Col. Kevin Campanile is the Commander of the 403rd Operations Group, 403rd Wing, Air Force Reserve Command, Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. As Commander, he is responsible for all matters pertaining to the operational readiness and effectiveness of the Operations Group that includes 20 C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, two operational weather flights, an operations support squadron, tactical airlift squadron, aeromedical evacuation squadron, and the only weather reconnaissance squadron in the Department of Defense.
He commissioned via the Reserve Officer Training Corps in December 2002 upon graduation from the University of West Florida. He is a Master Navigator with more than 2,500 hours in the B-1B and C-130E/H2/H3 supporting tactical airlift, airdrop, aeromedical evacuation and close air support operations.
Throughout his career, he has held a variety of positions at the unit level including Chief of Tactics, Executive Officer and squadron Director of Operations. Additionally, he has multiple combat deployments to Southwest Asia in both the B-1B and C-130H aircraft in support of Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn. He also served as the Chief of C-130 Current Operations and C-130 Special Missions at Air Force Reserve Command Headquarters, and the Director of Operations at the 700th Airlift Squadron, Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga. Prior to his current assignment, Col. Campanile served as the Joint and Combined Exercises Branch Chief in the United States European Command’s Joint Training and Exercises Division at Patch Barracks, Germany.
EDUCATION
2002 Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, University of West Florida, Pensacola, Fla.
2011 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2011 Master of Business Administration, University of Scranton, Scranton, Pa.
2012 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2014 Advanced Study of Air Mobility, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
2014 Master of Science, Logistics, Air Force Institute of Technology, Dayton, Ohio
2016 Joint and Combined Warfighting School – Hybrid, Norfolk, Va.
2020 Air War College, by correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 2003 – May 2003, Administrative Assistant, Reserve Officer Training Corps Detachment 14, Pensacola, Fla.
2. May 2003 – May 2004, Student, Joint Strike Undergraduate Navigator Training, Pensacola Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Fla.
3. May 2004 – February 2005, Student, Electronic Warfare Officer Training, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas
4. February 2005 – August 2005, Administrative Assistant, 7th Operational Support Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas
5. August 2005 – February 2006, Student, B-1B Initial Qualification Course, Dyess AFB, Texas
6. February 2006 – April 2010, B-1B Instructor Weapons Systems Officer and Assistant Flight Commander, 9th Bomb Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas
7. April 2010 – November 2010, Student, C-130E/H Initial and Mission Qualification Course, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
8. November 2010 – May 2013, C-130H Instructor Navigator, Chief of Tactics, Executive Officer and Flight Commander, 700th Airlift Squadron, Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga.
9. May 2013 – June 2014, Student, Advanced Study of Air Mobility, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
10. June 2014 – October 2016, Chief of C-130 Current Operations and C-130 Special Missions, Air Force Reserve Command Headquarters, Robins AFB, Ga.
11. October 2016 – January 2019, Director of Operations, 700th AS, Dobbins ARB, Ga.
12. October 2021 – Present, Commander, 403rd Operations Group, Keesler, AFB, Miss.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 2019 – October 2021, Joint and Combined Exercises Branch Chief, United States European Command, Patch Barracks, Germany
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Master navigator
Flight Hours: More than 2,500
Aircraft Flown: B-1B, C-130E/H2/H3, WC-130J
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with bronze star
Iraq Campaign Medal with bronze stars
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant December 26, 2002
First Lieutenant December 26, 2004
Captain December 26, 2006
Major March 14, 2012
Lieutenant Colonel August 24, 2017
Colonel April 19, 2022
(Current as of July 2022)