Colonel Nicolas Alcocer is Deputy Commander, 302nd Airlift Wing, Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado. He assists the commander in leading over 1,400 Air Force reservists operating, maintaining and supporting eight C-130H3 Hercules aircraft used globally for medium-range combat airlift, tactical airland and airdrop, aeromedical evacuation and Modular Airborne Firefighting System missions. The 302 AW is the only aerial firefighting wing in the Air Force Reserve.
Colonel Alcocer earned his commission in 2002 as a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. Most recently he served as the Individual Mobilization Augmentee (IMA) to the Director of Foreign Policy, Headquarters Air Force. In this role, he advised the Secretary of the Air Force, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and senior Air Force leaders in support of American strategic interests and foreign policy objectives on the use of diplomacy, international partnerships, and military capabilities to achieve national security goals. Previously, Colonel Alcocer served as the Commander, 916th Operations Support Squadron and KC-46A Instructor Pilot at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. His career was highlighted as an initial cadre KC-46A Instructor Pilot in the New Hampshire Air National Guard and a KC-135R Formal Training Unit Evaluator Pilot at Altus Air Force Base, O.K., in addition to several other mobility assignments with experience through multiple combat deployments. In 2012, he was deployed to U.S. Southern Command as Officer-in-Charge, Joint Planning and Assistance team, Military Assistance and Advisory Group, U.S. Embassy, Lima, Peru.
Colonel Alcocer is a Command Pilot with over 3,700 flight hours primarily in the KC-46A and KC-135R providing combat air refueling, aeromedical evacuation and support airlift around the world as a member of the Active Duty, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve.
EDUCATION
2002 Bachelor of Science degrees, Political Science & Foreign Area Studies, US Air Force Academy, CO
2008 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL
2012 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2012 Master of Strategic Intelligence degree, American Military University, Charles Town, WV
2020 Air War College, by correspondence
2024 Reserve Component National Security Course, National Defense University, Fort McNair, Washington D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 2002 – Jun 2003, Student, Intelligence Officer Course, Goodfellow AFB, TX
2. Jun 2003 – Aug 2004, Student, Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Columbus AFB, MS
3. Aug 2004 – Mar 2005, Student, KC-135R Copilot Initial Qualification, Altus AFB, OK
4. Mar 2005 – Mar 2008, KC-135R Aircraft Commander, 909th Air Refueling Sq, Kadena AB, Japan
5. Mar 2008 – Jul 2011, KC-135R Instructor Pilot/Flight Commander, 911th Air Refueling Squadron and Executive Officer, 916th Mission Support Group, Seymour Johnson AFB, NC
6. Jul 2011 – Jun 2014, KC-135R Formal Training Unit Evaluator, 54th Air Refueling Sq, Altus AFB, OK (Mar 2012 – Sep 2012, Officer-in-Charge, Joint Planning and Assistance team, Military Assistance and Advisory Group, U.S. Embassy, Lima, Peru)
7. Jun 2014 – Oct 2022, KC-46A and KC-135R Evaluator Pilot, 133rd Air Refueling Squadron, and Commander, 157th Maintenance Operations Flight, Pease ANGB, NH
8. Oct 2022 – Aug 2024, Commander, 916th Operations Support Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, NC
9. Aug 2024 – Jan 2026, IMA to Director of Foreign Policy, Headquarters Air Force, Washington D.C.
10. Jan 2026 – Present, Deputy Commander, 302nd Airlift Wing, Peterson SFB, CO
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: More than 3,700
Aircraft flown: C-130H, KC-46A, KC-135R/T, T-1A, T-37B
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
(Current as of January 2026)