Lieutenant Colonel Peter L. Hickman is the Commander of the 225th Air Defense Squadron, Western Air Defense Sector, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. Lieutenant Colonel Hickman is responsible for maintaining North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) air sovereignty and aerospace control over 73% of the western United States, as well as providing leadership and management of Air National Guard, Canadian Air Force, contractors, and civilian personnel.
Lieutenant Colonel Hickman oversees the conduct and mission execution for Command and Control operations of seven NORAD aerospace control alert detachments, 14 alert aircraft, refueling tankers, airborne early warning aircraft and Army air and missile defense assets in the National Capital Region. He is an active operational liaison for multiple Department of Defense, higher headquarters agencies and Department of Homeland Security partners, including the CBP Air Marine Operations Center in Riverside, California.
Lieutenant Colonel Hickman is a graduate of the University of Oregon and was commissioned through the Academy of Military Science at McGhee-Tyson Air National Guard Base, Knoxville, Tennessee. Lieutenant Colonel Hickman is a career senior air battle manager who has held a variety of tactical qualifications. He has logged countless hours in support of Operations NOBLE EAGLE, IRAQI FREEDOM and INHERENT RESOLVE. His staff assignments include service at Air Combat Command, United States, Department of State, U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, and the Office of the Director of the Air National Guard.
Prior to his current position, he served as a Strategist in the Air National Guard Director’s Action Group, the Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia.
EDUCATION
2002 Bachelor of Science, Political Science and Economics, University of Oregon, Eugene, Ore.
2008 Master of Arts, Political Theory, Arizona State University, Tempe, Ariz.
2009 Distinguished Graduate, Academy of Military Science, McGhee-Tyson Air National Guard Base, Tenn.
2010 Distinguished Graduate, Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2014 Doctor of Philosophy, International Relations, Arizona State University, Tempe, Ariz.
2015 Distinguished Graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2016 Outstanding Graduate, United States Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
2019 Master of Military Arts and Sciences, Joint Warfare, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2020 Air Force Legislative Fellowship, Washington D.C.
2021 Certificate in Legislative Studies, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
2022 Master of Philosophy, Military Strategy, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2023 Certificate in Global Space and Deterrence, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Calif.
2023 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by Correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 2005–May 2008, Radar Technician, 607th Air Control Squadron (ACS), Luke AFB, Ariz. (January 2007–May 2007, Radar Technician, 727th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron (EACS), Kirkuk Air Base, Iraq)
2. May 2008–January 2009, Radar Technician, 107th ACS, Luke AFB, Ariz.
3. February 2009–August 2010, Maintenance Officer, 107th ACS, Luke AFB, Ariz.
4. September 2010–June 2011, Student, 325th ACS, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
5. July 2011–June 2012, Officer in Charge, Current Operations, 107th ACS, Luke AFB, Ariz.
6. June 2012–January 2014, Air Weapons Officer, Western Air Defense Sector (WADS), Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), Wash.
7. January 2014–June 2016, Assistant Officer in Charge, Weapons, WADS, JBLM, Wash. (August 2014–November 2014, Senior Director, 727th EACS, Southwest Asia)
8. July 2016–July 2017, Chief, Weapons and Tactics, 225th Air Defense Squadron, JBLM, Wash.
9. August 2017–July 2019, Chief, Homeland Defense Branch, Air Combat Command A5Y, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
10. August 2019–December 2019, Defense Legislative Fellow, Bureau of Legislative Affairs, U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C.
11. January 2020–December 2020, Defense Fellow, Office of Representative Donald Bacon, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C.
12. January 2021–June 2021, Aide-de-Camp, Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
13. July 2021–June 2022, Student, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
14. July 2022–December 2023, Strategist, Air National Guard Director’s Action Group, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
15. January 2024–Present, Commander, 225th ADS, JBLM, Wash.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Senior Air Battle Manager
Flight hours: N/A
Aircraft flown: Ground Based Radar Duty
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
PUBLICATIONS
“Cold Wars, Grey Zones, and Strategic Competition: Applying Theories of War to Strategy in the 21st Century,” Military Strategy Magazine, Volume 8, Issue 4, spring 2023, pages 17-22
"The Book of War is Written By Chance: Napoleon’s 1812 March and the Challenge of Using History as a Guide for Strategy,” The Strategy Bridge, March 13, 2023
“Leverage the Air National Guard to Build the Fifth Generation Fighter Fleet” forthcoming, Real Clear Defense, 27 Sep 2022
“Building Bridges Instead of Breaking Glass: What Past Scientific Revolutions Suggest About Creating Collaborative Transformation” Over the Horizon: Multidomain Operations and Strategy Journal; OTHJournal.com June 10, 2020
“The Lessons of 9/11 Suggest the Way Ahead for Homeland Defense Against Small Unmanned Aerial Systems” Divergent Options; divergentoptions.org, May 13, 2020
“The Future of Warfare Will Continue to be Human” War on the Rocks, warontherocks.com, May 12, 2020
“Leveraging New Technology and Creative Development will Enhance Air Defense,” Co-author, Air Land Sea Application Bulletin, Summer 2019
“Air University Outreach,” Co-author, Air and Space Power Journal, Volume 30, Issue 3, Fall 2015
“Review of Terror in Our Time,” Air and Space Power Journal (online), March 2014
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Feb. 20, 2009
First Lieutenant Feb. 20, 2011
Captain Feb. 20, 2013
Major March 13, 2017
Lieutenant Colonel March 18, 2021
(Current as of February 2024)