COLONEL RYAN E. “FERDI” FERDINANDSEN
Col Ryan Ferdinandsen is the Commander of the 423d Air Base
Group at Royal Air Force Alconbury, United Kingdom. He is
responsible for a four-base complex consisting of over 950
facilities and more than 1,000 acres with a value in excess of
$800 million. His group provides the full range of operational,
logistical, engineering, medical, and communications support
and community services to 6,500 military and civilian personnel
and their families at RAF Alconbury, RAF Molesworth, and RAF
Menwith Hill in the United Kingdom and the 426th Air Base
Squadron at Stavanger, Norway. He also serves as host for 12
multi-service, multi-national, and interagency mission partners,
including the U.S. European Command JIOCEUR Analytic Center,
NATO's Intelligence Fusion Centre, and U.S. Africa Command's
J2.
Colonel Ferdinandsen received his commission through ROTC in
2003 from the University of South Florida. A command pilot with
over 3,300 flight hours, he has flown the KC-135 and T-1 aircraft
and supported contingency operations for CENTCOM,
SOUTHCOM, AFRICOM, and EUCOM. His operational experience
includes commanding the 351st Air Refueling Squadron and
serving as the Operations Group Deputy Commander for the
100th Operations Group, both at RAF Mildenhall, UK. His other
key staff assignments include serving as Chief of the EUCOM
Contingency Plans Branch at U.S. Transportation Command, and as both Aide-de-Camp and Chief of the Commander's Action
Group for HQ Third Air Force.
Prior to his current assignment, he was the Deputy Director of Plans and Programs for U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa
at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. In this role, he directed theater engagement across Europe and Africa, guiding strategic planning,
force posture, resource management, and political-military affairs for the command. Colonel Ferdinandsen was also a Senior
Fellow at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. This twelve-month
fellowship is designed to deepen expertise in international security affairs, with a particular emphasis on European and Eurasian
security issues.
EDUCATION
2003 Bachelor of Arts, Criminology, University of South Florida
2005 Air & Space Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, AL (In-Residence)
2010 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL (In-Residence)
2011 Masters of Business Administration, Strategic Leadership, Trident University
2011 USAF Advanced Instrument School, Oklahoma City, OK
2012 Air Command and Staff College (Correspondence)
2016 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL (In-Residence)
2016 Masters of Military Operational Art & Science, Air University
2019 USAF Chief of Safety & Accident Investigation Board President Course, Kirtland AFB, NM
2019 USAF Leadership Development Course, Maxwell AFB, AL
2020 USAF Maintenance Course for Operational Commanders, Sheppard AFB, TX
2020 Air War College (Correspondence)
2021 EUCOM Regional Security Studies Course, George Washington University
2022 Professional Speechwriters Association’s Speechwriting School
2023 NATO Senior Officer Policy Course, NATO School, Oberammergau, Germany
2024 Senior Fellow, George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
ASSIGNMENTS OR CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. May 2003 – December 2004, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training (Class 04-10), 14th Flying Training Wing, Columbus AFB,
Mississippi
2. December 2004 - May 2008, KC-135 Instructor Pilot, Flight Scheduler, 91st Air Refueling Squadron, MacDill AFB, Florida
3. May 2008 - October 2012, T-1 Instructor Pilot, UPT Class Flight Commander, Current Operations Flight Commander, Assistant
Director of Operations, 14th Operations Support Squadron, Columbus AFB, Mississippi
4. October 2012 - April 2015, KC-135 Evaluator Pilot, Chief of Stan/Eval (351st Air Refueling Squadron) and Wing Executive Officer
(100th Air Refueling Wing), Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom
5. April 2015 – June 2016, Aide-de-Camp to the Commander, 3rd Air Force (USAFE)/ 17th Expeditionary Air Force (AFAFRICA),
Ramstein Air Base, Germany
6. June 2016 – June 2017, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
7. June 2017 – June 2019, Chief, EUCOM Contingency Plans Branch, USTRANSCOM J5, Scott AFB, Illinois
8. June 2019 – July 2020, Chief of Safety, 100th Air Refueling Wing, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom
9. July 2020 – February 2022, Commander, 351st Air Refueling Squadron, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom
10. February 2022 – June 2022, Deputy Commander, 100th Operations Group, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom
11. June 2022 – August 2023, Chief, Commanders Action Group, 3rd Air Force (USAFE-AFAFRICA), Ramstein Air Base, Germany
12. August 2023 – August 2024, Senior U.S. Air Force Fellow, George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, Garmisch-
Partenkirchen, Germany
13. August 2024 – June 2026, Deputy Director of Plans and Programs for Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe and U.S. Air
Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA A5/8), Ramstein Air Base, Germany
14. June 2026 – Present, Commander, 423d Air Base Group, Royal Air Force Alconbury, United Kingdom
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. Jun 2017 – Jun 2019, Chief, EUCOM Contingency Plans Branch, USTRANSCOM J5, Scott AFB, Illinois, as a Lieutenant Colonel.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Hours Flown: More than 3,300
Aircraft Flown: T-37, T-1, KC-135R/T
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 28, 2003
First Lieutenant May 28, 2005
Captain May 28, 2007
Major May 1, 2013
Lieutenant Colonel Feb. 1, 2018
Colonel July 1, 2024
(Current as of June 2026)