Col. Matthew Calhoun is the commander of the 131st Bomb Wing, Missouri National Guard, Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. The 131st Bomb Wing is a classic associate unit with the 509th Bomb Wing and equipped with the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber and provides nearly 1,200 combat-ready Airmen for both state and federal missions. The 131st Bomb Wing supports Airmen and operations at Whiteman AFB, and Jefferson Barracks Air National Guard Base in St. Louis, Missouri.
Col. Calhoun received his commission as a distinguished graduate of the Reserve Officer Training Corps at The Ohio State University. After graduation from pilot training at Vance AFB, Oklahoma, he qualified as a B-52H Stratofortress bomber pilot and was assigned to Minot AFB, North Dakota. Col. Calhoun has qualified as an instructor pilot in both the B-52H and B-2A. He has deployed in support of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, including more than 250 combat hours. He has commanded at the flight and squadron levels, as well as served a tour with Air Force Global Strike Command as the B-2 weapon system team chief, in which he was responsible for its $2.7 billion upgrade and sustainment program and its $1 billion operating budget. Col. Calhoun was also a key part of the select team that established initial requirements for the B-21 Raider long range strike bomber. In 2014, he joined the Missouri Air National Guard, serving as the 131st Bomb Wing Chief of Safety, and later as 131st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Commander.
Prior to his current position, the colonel served as the Vice Commander, 131st Bomb Wing, Whiteman AFB, Missouri.
EDUCATION
1996 Bachelor of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus
1996 Distinguished Graduate, U.S. Air Force ROTC
2003 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2009 Intermediate Developmental Education - Strategic Policy Internship, USAF Fellows
2009 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell-Gunter AFB, Ala.
2010 Master of Science, Strategic Communication, George Mason University, Fairfax, Va.
2015 Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1996–February 1998, Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Vance AFB, Okla.
2. February 1998–June 1999, B-52H Student Pilot, 11th Bomb Squadron, Barksdale AFB La.
3. June 1999–September 2003, B-52H Standardization and Evaluation Pilot, Aircraft Commander, and Flight Commander, 23d Bomb Squadron, Minot AFB, N.D.
4. September 2003–August 2004, B-52H Instructor Pilot, Executive Officer, 5th Operations Group, Minot AFB, N.D.
5. August 2004–October 2005, B-2A Student Pilot, 394th Combat Training Squadron, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
6. October 2005–June 2007, B-2A Instructor Pilot, Chief of Training, and Flight Commander, 13th Bomb Squadron, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
7. June 2007–December 2007, Instructor Pilot and Flight Commander, 394th Combat Training Squadron, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
8. December 2007–July 2008, Director of Operations, 13th Bomb Squadron, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
9. July 2008–December 2009, IDE Student, Air Force Fellows and Strategic Communication Masters Program, George Mason University, Fairfax, Va.
10. December 2009–December 2011, Chief of Bomber Programming and B-2A Requirements, A5/8 Directorate of Plans, Programs & Requirements, Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB, La.
11. December 2011–April 2013, Director of Operations, 393rd Bomb Squadron, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
12. April 2013–July 2014, Commander, 72nd Test and Evaluation Squadron, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
13. July 2014–February 2015, Chief of Safety, 131st Bomb Wing, Missouri Air National Guard, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
14. February 2015–July 2016, Commander, 131st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Missouri Air National Guard, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
15. July 2016–July 2020, Vice Commander, 131st Bomb Wing, Missouri Air National Guard, Whiteman, AFB, Mo.
16. July 2020–Present, Commander, 131st Bomb Wing, Missouri Air National Guard, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 3,500 hours, including more than 250 combat hours
Aircraft flown: T-37B, T-38A, B-52H and B-2A
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with oak leaf cluster
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
Air Force Combat Action Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 19, 1996
First Lieutenant June 19, 1998
Captain June 19, 2000
Major July 1, 2006
Lieutenant Colonel Oct. 1, 2011
Colonel Sept. 15, 2016
(Current as of August 2022)