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Colonel Rodney E. Neely

Colonel Rodney Neely is Vice Commander of the 167 Airlift Wing, West Virginia Air National Guard, Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport, Martinsburg, WV, a strategic airlift unit flying the C-17A Globemaster III airplane.  He assists the commander in the training and equipping of over 1100 military members and the execution of world-wide missions in support of National and State taskings. 

Colonel Neely began his military career by enlisting in the West Virginia Army National Guard in April 1986, where he served as a metalworker. He was commissioned through Army ROTC into the Army Corp of Engineers in the West Virginia Army National Guard in May 1989. In 1997 Colonel Neely was selected as an air technician and transferred to the West Virginia Air National Guard.  He held command positions in Services Flight, Civil Engineering and deployed to Afghanistan as a Mission Support Group Deputy Commander. He served as the 167th Mission Support Group commander prior to his current position.

EDUCATION
1990 Bachelor of Science in Engineering of Mines, West Virginia University, Morgantown, W.Va.
2002 Squadron Officer School, by correspondence
2012 Air War College, by correspondence

ASSIGNMENTS
April 1986-November 1987, Metalworker, 119th Engineer Company, Clarksburg, W.Va.
November 1987-May 1989, ROTC Cadet, 119th Engineer Company, Clarksburg, W.Va.
May 1989-June 1997, Platoon Leader, 119th Engineer Company, Clarksburg and Buckhannon, W.Va.
June 1997-January 1998, 167th Support Group Executive Officer, Martinsburg, W.Va.
January 1998-March 1999, Commander, 167th Services Flight, Martinsburg, W.Va.
March 1999-January 2006, OIC, Bioenvironmental Engineering Services, 167th Medical Group, Martinsburg, W.Va.
January 2006-July 2008, Commander, 167th Civil Engineering Squadron, Martinsburg, W.Va.
July 2008-January 2013, Deputy Commander, 167th Mission Support Group, Martinsburg, W.Va.
April 2011-October 2011, Deputy Commander, 455th Expeditionary Mission Support Group, Bagram Air Field Afghanistan
January 2013-Present, Commander, 167th Mission Support Group, Martinsburg, W.Va.

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal
Meritorious Unit Award with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with one bronze star
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with bronze star
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Air Force Overseas Ribbon – Short
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with “M” device
Air Force Small Arms Expert Ribbon with bronze star
Non-Article 5 NATO Medal

EFFECTIVE DATE OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 15, 1989
First Lieutenant  May 23, 1992
Captain May 23, 1996
Major April 24, 2001
Lieutenant Colonel April 24, 2008
Colonel Jan. 1, 2013

(Current as of October 2018)