Col. Patric D. Coggin is Commander of the 188th Operations Group, Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Fort Smith, Arkansas. The 188th Operations Group is responsible for providing geographic combatant commanders with persistent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance; Kinetic Strike; Close Air Support; and Air Interdiction with the MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft. Col Coggin leads two squadrons comprising more than 210 Airmen who fly, analyze, maintain and provide all direct support sustaining 24/7 combat operations at Ebbing ANGB.
Col. Coggin earned his commission from the United States Air Force Academy in June 1999. In 2001, after completing pilot training, he was assigned to the 74th Fighter Squadron, Pope AFB, North Carolina. While serving as an A-10A Thunderbolt II “Warthog” attack jet pilot, Col. Coggin was the Assistant Scheduler and a Battalion Air Liaison Officer. In 2002, he deployed to the Middle East in support of Operation Southern Watch as part of the 74th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron. In 2003, he deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as a Battalion Air Liaison Officer assigned to the 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. During that deployment, Col. Coggin led a six-man Tactical Air Control Party through the offensive to Baghdad and advised the battalion commander and his staff on use of joint air fires. After returning from Baghdad, he returned to Iraq just a few months later, but this time back in the air once again as an A-10A pilot flying over watch for friendly forces.
After being assigned to Osan Air Base in 2004, Col. Coggin progressed through the Flight Lead and the Instructor upgrades while also designing and implementing training plans as Assistant Weapons Officer and Chief Battalion Air Liaison Officer. Col. Coggin was then selected as a Flight Commander, supervising pilots through all aspects of squadron operations. In February 2006, he was reassigned to Davis-Monthan AFB to instruct the A-10 initial qualification course and serve as the Squadron Training Officer. Less than a year later, Col. Coggin was selected as initial cadre for the A-10C. He was instrumental in developing and instructing initial conversion training for all active duty pilots converting to the highly-upgraded Warthog.
In August 2008, Col. Coggin joined the 184th Fighter Squadron, Arkansas Air National Guard at Ebbing ANGB, Fort Smith, Arkansas, serving as an Instructor Pilot, Evaluator, and Chief of Weapons and Tactics. Col. Coggin helped guide the squadron through the A-10C conversion while leading all tactical training in the squadron. In 2010 and again in 2012, he deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom as an A-10C Pilot, leading close air support missions over the skies of Afghanistan. As 188th Operations Support Squadron Commander, Col. Coggin led the unit through retraining requirements into a new flying mission with the MQ-9 Reaper.
In his civilian career, Col. Coggin is on military leave of absence from a major U.S. airline as an Airbus 319/320/321 first officer. Previously he was Regional Director for USA Team Handball, a governing body of the U.S. Olympic Committee. He is also a competition aerobatic pilot and a published author focused on aviation and aviation safety. Prior to his current position, the colonel served as Commander, 188th Operational Support Squadron, 188th Wing, Ebbing ANGB, Arkansas.
EDUCATION
1999 Bachelor of Science, Geography, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. 2000 Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin AFB, Texas
2005 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell-Gunter AFB, Ala.
2013 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell-Gunter AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2017 Air War College, Maxwell-Gunter AFB, Ala., by correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1999–April 2001, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin AFB, Texas.
2. April 2001–September 2001, Student, A-10 Initial Qualification Course, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
3. September 2001–January 2004, A-10A Pilot, Assistant Scheduler, 74th Fighter Sqdn., Pope AFB, N.C.
4. January 2004–July 2004, A-10A Flight Lead, Assistant Weapons Officer, 25th Fighter Sqdn., Osan AB, Republic of Korea
5. July 2004–May 2005, A-10A 4-Ship Flight Lead, Chief Battalion Air Liaison Officer, 25th Fighter Sqdn., Osan AB, Republic of Korea
6. May 2005–February 2006, A-10A Instructor Pilot, Flight Commander, 25th Fighter Sqdn., Osan AB, Republic of Korea
7. February 2006–December 2006, A-10A Instructor Pilot, Chief of Training, 357th Fighter Sqdn., Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz. 8. December 2006–June 2007, A-10C Instructor Pilot, Director of Training, 355th Training Sqdn., Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz. 9. June 2007–August 2008, A-10C Instructor Pilot, Assistant Director of Operations, 355th Training Sqdn., Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
10. August 2008–July 2014, A-10C Evaluator Pilot, Chief of Weapons and Tactics, 188th Fighter Wing, Ebbing ANGB, Fort Smith, Ark.
11. August 2014–October 2015, MQ-9 Pilot, Flight Commander, 188th Wing, Ebbing ANGB, Fort Smith, Ark.
12. October 2015–August 2019, Commander, 188th Operations Support Squadron, 188th Wing, Ebbing ANGB, Fort Smith, Ark.
13. August 2019–Present, Commander, 188th Operations Group, 188th Wing, Ebbing ANGB, Fort Smith, Ark.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight Hours: more than 3,000, including more than 700 combat hours Aircraft Flown: T-37, T-38, A-10, MQ-9
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with four oak leaf clusters Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster Army Commendation Medal
Air Force Combat Action Medal
Combat Readiness Medal with three oak leaf clusters
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 2, 1999 First Lieutenant June 2, 2001 Captain June 2, 2003
Major June 5, 2009
Lieutenant Colonel March 1, 2014 Colonel Aug. 1, 2019
(Current as of October 2021)