An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

COLONEL ROBERT S. BRIDGFORD

Army Colonel Robert S. Bridgford is the Vice Commander, 502d Air Base Wing (502d ABW) and Deputy Joint Base Commander, Joint Base San Antonio. The 8,000-person 502d ABW consolidates 49 installation management support functions for a military community with an annual operating budget of more than $700 million and a $10.9 billion plant replacement value. It encompasses more than 80,000 full-time personnel, 145,000 students and a retiree community of more than 250,000. The 502d ABW also supports in excess of $4.5 billion in directed Base Realignment and Closure and other major projects. The wing has host base responsibilities for Joint Base San Antonio, which includes Randolph and Lackland Air Force bases and Fort Sam Houston.

Colonel Bridgford graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science degree and a commission as a Second Lieutenant of Field Artillery. He earned a Master of Science degree in Public Administration from Shippensburg University and a Master of Arts degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College. He is a graduate of the Field Artillery Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Command and General Staff College, and the Naval War College.

Colonel Bridgford's previous assignments include: Chief of Staff, Fires Center of Excellence and Fort Sill, Okla; Garrison Commander, Fort Sill; Deputy J7 USPACOM, Camp Smith, Hawaii; TRADOC Proponency Office-Sensors, Fort Sill; Battalion Commander, 2-5 Field Artillery, Fort Sill and Operation IRAQI FREEDOM; Assistant TSM-FATDS, Fort Sill; Operations Officer, Plans Officer, and Deputy Commander, USAREUR Battlefield Coordination Detachment, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, and Operations NOBLE ANVIL and ALLIED FORCE; Battalion Executive Officer, 2-3 Field Artillery, Giessen, Germany, and Operation JOINT GUARD; AFSCOORD, 1st Armored Division, Bad Kreuznach, Germany; Brigade Fires Support Officer (FSO), Nordic-Polish Brigade, Duboj, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Operation JOINT ENDEAVOR; Network Branch Chief, U.S. Army War College, Carlisle, Pa.; Instructor-Writer, Military Intelligence Basic and Transition Courses, Fort Huachuca, Ariz.; Battalion S-4, Battalion Maintenance Officer and Battery Commander, 2-5 Field Artillery, 1st Infantry Division Forward, Neu Ulm, Germany, and Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM; and Battalion Fire Support Officer, Battery Executive Officer, and Battery Fire Direction Officer, 2-5 Field Artillery, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.

His awards and decorations include: the Legion of Merit with one oak leaf cluster, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Bronze Star with one oak leaf cluster, the Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clusters, Army Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the National Defense Service Medal with star, Army Valorous Unit Award, Army Superior Unit Award with one oak leaf cluster, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal with two bronze campaign stars, the Iraq Campaign Medal with two bronze campaign stars, Kosovo Campaign Medal with one bronze campaign star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon with numeral 3, NATO Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia), and the Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait). He has earned the Combat Action Badge and the Airborne Identification Badge.

(Current as of May 2011)