Guard Readiness Center, Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland
16.    Feb 2019 – July 2021, Chief, Strategic Plans and Analysis Division, Plans and Programs Directorate, Air National Guard Readiness Center, Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland
17.    July 2021 – July 2022, Student, National War College, National Defense University, Ft. Lesley J. McNair, Washington, DC
18.    July 2022 – July 2023, Chief, Director’s Action Group, Pentagon, Washington DC
19.    July 2023 – Present, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Pentagon, Washington DC

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSINGMENTS
1. July 2023 – Present, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Pentagon, Washington DC Washington D.C. as a Colonel


FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight Hours: More than 2,500
Aircraft Flown: F-15C, AT-38, T-38 and T-37

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal (with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
Air Force Commendation Medal (with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
Air Force Outstanding Unit (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Air Force Longevity Service Award (with Silver Oak Leaf Cluster)
Air Force Training Ribbon


EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Jan. 17, 1999
First Lieutenant Jan. 17, 2001
Captain Jan. 17, 2003
Major Jun. 24, 2009
Lieutenant Colonel Jun. 24, 2016
Colonel Jun. 23, 2023


(Current as of June 2024)