Col Delbert R. Rivera is the Vice Commander of the 319th Reconnaissance Wing, Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota. He assists the Commander with executing the Wing’s Command, Control, and Communications and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance missions, leading 1,400 Airmen and civilians, and managing $3.8 billion in assets.
Col Rivera was commissioned in 1999 through the ROTC program at the University of California at Berkeley. He has commanded at the squadron level and has served on the Joint Staff and Air Staff.
Col Rivera is a command pilot with more than 3,000 hours in various aircraft, including the RQ-4 and KC-135R/T.
EDUCATION
1999 Bachelor of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California at Berkeley
2006 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2008 Master of Arts in Political Science and International Relations, University of Oklahoma
2010 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2020 Master of Strategic Studies, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
- February 2000 – August 2000, Squadron Adjutant, 9th Air Refueling Squadron, Travis AFB, Calif.
- August 2000 – September 2001, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin AFB, Texas
- September 2001 – March 2002, Student, KC-135R/T Initial Qualification Course, Altus AFB, Okla.
- March 2002 – March 2006, KC-135R/T Aircraft Commander, 92d Air Refueling Squadron, Fairchild AFB, Wash.
- March 2006 – January 2008, Flight Commander and KC-135R/T Instructor Pilot, 351 Air Refueling Squadron, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom
- January 2008 – June 2009, Wing Plans and Programs Officer and KC-135R/T Evaluator Pilot, 100th Air Refueling Wing, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom
- June 2009 – December 2009, Student, RQ-4 Initial Qualification Course, 1st Reconnaissance Squadron, Beale AFB, Calif.
- December 2009 – September 2010, RQ-4 Mission Commander, 12th Reconnaissance Squadron, Beale AFB, Calif.
- September 2010 – April 2013, Assistant Operations Officer and RQ-4 Instructor/Evaluator Pilot, 9th Operations Support Squadron, Beale AFB, Calif.
- April 2013 – June 2014, Director of Operations, 1st Reconnaissance Squadron, Beale AFB, Calif.
- June 2014 – June 2017, Branch Chief, Deputy Directorate for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Operations, J-32, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.
- June 2017 – August 2019, Commander, 7th Reconnaissance Squadron, Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy
- August 2019 – May 2020, Student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
- May 2020 – June 2021, Deputy Chief, House Liaison Office, Office of the Legislative Liaison, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, D.C.
- June 2021 – June 2022, Military Deputy, CAF Panel, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs, Headquarters Air Force, Arlington, Va.
- June 2022 – Present, Vice Commander, 319th Reconnaissance Wing, Grand Forks AFB, N. Dak.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
June 2014 – June 2017, Branch Chief, Deputy Directorate for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Operations, J-32, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C., as a Major and Lieutenant Colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: more than 3,000
Aircraft flown: T-37B, T-1A, KC-135R/T, RQ-4B
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Aerial Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant February 28, 2000
First Lieutenant January 23, 2002
Captain January 23, 2004
Major October 1, 2009
Lieutenant Colonel April 1, 2015
Colonel September 1, 2021
(Current as of January 2023)