Colonel Roland C. Tsui is the Deputy Commander of the 459th Air Refueling Wing, Joint Base Andrews, Md. He supports and directs more than 1,300 military and civilian personnel in 20 units employing eight KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft. The 459th supports Air Mobility Command's worldwide air refueling mission and U.S. Strategic Command's strategic deterrence mission. In addition, the wing provides a broad cross-section of agile combat support and aeromedical evacuation capabilities to combatant commands in times of peace, war and national emergency.
Colonel Tsui was commissioned through Officer Training School in 1996. He attended Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training and was assigned to 343d Reconnaissance Squadron at Offutt AFB, Neb., as an Electronic Warfare Officer. In 2002, he joined the Air Force Reserves and attended Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training. In 2004, he was hired as an Air Reserve Technician and progressed through positions as Chief of Current Ops, Chief of OPLAN 8010 programs, Wing Flight Safety officer and Director of Operations, 452nd Operations Support Squadron. In 2016 he assumed command of the 314th Air Refueling Squadron at Beale AFB, Calif., before becoming the deputy Operations Group commander in 2019. In 2020 he joined 4th Air Force where he managed aircrew readiness and training programs before becoming the Deputy Director of Air and Space Operations.
Prior to his current assignment, Colonel Tsui served as the Individual Mobilization Assistant to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command J71 Joint Multi-national Exercises Directorate. He led multinational, joint, U.S. Combined Exercise Control Group for USINDOPACOM Tier 1 & 2 level exercises integrating United States Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps forces within the USINDOPACOM area of responsibility (AOR) to achieve U.S. national security objectives.
EDUCATION
1994 Bachelor of Arts, Theatre, University of California, San Diego, Calif.
1996 Officer Training School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2000 Interservice Space Fundamentals Course, Schriever AFB, Colo.
2004 Squadron Officer School, non-residence program
2007 Air Command and Staff College, non-residence program
2011 Operations Officers Course, Robins AFB, Ga.
2012 Inspector General Training Course, Lansdowne, Va.
2015 Aircraft Mishap Investigators Course, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
2015 Air Reserve Component Chief of Safety Course, March ARB, Calif.
2019 Air War College, non-residence program
2022 Master of Criminology, Law and Society, University of California, Irvine, Calif.
2023 Director of Mobility Forces Course, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1996 – July 1997, student, Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training, NAS Pensacola, Fla.
2. October 1997 – February 2002, Electronic Warfare Officer, Crew Commander RC-135 V/W, 343d RS Executive Officer, Offutt AFB, Neb.
3. July 2002 – July 2003, student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Vance AFB, Okla.
4. February 2004 – March 2007, KC-135R Copilot, Aircraft Commander, Chief of Current Operations, 336th ARS, March ARB, Calif.
5. April 2007 – November 2012, KC-135R Instructor Pilot: Chief of OPLAN 8010 programs, Assistant Ops Officer, Operations Officer, 452d Operations Support Squadron, March ARB, Calif.
6. February 2011 – November 2012, 452 AMW Deputy Inspector General, March ARB, Calif.
7. December 2012 – February 2014, KC-135R Instructor Pilot: 336th ARS, March ARB, Calif.
8. November 2013 – January 2014, Operations Officer, 340 EARS, Al Udeid AB, Qatar.
9. March 2014 – June 2016, Wing Flight Safety Officer, 452 AMW, March ARB, Calif.
10. July 2016 – July 2019, Commander, 314th Air Refueling Squadron, Beale AFB, Calif.
11. August 2019 – April 2020, Deputy Commander, 940thss Operations Group, Beale AFB, Calif.
12. May 2020 – Mar 2021, Program Manager, Aircrew Training & Readiness, 4th Air Force, March ARB, Calif.
13. April 2021 – July 2021, Deputy Director of Air and Space, 4th Air Force, March ARB, Calif.
14. July 2021 – Sep 2022, IMA to USINDOPACOM J71, Joint Exercises Directorate, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii
15. Oct 2022 – April 2023, Vice Wing Commander, 459th Air Refueling Wing, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
16. April 2023 - August 2023, Commander, 459th Air Refueling Wing, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
17. August 2023 - Present, Deputy Commander, 459th Air Refueling Wing, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight Hours: More than 3,500
Aircraft Flown: T-34C, T-37B, T-1A, KC-135R, B737 and B777
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters Aerial Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Meritorious Unit Award Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with six oak leaf clusters Combat Readiness Medal with one oak leaf cluster National Defense Service Medal Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Kosovo Campaign Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one service star
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Armed Forces Service Medal with three service stars Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with gold border and one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Longevity Service Award with seven oak leaf clusters
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with one hourglass device Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon with one service star Air Force Training Ribbon
NATO Medal with one service star
EFFECTIVE DATE OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 3, 1996
First Lieutenant May 3, 1998
Captain May 3, 2000
Major March 31, 2006
Lieutenant Colonel October 7, 2011
Colonel April 1, 2021
(Current as of October 2023)