Col. Barrett W. Golden serves as the Vice Commander of the 139th Airlift Wing, Rosecrans Air National Guard Base, St. Joseph, Missouri. Colonel Golden is a California native and graduated from Apple Valley High School in 1995 and Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Science. He also earned a Master of Science degree in Military Operational Arts and Sciences from Air University, Maxwell AFB, Alabama in 2012.
Colonel Golden began his service in 1999 with the Air National Guard. He attended Air Force Basic Training at Lackland AFB and Command Post Controller technical school at Keesler AFB. He then returned to an assignment with the 146th Airlift Wing as a traditional Guardsman. Colonel Golden was selected in 2001 to attend Undergraduate Pilot Training. He received his commission from the Air National Guard Academy of Military Science, McGhee Tyson ANGB, Tennessee in 2001, followed by Undergraduate Pilot Training at Columbus AFB, Mississippi and initial C-130E training at Little Rock AFB, Arkansas. Upon completion, Colonel Golden returned to the 146th Airlift Wing where he performed pilot duties aboard the Lockheed C-130 as a traditional Guardsman.
Colonel Golden began a full-time Air National Guard career when hired as an air technician in 2009 into the Chief of Tactics position, 115th Airlift Squadron. Over the years, he rose to the rating of evaluator pilot in the C-130J aircraft. He has deployed on numerous worldwide missions in times of peace and war. In 2010, Colonel Golden deployed as the Chief of Tactics for C-130 Operations, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. In 2011, he began a tour at the Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Center (AATTC), 139th Airlift Wing, St. Joseph, Missouri as an Air Force Reservist and served as a program manager in the Advanced Tactics Aircrew Course, Assistant Director of Operations for the Development Division and Director of Operations for the Training Division within the AATTC. In 2019, he took command of the 139th Airlift Wing’s Operations Support Squadron and returned to Air National Guard. In late 2020, he returned to the AATTC as Vice Commandant and eventually Commandant until 31 January 2023. He took command of the 139th Mission Support Group on 1 February 2023. As a command pilot, he has flown over 4,000 hours, including Operation JOINT FORGE, CORONET OAK, IRAQI FREEDOM, ENDURING FREEDOM, INHERENT RESOLVE, and RESOLUTE SUPPORT.
EDUCATION
1999 Bachelor of Science, Aeronautical Science, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott, Arizona
2009 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence
2013 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence
2013 Master of Science, Military Operational Art and Science, Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2019 Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence
ASSIGMENTS
June 1999 – July 1999, Student, Basic Military Training, Lackland Air Force Base, Tx.
July 1999 – September 1999, Student, Technical Training School, Keesler Air Force Base, Miss.
September 1999 – June 2001, Command and Control Journeyman, 146th Airlift Wing, Channel Islands Air National Guard Station, Cal.
June 2001 – June 2002, Student Pilot, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.
June 2002 – December 2002, C-130E Student Pilot, C-130 Formal Training Unit, Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark.
January 2002 – May 2004, C-130E Pilot, 115th Airlift Squadron, Channel Islands ANGS, Cal. (July 2003 – September 2003, C-130E Pilot, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar) (March 2004 – May 2004, C-130E Pilot, 416th Air Expeditionary Wing, Karshi-Khanabad, Uzbekistan)
May 2004 – September 2005, C-130J Pilot, 115th Airlift Squadron, Channel Islands ANGS, Cal (June 2005 – September 2005, C-130J Pilot, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar)
September 2005 – January 2009, Chief of Aircrew Training, 115th Airlift Squadron, Channel Islands ANGS, Cal.
January 2009 – June 2009, Chief of Tactics, 115th Airlift Squadron, Channel Islands ANGS, Cal.
June 2009 – December 2009, Weapons Undergraduate, C-130 Weapons Instructor Course, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
December 2009 – June 2011, Chief of Tactics, 115th Airlift Squadron, Channel Islands ANGS, Cal. (March 2010 – May 2010, Chief of Tactics, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing, Bagram, Afghanistan)
June 2011 – December 2012, Advanced Tactics Aircrew Course Director, Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Center, Rosecrans Air National Guard Base, St. Joseph, Mo.
December 2012 – May 2014, Assistant Director of Operations, Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Center, Rosecrans ANGB, Mo.
May 2014 – June 2019, Director of Operations, Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Center, Rosecrans ANGB, Mo.
June 2019 – December 2020, Commander, 139th Airlift Wing Operations Support Squadron, Rosecrans ANGB, Mo. (June 2020 – October 2020, C-130H Pilot, 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, Ali Al Salem AB, Kuwait)
December 2020 – April 2021, Vice Commandant, Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Center, Rosecrans ANGB, Mo.
April 2021 – January 2023, Commandant, Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Center, Rosecrans ANGB, Mo.
February 2023 – April 2024, Commander, 139th Mission Support Group, Rosecrans ANGB, Mo.
April 2024 – Present, Vice Commander, 139th Airlift Wing, Rosecrans ANGB, Mo.