Gerald "Scott" Patton
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Lieutenant Colonel Gerald Scott Patton is the Commander of the 72d Security Forces Squadron, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. Lieutenant Colonel Patton is responsible for providing integrated defense for the Air Forces’ largest Air Logistics Complex comprising 5 wings, 7 Major Commands, and 45 associate units. He leads a squadron of over 450 Defenders while executing contingency and strategic defense plans, and securing 75 billion dollars in priority level 1 through 4 resources. He directs day-to-day force protection, law enforcement, military working dogs, criminal investigations, and confinement operations supporting a 94 thousand military and civilian populace. Lieutenant Colonel Patton advises the Air Base Wing, Contingency Action Team, and Emergency Operations Center on force protection matters and emergency actions. Finally, he is the liaison with off-base law enforcement agencies, while also team leader for a deployable Security Forces Unit Headquarters.
The son of two enlisted military parents who retired to Van Buren Arkansas, Lieutenant Colonel Scott Patton graduated from the University of Arkansas, where he received his commission through AFROTC in May 2005. He began his Air Force career as a Logistics Officer and later retrained as a Security Forces Officer. Lieutenant Colonel Patton’s deployment experience includes service at COB Adder and Baghdad, Iraq with the U.S. Army. He deployed to Al Udeid AB, Qatar as the Air Force Central Command’s Antiterrorism Officer where he led a team which provided support to the numerous installations and Forward Operating Bases in the AFCENT area of responsibility and his most recent deployment was to AB201 in Niger on the continent of Africa as the commander of the 823 Expeditionary Base Defense Squadron. He is married to Dr. Kara Patton and has a son, Gerald Thomas, and a daughter, Nora Grace. EDUCATION: 2005 Bachelor of Arts Degrees in Criminal Justice & Sociology, University of Arkansas 2005 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, AL 2010 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL 2013 Master of Arts Degree in Security Management, with Honors, American Military University 2015 Air Command and Staff College, Distance Learning 2019 Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Air University 2019 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL 2020 Air War College, Distance Learning ASSIGNMENTS: 1. July 2005 – April 2006, Officer in Charge, Vehicle Operations Flight, 341st Logistics Readiness Squadron, Malmstrom AFB, Montana 2. April 2006 – January 2007, Undergraduate Flight Training, Student, 479th Operation Support Squadron, Moody AFB, Georgia 3. January 2007 – October 2009, Officer in Charge, Logistics Section, 96th Security Forces Squadron, Eglin AFB, Florida 4. October 2009 – November 2010, Flight Commander, 732nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron Detachment 2, Baghdad, Iraq 5. November 2010 – April 2013, Operations Officer, 19th Security Forces Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Arkansas 6. April 2013 – June 2015, Readiness Training Center Operations Officer, Air Force Security Forces Center Detachment 3, Fort Bliss, Texas 7. June 2015 – May 2017, Commander, 11th Security Support Squadron, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland 8. June 2017 – July 2018, Commander, 823d Base Defense Squadron, Moody AFB, Georgia 9. July 2018 – Jun 2019, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama 10. Jun 2019 – Jun 2020, Instructor, Advisor, and DEW Director of Staff, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama 11. Jun 2020 – Present, Commander, 72d Security Forces Squadron, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Bronze Star Medal Meritorious Service Medal with Four Oak Leaf Clusters Air Force Commendation Medal Army Commendation Medal Air Force Achievement Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster Army Achievement Medal EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION: Second Lieutenant June 12, 2005 First Lieutenant June 12, 2007 Captain June 12, 2009 Major January 1, 2016 Lieutenant Colonel June 1, 2020 Scott is the Treasurer of the USAF Police Alumni Association of is proud to serve on the Board of Directors. Scott can be reached at Scott.Patton@usafpolice.org |