Air Force Lieutenant Colonel John R. Edwards is the National
Defense Visiting Fellow at Stimson. Prior to this assignment, he commanded the
96th Bomb Squadron-Red Devils, responsible for leading more than 90
personnel and 11 B-52 bombers worth $924 million in providing nuclear and
conventional combat power across the globe.
His current research is focused on US nuclear policy in Asian-Pacific
security.
Lieutenant Colonel Edwards was commissioned following graduation from the University
of Hawaii in 1995. He earned his navigator wings and naval flight officer
rating in 1996. His previous assignments include instructor electronic warfare
officer, weapons officer, evaluator, flight commander, and weapons school
instructor. He has staff experience as an action officer, branch chief, deputy
division chief, and division chief at U.S. Air Force Headquarters A3/5
CHECKMATE Division, Joint Chiefs of Staff J-3 Operations Directorate, Secretary
of the Air Force and Chief of Staff Executive Action Group, and US Air Forces
Central Command. He holds graduate degrees from The George Washington
University, Air Command and Staff College, and the School of Advanced Air and
Space studies. He flew combat missions during Operations Allied Force and Enduring
Freedom.
