Col James Jimmy C. Bowers

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Col James Jimmy Bowers is the Commander, Air University Detachment 1 and Deputy Director, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. As Commander, he is the senior military leader with responsibility over good order and discipline for approximately 1,800 active-duty faculty, staff, and students. As the Deputy Director, Col Bowers leads the strategic vision and tactical decisions of the Institute. AFIT provides professional continuing education for nearly 36,000 students and graduate education to more than 1,000 students annually.

Prior to this assignment, Col Bowers was Deputy Department Head and Assistant Professor of Physics, Department of Physics and Meteorology, United States Air Force Academy, managing 35 faculty members executing an annual 2.6-million-dollar research portfolio, and educating 1,900 students every year in fundamental and advance physics and meteorology instruction.

Col Bowers entered the Air Force in July 2004 through ROTC from North Carolina State University. He completed Acquisition Officer Training in March 2005, and has since then held a variety of acquisition positions related to unmanned aerial vehicles and electronic warfare. Col Bowers served in a Joint assignment as Theater Watch Officer for United States Forces Korea. He also served as Section Commander, Headquarters Air Force Research Laboratory, and Director of Operations for the 711th HPW Warfighter Readiness Research Division at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.

EDUCATION

2004 Bachelor of Science, Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina

2004 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama

2010 Master of Science, Applied Physics, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio

2012 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama

2016 Air Command and Staff College (Correspondence), Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama

2021 Doctorate of Philosophy, Applied Physics, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio

2024 Air War College (Correspondence), Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama

ASSIGNMENTS OR CAREER CHRONOLOGY

1. July 2004 – July 2006, Project Engineer, Air Force Research Lab, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
2. July 2006 – August 2007, Program Manager, AFRL, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
3. August 2007 – May 2008, Executive Officer Air Vehicles Directorate, AFRL, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
4. May 2008 – March 2010, Student, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
5. April 2010 – May 2011, Electronic Warfare Systems Engineer, 453d Electronic Warfare Squadron, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas
6. May 2011 – May 2013, Flight Commander Electronic Warfare Flagging, 453d EWS, JBSA-Lackland, Texas (May 2011 – Sept 2011, Interagency Action Staff Officer, United States European Command, Patch Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany)
7. June 2013 – August 2015, Instructor of Physics, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado
8. August 2015 – September 2018, Student, AFIT, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
9. October 2019 – June 2020, Director of Operations Warfighter Readiness Research Division, 711th Human Performance Wing, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
10. June 2020 – June 2022, Section Commander Headquarters AFRL, AFRL, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
11. June 2022 – December 2023, Director of Manpower and Assistant Professor of Physics, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado
12. December 2023 – June 2025, Deputy Department Head and Assistant Professor of Physics, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado
13. July 2025 – Present, Commander, Air University Detachment 1 and Deputy Director, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS

1. September 2018 – October 2019, Theater Watch Officer, United States Forces Korea, Camp Humphreys, Republic of Korea, as a Lieutenant Colonel

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Defense Meritorious Service Medal

Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters

Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster

Joint Service Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION [MILITARY ONLY]

Second Lieutenant May 14, 2004

First Lieutenant May 14, 2006

Captain May 14, 2008

Major December 1, 2014

Lieutenant Colonel June 1, 2019

Colonel October 1, 2025

(CURRENT AS OF JAN 2026)