Lieutenant Colonel Metodi V. Roulev is the Commander, 43d Air Mobility Squadron, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina. He leads over 330 Airmen at Air Mobility Command’s only enroute in the continental United States. The 43d Air Mobility Squadron provides Command and Control, Aircraft Maintenance and Aerial Port services for all Air Mobility Command assigned aircraft supporting the 18th Airborne Corps, 18th Airborne Division, and Joint Special Operations Command. He ensures the unit’s readiness to launch the Immediate Response Force and meet nearly two hundred Air Expeditionary Force taskings.
Lt Col Roulev, a native of Velingrad, Bulgaria, was commissioned in the Air Force in 2002 after graduating from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. He earned his intelligence officer badge in 2003 and subsequently cross-trained into aviation, earning his pilot wings in 2008. He has been an Instructor Pilot and Flight Examiner in multiple C-130H variants, and is now an Aircraft Commander in the C-130J. Lt Col Roulev has served in a variety of positions at the squadron, group, wing and major command levels. Lt Col Roulev has served multiple tours in Southwest Asia and Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa, in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom, New Dawn, Enduring Freedom and Octave Shield. Prior to assuming his current position, Lt Col Roulev served as the Chief of Safety for the 43d Air Mobility Operations Group, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina.
Lieutenant Colonel Roulev is a C-130J Aircraft Commander with over 2,500 hours in the T-37A/B, T-44A, C-130E/H and C-130J aircraft. He has flown 840 combat hours in support of Operations Joint Forge, Joint Guardian, Joint Enterprise, Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, New Dawn and Octave Shield.
EDUCATION
2002 Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Rutgers University, New Jersey
2002 Air & Space Basic Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
2003 Intelligence Officer School, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas
2008 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
2011 Master of Science in Aeronautical Science, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida
2012 Air Command & Staff College, via Correspondence, Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
2013 - Present Master of Science in International Relations, Troy University, Alabama
2016 Air Command & Staff College, resident program, Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2002 – January 2003, Deputy Chief, Intelligence Training, Moody Air Force Base, Georgia
2. January 2003 – October 2003, Student, Intelligence Officer School, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas
3. October 2003 – Mar 2004, Chief, Special Security Office, HQ 16th Air Force, Aviano Air Base, Italy
4. March 2004 – June 2004, Intelligence Officer, 510th Fighter Squadron, Aviano Air Base, Italy
5. June 2004 – May 2005, Chief, Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection, HQ 16th Air Force, Aviano Air Base, Italy
6. May 2005 – November 2005, Executive Officer, 31st Operations Group, Aviano Air Base, Italy
7. November 2005 – August 2006, Watch Officer, Intelligence Operations Center, 16th Air Force, Headquarters United States Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
8. September 2006 – March 2007, Executive Officer, 80th Operations Support Squadron, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas
9. March 2007 – December 2007, T-37A/B Student, Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training, 89th Flying Training Squadron, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas
10. January 2008 – August 2008, T-44A Student, VT-31 Squadron, Advanced Maritime Flight Training, Naval Air Station Corpus Christy, Texas
11. September 2008 – October 2008, Student, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
12. October 2008 – July 2009, Student, C-130 Formal Training Unit, 62nd Airlift Squadron, Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas
13. July 2009 – March 2010, Assistant Flight Commander and Pilot C-130E/H, 50th Airlift Squadron, Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas
14. April 2010 – October 2011, Flight Commander and Aircraft Commander C-130E/H, 50th Airlift Squadron, Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas
15. October 2011 – June 2013, Chief, Commander’s Action Group, and C-130H Flight Examiner, 19th Airlift Wing, Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas
16. June 2013 – July 2015, Chief, C-130H Aircrew Training and C-130H Command Evaluator, Operations Directorate, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Illinois.
17. July 2015 – June 2016, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
18. June 2016 – May 2017, Regional Desk Officer and Foreign Area Officer, Eastern Europe, International Affairs Division, Headquarters United States Air Forces Europe, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
19. May 2017 – January 2018, Branch Chief and Foreign Area Officer, Eastern Europe, International Affairs Division, Headquarters United States Air Forces Europe, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
20. January 2018 – June 2018, Student, C-130J Formal Training Unit, Pilot Initial Qualification course, 62nd Airlift Squadron, Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas
21. July 2018 – September 2019, Director of Operations and Pilot C-130J, 43d Operations Support Squadron, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina. Attached flying duties with 39th Airlift Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas
22. September 2019 – June 2020, Chief of Safety and Aircraft Commander C-130J, 43d Air Mobility Operations Group, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina
23. June 2020 – Present, Commander, 43d Air Mobility Squadron, Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Senior Pilot
Flight hours: More than 2,500
Aircraft Flown: T-37A/B, T-44A, C-130E/H and C-130J
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Unit Award with one oak leaf cluster
Distinguished Graduate, Intelligence Officer School
Distinguished Graduate, C-130E/H Formal Training Unit
AFCENT “Aircrew of Distinction”
2017 HQ USAFE International Affairs Excellence Award
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 22, 2002
First Lieutenant May 29, 2004
Captain May 29, 2006
Major August 1, 2012
Lieutenant Colonel May 1, 2017
(Current as of 30 June 2020)