Military Service
U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel
Experience
28 years served
Future
Seeking a career in government, policy, & international affairs
Location
Apo, AE
About Erick
Currently serve as the Senior Defense Official and Defense Attaché (SDO/DATT) to Zambia. Lieutenant Colonel Jordan entered the Air Force in 1993 after completing his bachelor’s degree in computer science at the United States Naval Academy. Following Basic Communications Officer Training, he was assigned to the Southwest Air Defense Sector at March Air Force Base, California. He was later Chief of Mission Processing for the U.S. Nuclear Detonation Detection System at the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center in Los Angeles. While assigned to the 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano Air Base, Italy, the lieutenant colonel led the Operations Plans Flight during Allied Force. Next, Lieutenant Colonel Jordan was Director of Communications at the Air Expeditionary Force Battlelab, where he initiated, planned and executed initiatives to advance Air Force expeditionary capabilities. Subsequently he interned at Cisco Systems in San Jose, California, under the auspices of the Air Force’s Education with Industry program. Next he was the Chief of Readiness, Logistics and Communications branch at Headquarters Air Force Space Command. Lieutenant Colonel Jordan was then selected as the Assistant to the Director of Staff, providing executive support to the Air Force Space Command Commander, Vice Commander and Director of Staff. Following selection for attaché duty and completing the Joint Military Attaché School, he served as the United States Assistant Air Attaché to Italy. Lieutenant Colonel Jordan was then assigned to Headquarters Air Force as the Chief of Critical Asset Risk Management. During a yearlong deployment to Afghanistan in support of Enduring Freedom, Lieutenant Colonel Jordan served in three regional commands, including as President, Detainee Review Board, Combined, Joint Interagency Task Force 435. Later he was Chief of International Engagements for S. Asia and Oceania at Headquarters Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), guiding and executing PACAF engagements in Australia, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and the Pacific Island Countries. He is a certified European Regional Affairs Strategist and a member of the Air Force's Language Enabled Airman Program.
EDUCATION AND TRAINING:
1993 Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland
1993 Basic Communications Officer Training, Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi
1998 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
2001 Advanced Communications Officer Training, Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi
2003 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2004 Education with Industry, Cisco Systems, San Jose, California
2006 Master of Arts degree in International Management, U. of Maryland Global Campus
2009 Air War College, by correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS:
1. December 1993 – January 1995, Officer in Charge, Maintenance Control and Quality Assurance, Southwest Air Defense Sector, March Air Force Base, California
2. February 1995 – July 1997, Management Information Systems Project Officer, 61st Communications Squadron, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California
3. August 1997 – December 1998, Chief of Mission Processing, United States Nuclear Detonation Detection System, Navigation Timing and Ranging Global Positioning System Joint Program Office, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California
4. January 1999 – January 2001, Operations Plans Flight Commander, 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano Air Base, Italy
5. February 2001 – August 2003, Director of Communications, Air Expeditionary Force Battlelab, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho
6. September 2003 – July 2004, Education with Industry, Cisco Systems, San Jose, California
7. August 2004 – August 2005, Chief of Logistics and Communications Readiness,
Directorate of Logistics and Communications, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
8. September 2005 – March 2007, Assistant to the Director of Staff, Air Force Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
9. April 2007 – October 2007, Student, Joint Military Attaché School, Washington, District of Columbia.
10. November 2007 – November 2010, United States Assistant Air Attaché to Italy
11. December 2010 – May 2012, Chief, Critical Asset Risk Management, Homeland Operations Division, Directorate of Operations Force Management, Headquarters United States Air Force, Washington, District of Columbia
12. June 2012 – July 2013, Chief, Plans and Projects Division, Directorate of Communications, Joint Operational Corps Headquarters-Afghanistan
13. July 2013 – June 2015, Chief, South Asia and Oceania Branch, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
14. June 2015 – June 2017, Senior Defense Official and Defense Attaché to Burundi
15. June 2017 – present, United States Senior Defense Official and Defense Attaché to Zambia
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal
OTHER AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS:
United States Department of State Meritorious Honor Award
Air Force Association Salute Award
Qualified in submarines (United States Navy enlisted dolphins)
PUBLICATIONS:
“The Case for Establishing a Permanent Senior Defense Official and Defense Attaché Position at the U.S. Mission to the European Union,” International Affairs, Volume XV, Edition 3 (Winter 2012/2013)