Dawn Hodge Now Colonel In USAF

Dawn C. Hodge is now a Colonel in the United States Air Force. She was promoted to that rank after previously serving as a Lieutenant Colonel. The newly-appointed Colonel is the eldest daughter of Mrs. Molly Hodge of Sandy Hill and the late Joseph Vanier Hodge.

The promotion ceremony was held at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida on January 3, 2003. Colonel Hodge’s mother and her husband Major Craig Ferguson were given the honour to pin the Eagle emblem on her uniform. She was the only woman among ten Lt. Colonels stationed at Eglin AFB promoted to Colonel, a rank which is achieved by less than four percent of the officers assigned to the United States Air Force. If Colonel Hodge were to be further promoted, the next rank would be that of General.

Colonel Hodge was commissioned in 1980 as a second lieutenant in the US Air Force after graduating from Officer Training School at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. Following the completion of a Transportation Officer Basic Course at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas, she was assigned to Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina as the base Traffic Management Officer. Her assignments since then have included transportation and logistics positions at the wing, higher headquarters and joint level.

She also obtained a Master of Public Administration degree from Troy State University in Alabama in 1988; attended the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk Virginia in 1994 and during that year studied at the Air Command and Staff College. In 2001 she attended the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama.

Colonel Hodge’s varied assignments over the years were as follows: July 1980-May 1983: Traffic Management/Mobility Operations Officer, Shaw Air Fore Base, South Carolina; June 1983-June 1985: Detachment Commander, Airlift Clearance Authority, Torrejon Air Base, Spain; July 1985 –July 1986: Officer-in-Charge, Aircraft Services, Osan Air Base, Korea; August 1986- May 1989: Chief of Transportation, Chicksands Air Base, United Kingdom; June 1989-May 1992: Transportation Staff Officer, Military Traffic Management Command, Falls Church, Virginia; June 1992-May 1995: Transportation Staff Officer, United States Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base Florida; July 1995-June 1997: Operations Officer, 345th Logistics Training Squadron, Lackland Air Force Base Texas; July 1997-June 2000: Chief of Transportation Division, Air National Guard Readiness Center, Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland; July 2000-June 2001: Student, Air War College; June 2001-July 2002: Commander, 96th Transportation Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida; and from July 2002: Commander, 96th Supply Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base.

Colonel Hodge, who has responsibility for logistics, is the holder of a number of awards. Her major awards and decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster; Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leave clusters; Air Force Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters; and the Joint Service Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster.

Colonel, Dawn Hodge has made her family and Anguilla proud of her accomplishments. Congratulations and best wishes to her.

The Eagle being pinned on Colonel Hodge's uniform by husband Major Craig Ferguson and her mother Mrs. Molly Hodge