Colonel Steven M. Bofferding is the Vice Commander, 4th Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Goldsboro, North Carolina. As the Vice Commander, he assists the Wing Commander in the organization, training, and deployment of one of the largest fighter wings in the United States Air Force, consisting of nearly 6,000 Airmen and civilians. The wing is also home to the multi-role, all-weather F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft which is assigned to two operational and two training fighter squadrons, flying more than 15,000 sorties and 24,000 hours a year. The 4th Fighter Wing teams with and provides overall host support for the 916th Air Refueling Wing, an Air Force Reserve Command KC-46A wing with an active duty squadron. The wing's assets total $5.2 billion with an annual operating and maintenance budget of $240 million.
Colonel Bofferding entered service as an AFROTC graduate from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in Economics. He earned his wings at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida in 2003. Colonel Bofferding’s first F-15E operational assignment was with the 336th Fighter Squadron at Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina, followed by an operational flying assignment with the 492d Fighter Squadron at Royal Air Force (RAF) Lakenheath, United Kingdom. Colonel Bofferding returned to Seymour Johnson AFB as an Instructor Weapons Systems Officer with the 334th Fighter Squadron where he served as the Air Combat Command F-15E Demonstration Team Director of Operations and WSO.
After spending two years as the Chief of Air Forces Branch, US Forces Korea at US Army Garrison Yongsan, South Korea, Colonel Bofferding returned to RAF Lakenheath as the 48th Fighter Wing Director of Staff and 48th Operations Support Squadron Director of Operations. Colonel Bofferding commanded both the 548th Combat Training Squadron, Fort Polk, Louisiana and AFROTC Detachment 215 at Indiana University. Prior to his current position, Colonel Bofferding was the Director of Operations, Headquarters AFROTC, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. Colonel Bofferding is an Evaluator and Master WSO with over 2,200 flying hours. He has over 500 combat hours in Operations IRAQI FREEDOM and ENDURING FREEDOM.
EDUCATION
2001 Bachelor of Arts in Economics, University of Oklahoma
2008 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2011 Master of Arts in International Relations, University of Oklahoma
2012 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2017 Air War College, by correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS OR CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. January 2002 – August 2003, Student, Joint Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training, Naval Air Station,
Pensacola, Fla.
2. September 2003 – May 2004, Student, F-15E Formal Training Unit, 334th Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C.
3. June 2004 – May 2007, Chief of Safety, Instructor Weapon Systems Officer, 336th Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
4. June 2007 – April 2010, Flight Commander, Evaluator Weapons Systems Officer, 492d Fighter Squadron, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, United Kingdom
5. May 2010 – December 2011, Operations Officer, F-15E Strike Eagle Demonstration Team Weapons Systems Officer, 4th Operations Group, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
6. January 2012 – May 2013, Assistant Director of Operations, 334th Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
7. June 2013 – July 2015, Air Forces Branch Chief, US Forces Korea, US Army Garrison Yongsan, Republic of Korea
8. August 2015 – March 2016, Assistant Director of Operations, 492d Fighter Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom
9. March 2016 – December 2016, Director of Staff, 48th Fighter Wing, RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom
10. January 2017 – January 2018, Director of Operations, 48th Operations Support Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom
11. April 2018 – June 2020, Commander, 548th Combat Training Squadron, Fort Polk Army Installation, La.
12. June 2020 – July 2022, Commander, Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps Detachment 215, Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind.
13. July 2022 – January 2023, Director of Operations, Headquarters, Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
14. January 2023 – Present, Vice Commander, 4th Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2013 – July 2015, Air Forces Branch Chief, US Forces Korea, US Army Garrison Yongson, Republic of Korea, as a Major
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Master Navigator
Flight hours: More than 2,200
Aircraft flown: F-15E
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant December 29, 2001
First Lieutenant December 29, 2003
Captain December 29, 2005
Major December 1, 2011
Lieutenant Colonel November 1, 2016
Colonel December 1, 2022
(Current as of February 2023)