Col. Mia L. Walsh is the Commander, Space Base Delta 3 (SBD 3), Los Angeles Air Force Base, El Segundo, California. She leads five squadrons and six staff agencies, supporting over 7,000 personnel with $1 billion in physical plant assets and manages the annual execution of a $61.4 million annual budget. SBD 3 provides medical services, civil engineering, communications, chaplain, security, logistics, personnel, readiness, and quality-of-life services to the co-located Field Command, Space Systems Command, and many other Department of Defense units in the Los Angeles area.
Col. Walsh entered the Air Force in 1998 after receiving her commission through the Reserve Officer Training Program at the University of Hawaii. She is experienced in intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch operations as well as space surveillance and completed staff tours at both the MAJCOM and Air Staff. She was the Chief of Operations in the National Joint Operations and Intelligence Center (NJOIC), Current Operations Element, J-33, Joint Staff, Washington, DC. She served as the Commander, 18th Space Control Squadron, (now the 18th Space Defense Squadron) Vandenberg Space Force Base (SFB), California., where she led the Space Domain Awareness mission.
Prior to her current position Col. Walsh served as the Chief of Operations, National Joint Operations and Intelligence Center, Deputy Directorate for Current and Integrated operations, Joint Staff J33, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. The NJOIC is the Joint Staff’s 24/7 watch floor that monitors and reports on global Joint Force operations and supports Department of Defense leadership with situational awareness and global crisis monitoring.
EDUCATION
1998 Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics, University of Hawaii
2004 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2007 Master of Arts degree in Space Operations, American Military University
2011 Master of Arts degree in Military Operational Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2015 Air War College, by correspondence
2020 Master of Science degree in National Resource Strategy, Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy,
National Defense University, Fort McNair, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
- October 1998 - February 1999, Staff Officer, 21st Operations Support Squadron, Peterson AFB, Colo.
- February 1999 - September 1999, Student, Undergraduate Space and Missile Training and Missile Initial Qualification Training, 392nd Training Squadron and 533rd Training Squadron, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
- September 1999 - May 2001, Deputy Crew Commander Instructor and Combat Crew Commander Minuteman ICBM, 321st Missile Squadron, F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo.
- May 2001 - June 2003, ICBM Chief, Evaluation Operations, 90th Operations Group Standardization and Evaluation, F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo.
- June 2003 - May 2006, Space Control Crew Commander; Chief, Operations Training Section; Operations Support Flight Commander, 20th Space Control Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla.
- May 2006 - June 2007, Executive Officer, 21st Operations Group, Peterson AFB, Colo.
- June 2007 - June 2009, Chief, Space Operations Concepts and Policy, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
- June 2009 - September 2010, Deputy Director, Research and Publications, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
- September 2010 - June 2011, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
- June 2011 - March 2014, Integrated Air and Missile Defense Branch Chief, Integrated Air and Missile Defense Division, Headquarters Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. (Deployed Jul 2012 - Jan 2013, AFCENT Chief of Staff Executive Officer, 609th Air Operations Center, Al Udeid AB, Qatar)
- March 2014 - July 2015, Senior Executive Officer, Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, Plans and Requirements (A3), Headquarters Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
- July 2015 - July 2017, Strategy Branch Chief and Deputy Division Chief, Strategy Plans Division, 614th Air Operations Center, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
- July 2017 - June 2019, Commander, 18th Space Control Squadron, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
- June 2019 - June 2020, Student, Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, National Defense University, Fort McNair, D.C.
- June 2020 – July 2022, Chief of Operations, National Joint Operations and Intelligence Center, Deputy Directorate for Current and Integrated Operations, Joint Staff J33, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
- July 2022 – present, Commander, Space Base Delta 3, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with N device
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Oct. 1, 1998
First Lieutenant Oct. 1, 2000
Captain Oct.1, 2002
Major July 1, 2008
Lieutenant Colonel Oct. 1, 2013
Colonel Nov.1, 2019
(Current as of March 2023)