Gerald "Scott" Patton 
Treasurer, USAF Police Alumni Association

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 [email protected]