Col. John D. Patrick


Colonel John D. Patrick is the NATO Combined Forces Space Component Command, Chief of Staff and Director of the NATO Space Operations Centre located at Allied Air Command Ramstein AB, Germany. He leads an 18-member team from 13 Nations in integrating Space across 33 Nations and 11 National Operations Centers to include Australia and Japan. The team aggregates data products and services from across all stakeholders to execute Space effects and services across NATO, Allies, and partners. Col Patrick built the NATO Space Operations Centre from the ground floor and leads the operationalization of Space as NATO’s newest Operational Domain.

Colonel Patrick graduated from Brigham Young University and entered the Air Force in 1998 through the Officer Training School program. He is an experienced space operator, with operational experience at the 4th Space Operations Squadron as a satellite control officer and the 50th Operations Group Chief of Inspection Compliance at Schriever Air Force Base. At Vandenberg AFB, he was the Satellite Operations Lead Instructor and culminated his tour the 381st Training Group Executive Officer. Col Patrick moved to Air Force Space Command HQ as the Inspector General Space Operations team lead where he was charged with inspecting Air Force Space Command’s combat readiness and warfighting effectiveness. Following Air Command and Staff College, Col Patrick commanded the 369th Recruiting Squadron, where he executed a $1.2M budget to recruit the Nation’s top talent from 1.8 sq miles including 7 countries and 5 territories across the Pacific. Prior to duties at Ramstein Air Base, he was stationed at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe. During that period, Col Patrick was the sole Space functional expert within the Headquarters and lead the efforts to establish Space as an Operational Domian within NATO.


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