MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- Spanish Language Enabled Airman Program (LEAP) Scholar Col. Kevin R. “Buddy” Lee took command of the Air War College during a July 16, 2024, Assumption of Command ceremony.
Lee has been a LEAP Scholar since 2013. In addition to Spanish, he also speaks French, Italian, Portuguese Brazilian and has some skills in Chinese Mandarin.
As Air War College Commander, Lee will continue the Air Education and Training Command’s (soon to be Air Development Command) strategic objective to train, educate, and develop resilient, Mission-Ready Airmen who thrive in complex, contested environments.
Air Force Culture and Language Center (AFCLC) Director Howard Ward said that he looked forward to working with Lee to develop Mission Ready Airmen who are ‘committed to enhancing partner interoperability and adversary understanding.’
“All of us in the Global Classroom are incredibly excited to have Col. Lee at the helm because he brings so much to the table that is relevant to our mission of partner interoperability and adversary understanding,” he said. “Having a commander that is also a LEAP Scholar is a rare opportunity. The wealth of deployed experience where culture is inextricably linked to mission success will also add value to our expeditionary programs. Under Col. Lee’s leadership, I’m confident that AFCLC will reach even higher levels of excellence to support the CSAF priorities of readiness and integration in today’s mission and in the emerging Air Task Force and the Unit of Action constructs.”
The language and culture expertise Lee developed as a LEAP Scholar and his experience in the program shaped how he views the development of warfighters, as he alluded to at his Assumption of Command ceremony.
“Nowhere else bestows that joint warfighters of our nation’s allies and partners with the academic education and development required to face the daunting task of a rapidly changing world as does Air War College,” Lee said. “Nowhere else provides select future leaders of the Air Force and joint international partners with the educational foundation to become leaders and commanders who understand how airpower can be and is the answer to those national security dilemmas that we face as a nation…These joint warfighters must possess a variety of educational experiences. They will need to understand the language and culture to enable allied and partner operations.”
Lee previously served as Commandant, Squadron Officer School, Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. The school educates more than 4,200 Air Force officers, civilians, and international officers annually. SOS prepares students to think critically, communicate effectively, collaborate, and lead in a joint environment. SOS serves as the basic developmental education touchpoint in a student’s continuum of education as they prepare to serve as senior leaders. Before arriving at Air University, he served as Commander, 409th Air Expeditionary Group, Air Base 201, Agadez, Niger.
He graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 2000 and attended pilot training at Whiting Field, Fla., and Corpus Christi, Naval Air Station, Texas. His first assignment was to Moody AFB, Ga. Flying the HC-130P/N “King,” he upgraded to instructor pilot and served in many positions, including group executive officer. His next assignment was to Cannon, AFB, N.M., where he flew the MC-130W “Combat Spear,” the MC-130W “Dragon Spear”, and the AC-130W “Stinger II.” From 2012 to 2014, he served on staff at Headquarters, United States Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Following this assignment, he went to Kirtland AFB, N.M., and commanded the 58th Training Squadron. From July 2018 to June 2021, he was the branch chief for Future Operations-West Africa, USAFRICOM, Stuttgart, Germany. He has also served as the division chief, Operational Planning and Strategy, Headquarters, Air Education and Training Command, Randolph AFB, Texas.
A command pilot with more than 3,200 hours in the T-34, T-44, C-130E/H, HC-130P/N/J and MC-130P/W/J, Lee had numerous deployments to Uzbekistan, Djibouti, Ecuador, Afghanistan, Qatar, Iraq, Turkey and Niger in support of Operations Enduring Freedom, U.S. Southern Command counter-drug operations, Iraqi Freedom, Inverted Light, Galactic Horizon, Nomad Shadow, Juniper Shield, Juniper Micron, and Atlantic Resolve.