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Lt. Col. Gary "Padre" Priest, Detachment 780 Commander

Lt. Col. Gary Priest is the commander of Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps Detachment 780 and professor of aerospace studies at South ��ֱ���� State University. He leads a cadre of personnel who recruit, train, educate and motivate officer candidates from four universities for commissions in the U.S. Air Force or U.S. Space Force.

The lieutenant colonel grew up in western Michigan and entered the Air Force in June 2007 through Air Force ROTC Detachment 390 at the University of Michigan. He completed basic communications officer training at Keesler Air Force Base that summer and has since held numerous positions supporting warfighter communications and command and control operations. Prior to his current position, Lt. Col. Priest was the deputy director of communication at Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.

Lt. Col. Priest has deployed numerous times in support of United States Central Command operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Jordan and Qatar. He has also deployed to United States Indo-Pacific Command in support of freedom of navigation operations. Additionally, he served as battlestaff communications officer aboard the National Airborne Operations Center, where he accrued 429 flight hours on the E-4B “Nightwatch” aircraft.

Education

• 2007 Bachelor of Arts, history, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
• 2007 Basic Communications Officer Course, Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi
• 2007 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
• 2007 Combat Communications Readiness School, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma
• 2011 Cyberspace Officer Engineer Course, Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi
• 2012 U.S Army Combat Advisor Course, Fort Polk, Louisiana
• 2015 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
• 2015 Cyberspace 200, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
• 2019 Cyberspace 300, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
• 2020 Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Joint Warfare, Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
• 2020 Air Command and Staff College, Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, by correspondence.
• 2023 U.S. Air Force Leadership Development Course, Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
• 2023 Intelligence Intermediate Skills Course (ISR 200), Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama

Assignments

1. June 2007-October 2008, support flight officer in charge, 3rd Combat Communications Support Squadron, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma.
2. October 2008-October 2010, base-level systems flight operations officer, 34th Combat Communications Squadron, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. (November 2009-May 2010, base engineer, 332nd Expeditionary Communications Squadron, Joint Base Balad, Iraq)
3. October 2010-June 2012, network communications IPT lead, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts
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5. June 2013-November 2014, information technology program manager, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts
6. December 2014-April 2015, operations flight commander, 461st Air Control Network Squadron, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia
7. April 2015-July 2016, director of operations, 461st Air Control Network Squadron, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia (May-August 2015, air control networks officer in charge, 5th Expeditionary Airborne Command and Control Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Japan)
8. July 2016-November 2018, director of operations, 116th Communications Squadron, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia (February-July 2017, special projects officer, U.S. Air Forces Central Commander’s Action Group, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar)
9. November 2018-August 2021, Operations Team 2 communications officer, National Airborne Operations Center, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska
10. August 2021-August 2022, J6, National Airborne Operations Center, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska
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12. March 2024-July 2025, deputy director of communications, Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
13. July 2025-present, commander, Air Force ROTC Detachment 780, South ��ֱ���� State University, Brookings, South ��ֱ����

Summary of Joint Assignments

1. November 2018-August 2022, National Airborne Operations Center, as a major

Flight Information

• Flight hours: 429
• Aircraft: E-4B

Major ��ֱ����s and Decorations

• Defense Meritorious Service Medal
• Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
• Aerial Achievement Medal
• Air and Space Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
• Joint Service Achievement Medal
• Air and Space Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster

Effective Dates of Promotion

• Second lieutenant – 2007
• First lieutenant – 2009
• Captain – 2011
• Major – 2017
• Lieutenant colonel – 2023

Current as of: July 2025