Colonel Zak Blom is the Deputy Commander of the 353d Special Operations Wing. The wing employs 1,020 special operations personnel across seven squadrons at Kadena and Yokota Air Bases, supporting special operations throughout U.S. Indo-Pacific Command's area of responsibility by providing combat-ready Special Tactics Teams, MC-130J Commando II, and CV-22B Osprey aircraft.
Prior to this assignment, Col Blom was Deputy Director, Special Operations Legislative Affairs focused on Congressional engagement for USSOCOM. He recently graduated from National War College with a master’s degree in National Security Strategy and a concentration in Influence Warfare. Previously, as Commander, 352d Special Operations Support Squadron, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom he was responsible for 236 military and civilian personnel in the wing’s most functionally diverse squadron, responsible for intelligence, communications, aerial delivery, aircrew flight equipment, aircrew training, SERE, weather, medical and fly-away security.
Col Blom is from southern Ohio and received his commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps at The Ohio State University. After completing pilot training, he remained at Vance AFB as a T-1A Instructor Pilot. Following MC-130P Combat Shadow qualification he completed multiple operational assignments and combat deployments to include expeditionary command. Col Blom then attended National Intelligence University and was assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency as a Congressional Liaison to the Senate and House Armed Services Committees in Washington D.C.
EDUCATION
2001 Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, The Ohio State University
2005 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL
2008 Master of Business Administration and Management, California Coast University
2011 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2015 National Intelligence University, Washington D.C.
2021 Master of Science in National Security Strategy, National War College, Washington D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2001 – August 2002, Student, Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Vance AFB, OK
2. September 2002 – September 2005, T-1A Instructor Pilot, 32nd Flying Training Squadron, Vance AFB, OK
3. October 2005 – October 2006, Student, MC-130P Mission Pilot Qualification, Multiple Installations
4. November 2006 – March 2009, MC-130P Instructor/Evaluator Pilot & Flight Commander, 17th Special Operations Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan
5. April 2009 – March 2010, MC-130P Evaluator/Chief of Flight Safety, 353rd Special Operations Group, Kadena AB, Japan
6. April 2010 – March 2012, MC-130P Evaluator, Chief of Standardization & Evaluation and Assistant Operations Officer, 9th Special Operations Squadron, Eglin AFB, FL
7. April 2012 – April 2013, Chief Special Programs, 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, FL
8. May 2013 – July 2014, Chief of Wing Plans & Programs, 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, FL
9. August 2014 – July 2015 Student, National Intelligence University, Washington D.C.
10. August 2015 – August 2017, Congressional Liaison Officer, Defense Intelligence Agency, Washington D.C.
11. September 2017 – January 2019, Operations Officer, 352 Special Operations Squadron, RAF Mildenhall, England
12. January 2019 – June 2020, Commander, 352 Special Operations Squadron, RAF Mildenhall, England
13. July 2020 – June 2021, Student, National War College, National Defense University, Fort McNair, Washington D.C.
14. June 2021 – July 2023, Military Deputy Director, Special Operations Legislative Affairs, Washington D.C.
15. August 2023 – Present, Deputy Commander, 353d Special Operations Wing, Kadena AB, Japan
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight Hours: More than 3,800 hours
Aircraft Flown: T-1A, MC-130P, MC-130J
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
2011 AFA BG Ross G. Hoyt Award Winner
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters
Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster
Air Force Combat Action Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor Device
National Defense Service Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Korean Defense Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
NATO Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant 22 June 2001
First Lieutenant 22 June 2003
Captain 22 June 2005
Major 1 August 2011
Lieutenant Colonel 1 August 2016
Colonel 1 August 2022
(Current as of August 2023)