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Colonel PAUL M. BISHOP

Col. Paul M. Bishop is the Commander of the Eastern Air Defense Sector (EADS). EADS is one of two North American Aerospace Defense (NORAD) air defense sectors in the Continental United States (CONUS) and reports directly to First Air Force-Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. EADS is responsible for the aerospace defense of the eastern United States to include the national capital region around Washington, D.C., and supports NORAD’s Integrated Tactical Warning and Attack Assessment and U.S. Northern Command’s homeland defense missions.

Col. Bishop is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Basic Military Training School at Lackland AFB, Texas and Columbia College. His first assignment was at the 174th Fighter Wing in Syracuse, N.Y., where he served as an F-16 avionics intermediate service maintenance specialist from 1989 to 1993. While with the 174th, he deployed in 1991 to the 4th TFW, Provisional at Al Kharj Air Base, Saudi Arabia. In 1993, Col. Bishop earned his commission through the Academy of Military Science at McGhee-Tyson Air National Guard Base, Tenn., and subsequently joined the 113th Air Control Squadron in Syracuse. He completed Weapons Director training at Tyndall AFB, Fla. in 1994. Later that year, the 113th was tasked with the NORAD mission at the Northeast Air Defense Sector in Rome and Col. Bishop served as part of the initial cadre of personnel who transitioned the air defense mission from active duty to the Air National Guard.  

Since assignment to the Sector, Col. Bishop has been qualified as a Weapons Director (WD), Weapons Director Technician (WDT), Weapons Assignment Officer (WAO), Senior Director (SD) and Mission Crew Commander (MCC). While serving as the Deputy, NEADS Exercise and Analysis Division from 2000-2002, he planned, developed and executed the first-ever live fly exercises in the National Capital Region designed to integrate U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery with traditional NORAD ACA fighters. As the Assistant DOC from 2006-2008, he helped guide the mission expansion of NEADS to the Eastern Air Defense Sector; more than doubling the size, scope and responsibility of the Sector. He also led a mission crew schedule analysis that realigned the schedule rotation to mitigate crew fatigue factors. Col. Bishop has had assignments to all three mission crews holding various leadership positions to include Weapons Section OIC, Assistant Flight Commander, Flight Commander, and Director of Operations. He also served as the Commander of the 224th Support Squadron from February 2018 to February 2019. Prior to his current position, he was the Commander of the 224th Air Defense Group (ADG). Col. Bishop is an experienced Air Battle Manager with more than 31,000 mission crew hours conducting the Sector air defense mission.  

EDUCATION

1998  Bachelor of Arts, Business Administration, Columbia College, Hancock Field, N.Y.
1999  Squadron Officer School, Honor Flight Graduate, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2006  Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2017  Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2018  ANG Squadron Commanders Course, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
2019  National Security Management Course, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y.

ASSIGNMENTS

  1. November 1988 - February 1993, F-16/A-10 Avionics Intermediate Maintenance & Component Repair Specialist, 174th Fighter Wing, Syracuse, N.Y.
  2. February 1993 - January 1994, Air Weapons Controller, 113th Air Control Squadron, Hancock Field, N.Y.
  3. January 1994 - June 1994, Student, Air Weapons Controller Undergraduate Course, 325th Air Education Training Command, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
  4. June 1994 – December 1995, Air Weapons Officer, Northeast Air Defense Sector (NEADS), Rome, N.Y.
  5. December 1995 – June 1999, Senior Director, NEADS, Rome, N.Y.
  6. June 1999 – January 2003, Deputy Director Exercise and Analysis, NEADS, Rome, N.Y.
  7. January 2003 – April 2006, Mission Crew Commander, NEADS, Rome, N.Y.
  8. April 2006 – July 2008, Assistant Chief, Operations Control, Eastern Air Defense Sector (EADS), Rome, N.Y.
  9. July 2008 – November 2009, Assistant Flight Commander/ Mission Crew Commander, EADS, Rome, N.Y.
  10. November 2009 – December 2013, Flight Commander/ Mission Crew Commander, EADS, Rome, N.Y.
  11. December 2013 – January 2016, Chief, Operations Control, EADS, Rome, N.Y.
  12. January 2016 - February 2018, Director of Operations, 224th Air Defense Squadron, Rome, N.Y.
  13. February 2018 – February 2019, Commander, 224th Support Squadron, Rome, N.Y.
  14. February 2019 – May 2020, Commander, 224th Air Defense Group, Rome, N.Y.
  15. May 2020 – present, Commander, Eastern Air Defense Sector, Rome, N.Y.

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with 2 devices
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with 1 device
Army Achievement Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor Device and 3 devices
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with 2 devices
Combat Readiness Medal with 8 devices
Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal with 5 devices
National Defense Service Medal with 1 device
Southwest Asia Service Medal with 2 devices
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal   
Air Force Longevity Service with 5 devices
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with 1 M device and 2 devices
Air Force Training Ribbon with 1 device
Kuwait Liberation Medal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Kuwait Liberation Medal, Government of Kuwait
 

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant, May 1993
First Lieutenant, July 1995
Captain, July 1997
Major, January 2003
Lieutenant Colonel, July 2009
Colonel, December 2018

(Current as of June 2020)