COLONEL BIREN OBEROI
Colonel Biren Oberoi is the Deputy Commander, 452nd Air Mobility Wing, Air Force Reserve Command, March Air Reserve Base, Calif. As deputy commander of the Air Force Reserve’s largest wing with more than 4,000 personnel, nine C-17A Globemaster III’s and 14 KC-135R Stratotankers, he directs the support of worldwide airlift and air refueling operations. Col. Oberoi is also responsible for the daily operations of March ARB, which supports active duty, National Guard and Reserve tenants from the Air Force, Army, Navy and Marines as well as Department of Homeland Security personnel with the Air Marine Operations Center.
Col. Oberoi was commissioned in 2000 as a distinguished graduate of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program at Georgia Institute of Technology. While on active duty, he served as an exchange instructor pilot with Indian Air Force where he instructed at the Fighter Training Wing. Recently, he served as the exercise director for the largest United States and Indian Air Force interoperability exercise, Exercise COPE INDIA. During this exercise, he led 250 Airmen and multiple mobility and combat aircraft, including the B-1B bomber, to further Indo-Pacific command’s campaign plan.
Col. Oberoi has served as a flight commander and instructor pilot for multiple aircraft and deployed numerous times. Prior to his current assignment, he was an exercise control group director for United States Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii. Col. Oberoi was also an IMA to Air Combat Command Air Operations Squadron, Langley AFB, VA where he controlled delivery of fighter aircraft and managed all aspects of air refueling plans, diverts, and aircraft launches for transoceanic missions.
Col. Oberoi is a command pilot with more than 3,700 flying hours, including 1,400 combat hours. He is a South Asia Region Foreign Area Officer and a Hindi speaker. In his civilian capacity, he is a pilot with a major airline.
EDUCATION
2000 Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta 2000 Aerospace Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2006 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2010 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2010 Masters in Business Administration, University of Phoenix, Ariz.
2021 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2023 Joint Combined Warfighting School, Hybrid, Norfolk, Va.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 2000-March 2001, Executive Officer, Robins AFB, Ga.
2. March 2001-April 2002, Student, joint specialized undergraduate pilot training, Columbus AFB, Miss.
3. April 2002-April 2005, KC-10A pilot and training officer, Travis AFB, Calif.
4. April 2005-April 2006, KC-10A Aircraft Commander and command post duty officer, Travis AFB, Calif.
5. April 2006-March 2007, exchange instructor pilot, Indian Air Force Training Command, Chennai, India
6. March 2007-January 2009, advanced exchange instructor pilot, Fighter Training Wing, Indian Air Force Training Command, Hyderabad, India
7. January 2009-June 2010, Flight Commander and KC-10A Aircraft Commander, Travis AFB, Calif.
8. June 2010-September 2010, assistant operations officer and KC-10A instructor pilot, Travis AFB, Calif.
9. September 2010-September 2011, wing special projects officer and KC-10A instructor pilot, Travis AFB, Calif.
10. September 2011-March 2012, assistant operations Officer and KC-10A instructor pilot, Travis AFB, Calif.
11. March 2012-January 2017, Flight Commander and KC-10A instructor pilot, Air Force Reserves, Travis AFB, Calif.
12. January 2017-October 2020, delivery control officer, Headquarters Air Combat Command Air Operations Squadron, Langley AFB, Va.
13. October 2020-May 2022, exercise planner, Headquarters U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii
14. May 2022-September 2023, exercise control group director, Headquarters U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii
15. October 2023-present, deputy commander, March Air Reserve Base, Calif.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. October 2020-May 2022, exercise planner, Headquarters U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii, as a lieutenant colonel
2. May 2022-September 2023, exercise control group director, Headquarters U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii, as a colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 3,700, including more than 1,400 combat hours
Aircraft flown: T-37B, T-1A, KC-10A, T-6A, HJT-16
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters Air Medal with six oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster Joint Service Achievement Medal
Air Force Combat Action Medal
Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor Device and with eight oak leaf clusters
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant August 29, 2000
First Lieutenant Aug. 29, 2002
Captain Aug. 29, 2004
Major Aug. 1, 2010
Lieutenant Colonel April 1, 2017
Colonel May 10, 2022
(Current as of Mar. 2024)