Col. Theodore E. Osowski has retired from the U.S. Air Force after 31 years of faithful and honorable military service to the nation and was decorated with the Legion of Merit Medal at his retirement ceremony.
Osowski received the medal for his exceptionally meritorious conduct in performance of outstanding services as Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Las Vegas. His steadfast leadership was crucial to the implementation of the new Warfare Center strategic charter, shaping the way that our Air Force fights in the domains of air, space and cyberspace. He was the tasking authority for the center's five wings comprised of more than 10,000 airmen located in 20 states and 31 locations. The colonel realigned key staffing functions to streamline time-critical tasks and information flow to and from major commands, higher headquarters and the Warfare Center. He voluntarily remained operational in the MQ-1B Remotely Piloted Aircraft, flying weekly missions over Iraq and Afghanistan in support of U.S. and Coalition forces while helping to alleviate a critical pilot shortage in that heavily tasked career field.
Col. Osowski accepted command of the 451st Air Expeditionary Group at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, to support the mission of Operation Enduring Freedom. In accomplishing this vital task, he grew an expeditionary group by 300 percent into the framework of a stand-alone enterprise in less than six months, commanding 1,200 airmen and 48 aircraft of various types, representing more than 800 million dollars of combat airpower.
Prior to retiring, Osowski served as Chief of Staff for the U.S. Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Las Vegas, Nev.
He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1980 upon graduating with a bachelor's degree in engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. The command pilot has flown more than 10,000 hours in military and civilian aircraft, while flying for the Air Force, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve Command, and a major U.S. airline. This includes more than 2,000 hours of operational, combat and combat support flying an F-16 fighter aircraft, RC-700A jet recon, MQ-1B remotely piloted aerial vehicles, T-37 and T/AT-38 jet trainer aircraft.
His duty assignments include serving as an instructor pilot, evaluation pilot, wing and squadron chief of weapons and tactics, operations staff officer, squadron director of operations, squadron and Air Expeditionary Group commander, and chief of staff. He completed the U.S. Air Force Weapons School (F-16 jet aircraft), and graduated from the Air Command and Staff College and the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
The colonel had originally left active duty in 1990 to start a career with a civilian air carrier while concurrently flying with the Michigan Air National Guard. In the mid-1990s, he began working in airline management and left military duty entirely. Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, he returned from his break in service to work several part-time and full-time active duty assignments, culminating in command of the 451st Air Expeditionary Group (now the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing) at Kandahar Air Field as the Air Force Warfare Center Chief of Staff.
The colonel served at military installations in Utah, South Carolina, Michigan, Texas, Virginia, and overseas in Japan and South Korea.
His major military decorations and awards include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (Canadian), four Meritorious Service Medals, two Aerial Achievement Medals, two Air Force Commendation Medals, three Combat Readiness Medals, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Korean Defense Service Medal, the NATO Medal, the National Defense Service Medal with bronze star, and several other military service awards and ribbons.
He is the son of Bernard T. Osowski of Port Sanilac, Mich., and the brother of Karen, Kathy, Kay, Teresa, and Nancy (Osowski) of Flint, Mich.
His wife is Suzanne K. Osowski.
Col. Osowski graduated in 1975 from Flushing High School.
