Prof Bob Colella, Col (Ret) USAF

Bob Colella, a 2006 Distinguished Graduate of the National War College, returned to NWC in June 2008 as a member of the faculty. Bob is a Command Pilot with more than 3200 hours in B-52, B-2, and T-38 aircraft. His military decorations include the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster. He is a 1986 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. After attending Undergraduate Pilot Training at Williams AFB, Arizona in August 1987 he completed the B-52G Combat Crew Training Course at Castle AFB, California and was assigned to Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan where he served as copilot and aircraft commander in the 524th Bomb Squadron. He continued to fly the B-52 as an instructor pilot and graduated from the USAF Weapons School in 1994 as a B-52 Weapons Instructor prior to assignment as a formal training unit instructor at Barksdale AFB, LA. While there he completed a Master of Science Degree in Information Systems Management, graduating from Louisiana State University, Shreveport.

Colonel Colella was selected for assignment to the B-2A in 1996 and was reassigned to the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman AFB, Missouri. After completing training as a Mission Commander in the B-2A, he served as the Wing Weapons Officer and B-2 Instructor Pilot. During Operation Allied Force he participated in the combat debut of the B-2A flying round trip missions from the CONUS.

In July 1999, he attended Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell AFB, Alabama and received a Master of Military Operational Art and Science degree. He was selected to attend the School of Advanced Airpower Studies (SAAS) and graduated in June of 2001 earning the degree of Master of Airpower Art and Science.
Colonel Colella was then assigned to the Pentagon, HQ Air Force, XOOC (CHECKMATE) as the Chief,

EUCOM/CENTCOM Branch in July 2001. During Operation Enduring Freedom he served in the Future Planning Element at USCENTCOM Headquarters, MacDill AFB, Florida.

Colonel Colella returned to flying in February 2003 with the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. He took command of the 96th Bomb Squadron in July of 2003 deploying his unit to Andersen AFB Guam to support the continuous bomber presence mission for the Pacific Command area of operations.

Upon graduation he was assigned to the Joint Staff as the J63-Current Operations Division Chief and was responsible for the implementation of the National Military Strategy for Cyberspace Operations. Within the domain of cyberspace he led policy and exercise discussions on the proper roles, missions and authorities for Cyberspace and maintained a constant situational awareness of computer network security throughout the global information grid for the Chairman and his staff.

EMAIL:  colellar@ndu.edu