Lieutenant Colonel Addison Tower
Lt Col Addison P. Tower is the Commander and Professor of Aerospace Studies at Detachment 195, Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC), Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, Illinois. Detachment 195 is responsible for educating, training, and commissioning officer candidates and is the only AFROTC Detachment in the greater Chicago area, serving cadets from 17 different colleges and universities.
A distinguished graduate of Undergraduate Pilot Training, B-52 Combat Crew Training, and B-1 Initial Qualification Training, he has served as a B-52 pilot, T-38 instructor pilot, and B-1 aircraft commander, instructor pilot, and test pilot. A graduate of the USAF Test Pilot School, he served on the Air Staff at Air Force Headquarters. In his last assignment he was the Director of the Plans and Programs Division and an instructor pilot at the USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California.
EDUCATION
1988 Bachelor of Science Degrees in Computer Science and Russian, University of Wisconsin-Madison
1995 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2000 USAF Test Pilot School, Edwards AFB, California
2003 Master of Military Arts and Sciences Degree, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2006 Air War College, by correspondence
ASSIGNMENT HISTORY
1. January 1989 – February 1991, student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Vance AFB, Oklahoma
2. February –August 1991, student, B-52 Copilot Combat Crew Training, Castle AFB, California
3. August 1991 – May 1994, B-52 Copilot, Standardization-Evaluation Copilot, 644th Bomb Squadron, K.I. Sawyer AFB, Michigan
4. May 1994 – May 1997, Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training T-38 Instructor Pilot, Flight Commander, Check Flight Commander, 87th Flying Training Squadron, Laughlin AFB, Texas
5. May – November 1997, student, B-1 Aircraft Commander Initial Qualification Training, 28th Bomb Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas
6. November 1997 – June 1999, B-1 Instructor Pilot, Chief of Scheduling, 77th Bomb Squadron, Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota
7. June 1999 – June 2000, student, USAF Test Pilot School, Edwards AFB, California
8. June 2000 – July 2002, B-1 Test Pilot, Flight Commander, 419th Flight Test Squadron, Edwards AFB, California
9. July 2002 – June 2003, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
10. July 2003 – July 2006, Chief, International Standardization Office, Regional Plans and Issues Division, Directorate of Operational Plans and Joint Matters, Headquarters United States Air Force, Pentagon, Virginia
11. July 2006 – July 2009, Director, Plans and Programs Division, Instructor Pilot, USAF Test Pilot School, Edwards AFB, California
12. July 2009 – Present, Commander and Professor of Aerospace Studies, Detachment 195, AFROTC, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois
FLIGHT INFORMATION:
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: More than 2,850
Aircraft flown: B-1, B-17, B-52, C-12, C-130, F-4, F-15, F-15E, F-16, F-18, TH-6, MH-53, HH-60, HU-16, KC-135, P-3, T-1, T-6, T-28, T-34, T-37, T-38, T-39, T-43, T-45, U-2, BAC-111, Bell 206, DC-3, HA-200, Lear 25, MB 326, MiG 15, NH-500E, Piaggio P-180, Goodyear Blimp
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Combat Readiness Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Kosovo Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border
NATO Kosovo Campaign Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:
Second Lieutenant September 21, 1988
First Lieutenant September 21, 1990
Captain September 21, 1992
Major February 1, 2000
Lieutenant Colonel January 1, 2005
