Colonel Ryan D. Batchelor

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Colonel Ryan D. Batchelor is the Dean, School of Strategic Force Studies, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. He leads 42 faculty and staff members committed to developing Airmen, joint service professionals and international partners to thrive in a technologically competitive environment. The School of Strategic Force Studies graduates approximately 5,000 mid-to-senior level students annually from competency-based professional continuing education or scholarship programs focused on critical subject matter such as nuclear surety; deterrence strategy; nuclear command, control, and communications (NC3) methodology; and cyberspace operations. The School of Strategic Force Studies’ operating and maintenance budget is approximately 2.9 million dollars per year, which supports academic partnerships and distance learning, the Department of Nuclear Studies located at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, the Department of Nuclear Command, Control and Communications (NC3) at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, and the Department of Cyberspace Studies located at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.

Colonel Batchelor earned his Bachelors degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Central Florida in 2003 and was commissioned through Officer Training School in 2004. Throughout his career, he has deployed six times and played pivotal roles in various named operations across four combatant commands. Lt Col Batchelor has held positions at the squadron level, numbered Air Force staff, joint service roles, cyberspace operations instructor, and commanded the 727th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron, Detachment 8, Kandahar Air Base Afghanistan, 318 Cyber Operations Group, Detachment 2, Nellis Air Force Base, and the 39 Communications Squadron, Incirlik Air Base Turkey. Most recently he served as the Division Chief, Cyberspace Operations and Air Force Materiel Command’s MAJCOM Cyberspace Coordination Center. In this role, he oversaw the implementation of Cyber Tasking Orders and execution of Named Cyber Operations in support of 80,000 warfighters across eight installations. His responsibilities also included providing strategic direction for $1.2 billion in information technology capital investments to safeguard both classified and unclassified networks within a vast 900-system portfolio.

EDUCATION

2003 Bachelor of Science Degree, Computer Engineering, University of Central Florida 2004 Officer Candidate School, Maxwell AFB, Alabama

2005 Expeditionary Communications Officer Course, Keesler AFB, Mississippi 2010 Squadron Officer School, Maxell AFB, Alabama

2012 Masters of Computer Research and Information Technology Management, Webster University 2016 Air Command Staff College, Correspondence

2017 Joint and Combined Warfighting School, Joint Forces Staff College, Virginia 2022 Air War College, Correspondence

ASSIGNMENTS

1. Nov 2004 – Nov 2008, Flight Commander, 31st Combat Communications Squadron, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma
2. Nov 2008 – Jul 2012, Director of Operations, Air Force Central Command A6, Shaw AFB, South Carolina
3. Jul 2012 – Jun 2015, Director of Comm Maintenance, 606th Air Control Squadron, Spangdahlem AB, Germany
4. Jun 2015 – Jul 2018, Joint Action Officer, Air Land Sea Application Center, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia
5. Jul 2018 – Director, Cyber Professional Continued Education, Air Force Institute of Technology, School of Strategic Force Studies, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
6. Jul 2020 – Jun 2021, Commander, Detachment 2, 318 Cyberspace Operations Group, Nellis AFB, Nevada
7. Jun 2021 – Jun 2022, Commander, 39th Communications Squadron, Incirlik AB, Turkey
8. Jul 2022 – Jul 2025, Division Chief, AFMC A3/6 Directorate of Air, Space and Cyberspace Operations, Wright- Patterson AFB, Ohio
9. Jul 2025 – Present, Dean, School of Strategic Force Studies, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS

1. Jun 2015 – Jul 2018, Joint Action Officer, Air Land Sea Application Center, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Defense Meritorious Service Medal

Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters

Joint Service Commendation Medal

Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters

Air Force Achievement Medal

Combat Readiness Medal

Afghanistan Campaign Medal with two bronze stars

Iraq Campaign Medal

Humanitarian Service Medal

Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal

NATO Medal

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND AFFILIATIONS

Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:

Second Lieutenant, Nov 2004

First Lieutenant, Nov 2006

Captain, Nov 2008

Major, Apr 2015

Lieutenant Colonel, Aug 2019

Colonel, Aug 2025

(Current as of 28 July 2025)