Col. Scott L. McLaughlin is the commander of the 446th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, the state's only flying Air Force Reserve wing. He is responsible for the organization, training, equipage, and worldwide readiness of a combined Reserve and civilian wing of nearly 2,100 people at JBLM, McChord Field. The 446th Airlift Wing flies and supports the C-17 Globemaster III weapons system. Under Colonel McLaughlin's command, Air Force reservists are capable of deploying anywhere in the world, 365 days a year for training, humanitarian efforts or combat.
Colonel McLaughlin entered the United States Air Force in 1986 through Officer Training School after graduating from Lewis and Clark College and working for the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. He spent 14 years in the active duty Air Force in a variety of assignments to include working as an instructor and evaluator pilot. In November 2000, Colonel McLaughlin entered the Air Force Reserve and has served as a deputy commander and commander of an operations group. Colonel McLaughlin has flown combat support missions in multiple major campaigns, particularly in Southwest Asia.
EDUCATION
1983 Bachelor of Arts, International Affairs and Foreign Languages, Lewis and Clark College, Portland, Ore.
1997 Masters of Business Administration, City University, Bellevue, Wash.
2004 Air Command and Staff College
2008 Air War College
2011 Advanced Joint Professional Military Education, National Defense University, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk Naval Station, Va.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. November 1986 - November 1987, student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Reese Air Force Base, Texas
2. December 1987 - June 1988, student, B-52 initial qualification training, Castle Air Force Base, Calif.
3. July 1988 - November 1992, B-52 aircraft commander, 325th Bombardment Squadron, Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash.
4. December 1992 - February 1996, C-5 instructor pilot, 3rd Airlift Squadron, Dover Air Force Base, Del.
5. February 1996 - July 1996, chief, standardization and evaluation, 3rd Airlift Squadron, Dover Air Force Base, Del.
6. August 1996 - September 1997, C-5 flight test instructor pilot/assistant operations officer, 313th Flight Test Squadron, San Antonio Air Logistics Center, Kelly Air Force Base, Texas
7. October 1997 - July 1998, chief, Air Force Materiel Command C-5 standardization and evaluation, San Antonio Air Logistics Center, Kelly Air Force Base, Texas
8. July 1998 - November 2000, chief, ground and flight safety, San Antonio Air Logistics Center, Kelly Air Force Base, Texas
9. December 2000 - February 2005, C-5 instructor/evaluator pilot, 68th Airlift Squadron, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas
10. March 2005 - July 2008, aircraft operations officer, 356th Airlift Squadron, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas
11. August 2008 - January 2009, director of operations, 733rd Training Squadron, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas
12. February 2009 - August 2012, commander, 356th Airlift Squadron, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas
13. August 2012 - April 2013 deputy commander, 433rd Operations Group, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas
14. April 2013 - September 2014, commander, 349th Operations Group, Travis Air Force Base, Calif.
15. October 2014 - present, commander, 446th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight Hours: 5,710
Aircraft Flown: T-37, T-38, B-52H, C-5A/B, C-17, Falcon 50EX
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with four oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with one device
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with one device
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second lieutenant Nov. 19, 1986
First lieutenant Nov. 18, 1988
Captain Nov. 19, 1990
Major July 1, 1998
Lieutenant colonel Oct. 19, 2004
Colonel Feb. 20, 2013
Current as of October 2015