Lieutenant Colonel Obadiah N. Ritchey

Lieutenant Colonel Obadiah N. Ritchey is the Operations Flight Commander and an Associate Professor of Aerospace Studies at AFROTC Detachment 867, Norwich University, Vermont. At the Nation’s birthplace for ROTC and inside the only private Senior Military College in the country, he develops Premier Leaders of Character and Action through mentoring and teaching to nearly 150 cadets annually. He is directly responsible for all Cadet Wing activities as well as scholarships exceeding $300,000 yearly.

Colonel Ritchey earned his commission at the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO in 2004. After graduating from Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot training, he upgraded to Aircraft Commander in the KC-135 Stratotanker, leading mobility operations and conducting air refueling in seven Contingency Operations. In 2009, he transitioned to Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA), commanding and instructing both High Altitude ISR (RQ-4 Global Hawk) and Attack (MQ-1 Predator) missions worldwide. Colonel Ritchey is a Senior Pilot with over 1700 hours of Combat and Combat Support time.

Prior to his present assignment, Colonel Ritchey served at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. Starting as the Operations Support Division Chief at Headquarters, Air Force Research Lab, he supported flight test portfolios for 174 programs across five technology directorates before moving to Headquarters, Air Force Materiel Command, Operations Directorate, as the acting then Deputy Test and Evaluation Division Chief. There, he managed test policies and rated personnel assignments, as well as, directed two Lead Commands and several Functional Area Management roles.

2004 Bachelor of Science in Astronautical Engineering, USAFA, CO

2011 Master of Business Administration, University of Colorado, Fort Collins, CO

2012 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL

2013 Air Command and Staff College (Correspondence), Maxwell Air Force Base, AL

2019 Systems Engineering Certificate, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH

• Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters
• Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
• Aerial Achievement Medal
• Air and Space Commendation Medal
• Air and Space Achievement Medal
• Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters.
• Remote Combat Effects Campaign Medal with six service stars

Assignments 

• Jun 2004 – Jun 2005, Chief of Readiness, 436th Operations Support Squadron, Dover AFB, DE
• Jun 2005 – Feb 2007, Student, JSUPT, 71st Operations Support Squadron, Vance AFB, OK
• Feb 2007 – May 2009, Standardization/Evaluation Liaison Officer and KC-135 Aircraft Commander, 905th Air Refueling Squadron, Grand Forks AFB, ND
• May 2009 – Feb 2013, Flight Commander then Assistant Director of Operations and RQ-4 Instructor Pilot, 12th Recce Squadron, Beale AFB, CA
• Feb 2013 – Mar 2014, Chief, Wing Training, and RQ-4 Instructor Pilot, 9th Operations Support Squadron, Beale AFB, CA
• Mar 2014 – Nov 2016, Assistant Director of Operations and MQ-1 Instructor Pilot, 15th Attack Squadron, Creech AFB, NV
• Nov 2016 – Dec 2017, Director of Operations, 39th Operations Support Squadron, Incirclik AB, TU
• Dec 2017 – May 2021, Deputy then Chief, Flight Operations Support Division, Operations Directorate, Headquarters, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
• May 2021 – Mar 2023, Deputy Chief, Test and Evaluation Division, Air Space and Cyberspace Operations Directorate, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
• Mar 2023 – Present, Assistant Professor of Aerospace Studies and Operations Flight Commander, AFROTC Detachment 867, Norwich University, VT

Flight Information

Rating:  
Senior Pilot

Aircraft Flown:  
MQ-1B (more than 730 hours) 
RQ-4A/B (more than 340 hours) 
C-135R/T (more than 1400 hours)

Effective Dates of Promotion

• Second Lieutenant June 2004 
• First Lieutenant June 2006 
• Captain June 2008 
• Major August 2014 
• Lieutenant Colonel March 2019  
  
  (Current as of May 2023)