Colonel Elissa Granderson is the Commander of the 403rd Operations Group, 403rd Wing, Air Force Reserve Command, Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. As Commander, she 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.
She enlisted in October 1992 and graduated from intelligence training June 1993. The colonel received her commission via the Academy of Military Sciences in May 1997 and graduated from pilot training in 1999. She has 30 years of service in the Guard and Reserve, having served with the Arkansas Air National Guard, as an Imagery Analyst and C-130E/H pilot, the Missouri ANG as the Air Tasking Order Production Chief and the Air Mobility Division Execution Chief, and Reserve squadrons in Arkansas and Mississippi as a C-130J Instructor Pilot. Prior to her current position, she was the Deputy Commander of the 403rd Wing Operations Group, 403rd Wing, Air Force Reserve Command, Keesler AFB, Miss.
Col. Granderson is a Command Pilot with more than 3,000 hours in the C-130E/H/J supporting tactical airlift, airdrop, aeromedical evacuations, and close air support. She has participated in numerous multinational training exercises as both a Pilot and a Subject Matter Expert in the Combined Air Operations Centers in North and South America, Pacific, and Europe, supporting Pacific Sentry, Talisman Sabre, Bersama Warrior, Blue Flag, Cobra Gold, Cope North, and Silver Arrow. Additionally, she has supported Drug Interdiction missions, Humanitarian Relief efforts, and deployments in the C-130E/H/J and the Combined Air Operations Centers in Southeast Asia, Caribbean, and Africa in support of Operations Pacer Coin, Southern Watch, Outback, Coronet Oak, Noble Eagle, Joint Forge, Hurricane Katrina, Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, Resolute Sentinel, Inherent Resolve, and Octave Quartz.
EDUCATION
1994 Associate of Arts, Communications Applications Technology, Community College of the Air Force
1995 Bachelor of Arts, Criminal Justice, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, Ark.
2004 Associate of Arts, Paralegal Technologies, Pulaski Technical College, North Little Rock, Ark.
2007 Squadron Officer School, by correspondence
2016 Master of Arts, Military Operational Art and Science and Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2022 Air War College, by correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS
1. October 1992 – December 1997, Imagery Analyst, 123rd Reconnaissance Technical Squadron, 189th Airlift Wing, Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark.
2. December 1997 – February 1999, Student Pilot, 47th Flying Training Wing, Laughlin AFB, Texas
3. February 1999 – December 2005, C-130E/H Pilot, 154th Training Squadron, 189th Airlift Wing, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
4. January 2006 – July 2007, Individual Ready Reserve, Reserve Active Status List
5 July 2007 – March 2014, C-130J Pilot, 815th Airlift Squadron, 403rd Wing, Keesler AFB, Miss.
6. March 2014 – January 2016, Special Instructions Coordinator, 157th Air Operations Group, 181st Bomb Wing, Jefferson Barracks, Mo.
7. January 2016 – July 2016, Air Mobility Division Execution Chief, 609th Combined Air Operations Center, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar
8. July 2016 – May 2018, Air Tasking Order Production Chief, 157th Air Operations Group, 181st Bomb Wing, Jefferson Barracks, Mo.
9. May 2018 – November 2021, Director of Operations and Chief of Safety, 327th Airlift Squadron, 913th Airlift Group, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
10. November 2021 – May 2022, Executive Officer, 22nd Air Force, Dobbins AFB, Ga.
11. May 2022 – June 2023, Deputy Commander, 403rd Operations Group, 403rd Wing, Keesler AFB, Miss.
12. June 2023 – Present, Commander, 403 Operations Group, 403rd Wing, Keesler AFB, Miss.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: more than 3,000
Aircraft flown: T-3, T-37, T-44, C-130E/H/J
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one service star
Global war on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal with one service star
Air and Space Overseas Service Ribbon Short
Air and Space Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTIONS
Airman Basic August 14, 1992
Airman First Class November 27, 1992
Senior Airman November 27, 1994
Staff Sergeant October 14, 1996
Second Lieutenant May 1, 1997
First Lieutenant 1 May 1999
Captain July 31, 2001
Major April 3, 2011
Lieutenant Colonel April 3, 2018
Colonel June 1, 2023
(CURRENT AS OF JUNE 2023)