Col. Eric M. Rawlings serves as the Deputy Wing Commander of the 139th Airlift Wing, Rosecrans Air National Guard Base, St. Joseph, Missouri. He is responsible for numerous wing programs, as well as advising and assisting the wing commander with maintaining the combat readiness of eight C-130 Hercules aircraft and more than 1,000 traditional and fulltime Missouri Air National Guardsmen. He is from Northwest Missouri and graduated from Platte County High School in 1990 and University of Central Missouri in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice.
Col. Rawlings began his service in 1994 with the Missouri Air National Guard. He attended Air Force Basic Training at Lackland AFB and Maintenance Technical School at Sheppard AFB. He then returned to an assignment with the 139th Airlift Wing as a traditional Guardsman. He was selected in 1999 to attend Undergraduate Pilot Training. He received his commission from the Air National Guard Academy of Military Science, McGhee Tyson ANGB, Tennessee in 2000, followed by Undergraduate Pilot Training at Columbus AFB, Mississippi and initial C-130E training at Little Rock AFB, Arkansas. Upon completion, he returned to the 139th Airlift Wing where he performed pilot duties aboard the C-130H Hercules aircraft as a traditional Guardsman.
Col. Rawlings began a full-time Air National Guard career when hired as a Technician in 2008 into the Chief of Training position, 180th Airlift Squadron. Over the years, he rose to the rating of evaluator pilot in the C-130H aircraft. He has deployed on numerous worldwide missions in times of peace and war. In 2013, he was selected as the Inspector General, 139th AW. He was responsible for implementing the new AFIS program while creating a new office of responsibility under the Wing Headquarters. He took command of the 180th Airlift Squadron on 23 July 2021. In 2022, Col. Rawlings was the deployed commander for Operation Iron Herk in support of Ukraine operations based out of Ramstein AB, Germany. As a command pilot, he has flown over 3,500 hours, including Operation JOINT FORGE, CORONET OAK, IRAQI FREEDOM, ENDURING FREEDOM, INHERENT RESOLVE, and RESOLUTE SUPPORT.
EDUCATION
1994 2000 Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice, University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, Mo. Air National Guard Academy of Military Science
2005 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence
2011 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence
2013 Joint and Combined Warfighting School, Joint Forces Command College, Norfolk, Va.
2016 Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 1995 – March1995, Student, Basic Military Training, Lackland Air Force Base, Tx.
2. March 1995 – June 1995, Student, Technical Training School, Sheppard AFB, Tx.
3. June 1995 – May 2000, Aircraft Maintenance, 139th Airlift Wing, Rosecrans Air National Guard Base, Mo.
4. September 2000 – September 2001, Student Pilot, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Columbus AFB, Miss.
5. September 2001 – April 2002, C-130E Student Pilot, C-130 Formal Training Unit, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
6. April 2002 – May 2008, C-130H Pilot, 180th Airlift Squadron, 139th Airlift Wing, Rosecrans ANGB, Mo.
(March 2003 – April 2003, C-130H Pilot, 485th Air Expeditionary Wing, King Faisal Air Base, Saudi Arabia) (May 2003 - August 2003, C-130H Pilot, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar) (January - June 2004 C-130H Pilot, 476th Air Expeditionary Wing, Karshi-Khanabad, Uzbekistan)
7. May 2008 – July 2012, Chief of Aircrew Training,139th Airlift Wing, Rosecrans ANGB, Mo.
8. August 2012 – August 2013, Chief of Wing Plans, 139th Airlift Wing, Rosecrans ANGB, Mo.
9. September 2013 – April 2015, Inspector General, 139th Airlift Wing, Rosecrans ANGB, Mo.
10. May 2015 – January 2016, Chief of Staff, Headquarters Group, 139th Airlift Wing, Rosecrans ANGB, Mo.
11. February 2016 – February 2017, Chief of Standards and Evaluations, 139th Operations Group, Rosecrans ANGB, Mo.
12. February 2017 – August 2018, Director of Operations, 180th Airlift Squadron, Rosecrans ANGB, Mo.
13. August 2018 – April 2019, Interim Commander 139th Operations Support Squadron, Rosecrans ANGB, Mo.
14. May 2019 – April 2020, Director of Operations, 139th Operations Support Squadron, Rosecrans ANGB, Mo.
15. April 2020 – July 2021, Commander 139th Civil Engineer Squadron, Rosecrans ANGB, Mo.
16. July 2021 – December 2023, Commander 180th Airlift Squadron, Rosecrans ANGB, Mo.
17. December 2023 – September 2025, Commander 139th Operations Group, Rosecrans ANGB, Mo.
18. October 2025 – Present, Deputy Wing Commander 139th Airlift Wing, Rosecrans ANGB, Mo.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight Hours: More than 3,500
Aircraft Flown: C-130H, C-130AMP, C-130E, T-1, T-37
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with service star
STATE AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Missouri Commendation Ribbon with device
Louisiana Emergency Service Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2005 139th Airlift Wing Outstanding Officer of the Year
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant — June 30, 2000
First Lieutenant — June 30, 2002
Captain — June 30, 2004
Major — August 27, 2008
Lieutenant Colonel — April 28, 2014
Colonel — October 17, 2024
(Current as of December 2025)