Colonel JOSHUA H. ROCKHILL
Colonel Joshua H. Rockhill is the Commander of the 688th Cyberspace Wing, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland (JBSA), Texas. In this capacity, he leads over 3,300 professional Airmen across four groups with 19 units at 18 locations worldwide. He ensures readiness and employment to build, operate, secure, defend and extend classified and unclassified networks through four cyberspace weapon systems and critical engineering and expeditionary capabilities. He delivers resilient and integrated cyber infrastructure in garrison as well as in deployed environments, directing the training, mobilization and deployment of Airmen and systems to enable Air Force, joint and coalition combat effectiveness.
Colonel Rockhill enlisted in the Air Force in 1993 and completed multiple assignments including a deployment with NATO in support of operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina before earning his commission from Officer Training School. He has held a variety of cyberspace positions at Wing, Center, MAJCOM, Air Staff and Joint Staff levels, including two tours as a Squadron Commander and one as a Group Commander. Prior to assuming his current position, Col Rockhill was the Director of Operations, 16th Air Force, Air Forces Cyber, and Joint Force Headquarters-Cyber, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, where his responsibilities spanned over 44,000 personnel conducting worldwide information warfare.
EDUCATION
1999 – Associate of Science, Information Systems, Community College of the Air Force 2001 – Bachelor of Science, Management Information Systems, Azusa Pacific University 2001 – Officer Training School, Maxwell AFB, AL
2002 – Basic Communications Officer Training, Keesler AFB, MS 2002 – Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, AL
2006 – Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL
2007 – Master of Arts, Political Science, American Military University
2008 – Master of Arts, Organizational Science, George Washington University
2008 – Air Force Intern Program, Washington, D.C. (Intermediate Developmental Education) 2011 – Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2020 – Master of Science, National Security Studies, the National War College
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1993 – June 2001: Assignments as an Air Force enlisted communications operator on Hickam Air Force base (AFB), HI, Brooks AFB, TX, and deployed to Taszar AB, Hungary
2. July 2001 – September 2001: Officer Training School, Maxwell AFB, AL
3. October 2001 – September 2003: OIC, Networks and later, Plans, 6th Communications Squadron, MacDill AFB, FL
4. October 2003 – July 2006: Budget Officer, Chief of Air Mobility Command E-mail Systems, Group Executive Officer, and Flight Commander-Network Systems (AMC NOSC), AMC Communications Group, Scott AFB, IL
5. August 2006 – June 2008: Air Force Intern with positions on Joint Staff and Air Staff, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
6. July 2008 – July 2010: Deputy Chief, Airborne Networking, SAF/XC-CIO (A6), Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
7. August 2010 – June 2012: Cyberspace Assignments Officer, AFPC, Randolph Air Force Base, TX; also deployed as 455th Expeditionary Communications Squadron Operations Flight Commander, Bagram AAF, Afghanistan
8. July 2012 – July 2014: Commander, 48th Communications Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, England
9. July 2014 – June 2016: Chief of Joint Staff I.T. Operations, Joint Staff J6, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
10. June 2016 – June 2017: Commander, 609th Expeditionary Air Communications Squadron, Al Udeid AB, Qatar
11. July 2017 – July 2019: Speechwriter for the U.S. Air Force Vice Chief of Staff, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
12. August 2019 – June 2020: Student, the National War College, Ft. McNair, Washington, D.C.
13. July 2020 – June 2022: Commander, 26th Cyber Operations Group & Director 688 CW/A5/8/9, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, TX
14. July 2022 – June 2023: Director of Operations, Sixteenth Air Force, Air Forces Cyber, and Joint Force Headquarters-Cyber, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, TX
15. June 2023 – Present, Commander, 688th Cyberspace Wing, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, TX
JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2014 – June 2016, The Joint Staff J6, Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a Lieutenant Colonel
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with six oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
NATO Medal with bronze star device
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant - September 27, 2001
First Lieutenant - September 27, 2003
Captain - September 27, 2005
Major - November 1, 2011
Lieutenant Colonel - January 1, 2016
Colonel – March 1, 2020
(Current as of June 2023)
Colonel Rockhill enlisted in the Air Force in 1993 and completed multiple assignments including a deployment with NATO in support of operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina before earning his commission from Officer Training School. He has held a variety of cyberspace positions at Wing, Center, MAJCOM, Air Staff and Joint Staff levels, including two tours as a Squadron Commander and one as a Group Commander. Prior to assuming his current position, Col Rockhill was the Director of Operations, 16th Air Force, Air Forces Cyber, and Joint Force Headquarters-Cyber, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, where his responsibilities spanned over 44,000 personnel conducting worldwide information warfare.
EDUCATION
1999 – Associate of Science, Information Systems, Community College of the Air Force 2001 – Bachelor of Science, Management Information Systems, Azusa Pacific University 2001 – Officer Training School, Maxwell AFB, AL
2002 – Basic Communications Officer Training, Keesler AFB, MS 2002 – Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, AL
2006 – Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL
2007 – Master of Arts, Political Science, American Military University
2008 – Master of Arts, Organizational Science, George Washington University
2008 – Air Force Intern Program, Washington, D.C. (Intermediate Developmental Education) 2011 – Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2020 – Master of Science, National Security Studies, the National War College
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1993 – June 2001: Assignments as an Air Force enlisted communications operator on Hickam Air Force base (AFB), HI, Brooks AFB, TX, and deployed to Taszar AB, Hungary
2. July 2001 – September 2001: Officer Training School, Maxwell AFB, AL
3. October 2001 – September 2003: OIC, Networks and later, Plans, 6th Communications Squadron, MacDill AFB, FL
4. October 2003 – July 2006: Budget Officer, Chief of Air Mobility Command E-mail Systems, Group Executive Officer, and Flight Commander-Network Systems (AMC NOSC), AMC Communications Group, Scott AFB, IL
5. August 2006 – June 2008: Air Force Intern with positions on Joint Staff and Air Staff, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
6. July 2008 – July 2010: Deputy Chief, Airborne Networking, SAF/XC-CIO (A6), Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
7. August 2010 – June 2012: Cyberspace Assignments Officer, AFPC, Randolph Air Force Base, TX; also deployed as 455th Expeditionary Communications Squadron Operations Flight Commander, Bagram AAF, Afghanistan
8. July 2012 – July 2014: Commander, 48th Communications Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, England
9. July 2014 – June 2016: Chief of Joint Staff I.T. Operations, Joint Staff J6, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
10. June 2016 – June 2017: Commander, 609th Expeditionary Air Communications Squadron, Al Udeid AB, Qatar
11. July 2017 – July 2019: Speechwriter for the U.S. Air Force Vice Chief of Staff, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
12. August 2019 – June 2020: Student, the National War College, Ft. McNair, Washington, D.C.
13. July 2020 – June 2022: Commander, 26th Cyber Operations Group & Director 688 CW/A5/8/9, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, TX
14. July 2022 – June 2023: Director of Operations, Sixteenth Air Force, Air Forces Cyber, and Joint Force Headquarters-Cyber, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, TX
15. June 2023 – Present, Commander, 688th Cyberspace Wing, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, TX
JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2014 – June 2016, The Joint Staff J6, Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a Lieutenant Colonel
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with six oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
NATO Medal with bronze star device
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant - September 27, 2001
First Lieutenant - September 27, 2003
Captain - September 27, 2005
Major - November 1, 2011
Lieutenant Colonel - January 1, 2016
Colonel – March 1, 2020
(Current as of June 2023)
