Lt. Col. Stephen N. Pituch is the Group Commander of the 403rd Operations Group, 403rd Wing, at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. As the Commander, he is the senior officer responsible for the organization, training, and equipping of the Operations Group. This includes 20 C130J 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 entered the Air Force in 1996 through Basic Training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, and served as an Enlisted Communications/Navigations Systems
Maintenance Journeyman. He received his commission in 2002 through Officer Training School at Maxwell AFB, Ala., and graduated from pilot training in 2004. Throughout his career, he has held several positions including acting Chief of Wing Safety, Wing Flight Safety Officer, Instructor Pilot, Chief Pilot, Flight Commander, and Squadron Commander. Prior to his current position, he served as the acting Deputy Wing Commander, Yokota Air Base, Japan, from March to June of 2025.
Lt. Col. Pituch is a Command Pilot with more than 3,600 supporting tactical airlift, airdrop, aeromedical evacuation, hurricane penetrations, and winter storm missions. He has deployed multiple times in support of operations Coronet Oak, Joint Forge, Noble Eagle, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. In addition to his military assignments, he served as an Air Interdiction Agent for U.S. Customs and Border Protection and has also served as an Evaluator/Instructor Pilot, Aircrew Rifle Operator (Airborne Sniper), and a Ground Team Air Coordinator for high-risk search warrants. Those missions are predominately in the Caribbean Sea and one of the first lines of defense to stop the flow of illegal drugs into the United States.
EDUCATION
2001 Bachelor of Arts in Business Management, Pennsylvania State University
2001 Associate in Applied Sciences and Avionics Technology, Community College of the Air Force, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2002 Officer Training School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2004 Undergraduate Pilot Training, Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas
2006 Mobility Electronic Combat Officer Course, St. Joseph, Mo.
2007 Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Center Graduate, St. Joseph, Mo. and Libby Army Airfield, Fort Huachuca, Ariz.
2008 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2017 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2022 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 1996 – September 2002, Communication/Navigation Systems Maintenance Journeyman, 911th Maintenance Squadron, Pittsburgh Air Reserve Station, Pa.
2. September 2002 – March 2012, Pilot, Wing Chief of Safety, Squadron Flight Safety, and Wing Flight Safety 758th Airlift Squadron, Pittsburgh ARS, Pa.
3. March 2012 – April 2022, Instructor Pilot, Flight Commander, Chief Pilot, 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, Keesler AFB, Miss.
4. April 2022 – March 2025, Commander, 53rd WRS, Keesler AFB, Miss.
5. March 2025 – June 2025, Deputy Commander, 374th AW, Yokota AB, Japan
6. June 2025 – Present, Commander, 403rd Operations Group, Keesler AFB, Miss.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight Hours: 3662.6 Hours
Aircraft Flown: WC-130J, C-130J, C-130H2, C-130E
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Cluster
Air Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster
Iraq Campaign Medal with one Star
Aerial Achievement Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with two hourglasses and five ‘M’ Devices
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon (Rifle & Pistol)
Combat Readiness Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Airman First Class September 4, 1996
Senior Airman November 1, 1997
Staff Sergeant July 7, 2002
Second Lieutenant September 27, 2002
First Lieutenant September 27, 2004
Captain September 27, 2006
Major October 22, 2012
Lieutenant Colonel October 22, 2019
(Current as of July 2025)