Colonel in air force - is there a general job description?

Question

What type of job does a colonel in the US air force have? Examples?

I'm not in the Air Force. Just wondering what that rank does.

Answer 1

So far the answers are VERY far off.
While yes, most LARGE squadron level commanders are Full birds, and group level commanders are full birds.

The majority of full birds int he airforce ARE NOT commanders.
At Major Command bases, you will have 70-80 full bird colonels. With only 6-7 of them being group/squadron commanders.

For example, I am stationed at Langley AFB. We are the ACC command and have aprox. 80 Colonels here. The majority of them being staff positions, overseeing personell, manning issues trhough out the US. The rest are pilots filling flying postions.

So I would say an accurate description of what a Colonel does (not a job description because it isnt a job, its a title) would be a manager of personell, assets, and duties for ALOT of people.

Answer 2

A Colonel in the Air Force (O-6) would more than likely be a group commander or a wing commander. A group has 3 or more squadrons in it, a wing a 2 or more groups. A squadron consists of anywhere from 50 to about 750 people. So, a Colonel is usually responsible for quite a bit of people, equipment, and the orderly operation of all. Of course, there are also staff jobs at higher headquarters, which involves more of policies, and directives.

Answer 3

It's called "open general" It means you're going to get a job listed under the general category. Unless, you want to be a cop, get a guaranteed AFSC! Most of the people that join open general get Security Forces, and hate it. Advice for basic: Do what you're told when you're told, and just try to keep a low key.

Answer 4

Unless the colonel is on a commander's staff, he would normally command a wing--equivalent to an Army brigade or two.