Lieutenant Colonel Kurt Barry is the Senior Aerospace Science Instructor (SASI) at Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC) Detachment GA-064 at T.W. Josey High School in Augusta, GA. He teaches all 2nd year cadets (AS 200s) Communication Skills and the Science of Flight; as well as teaching all 4th year cadets (AS 400s) Leadership / Management and Global & Cultural Studies.

The school's unit designator (GA-064) signifies that it was one of the first 100 AFJROTC units established by the Air Force across the country. AFJROTC first started at T.W. Josey High School in 1971. Lt Colonel Barry has been teaching AFJROTC at T.W. Josey High School since 2013 and is only the 6th SASI since the inception of the AFJROTC program. Since 2014, all of Lt Col Barry's graduating AFJROTC seniors have achieved a 100% graduation rate.

Lt Colonel Barry received his officer's commission in the U.S. Air Force as a Distinguished Graduate (DG) from Air Force ROTC program at San Jose State University, San Jose, CA in 1990. During his career, he served in a wide variety of positions across 3 different weapons systems, most notably as an instructor / evaluator flying in the E-3 AWACS and E-8C JSTARS aircraft. He mentored several outstanding airmen and junior officers, some who have went to become the Air Force's 12 "Outstanding Airmen" for that year. Lt Col Barry also participated in combat operations, to include Operation ENDURING FREEDOM (Afghanistan), Operation IRAQI FREEDOM (Iraq) and Operation ODYSSEY DAWN (Libya). Lt Col Barry retired from the Air Force in 2012 after 22 years of distinguished and honorable service. He is married to the former Ruth Broderick of Evans, GA and has 3 children: Steven, Ashley & Marissa. When he isn't teaching or mentoring JROTC cadets, Lt Col Barry takes up his hobbies of photography and cycling (successfully) and golf (alas, unsuccessfully...)

Dates of Promotion

Second Lieutenant - 16 Jun 1990

1st Lieutenant - 16 Dec 1992

Captain - 16 Dec 1994

Major - 1 Jan 2002

Lieutenant Colonel - 1 Nov 2006

Flight Information

Flight Hours: 4,964.2  (1,729.1 combat hours)

Aircraft & Systems Qualified: E-8C, E-3, P-3 and Ground Mobile Radar Systems

Assignments

1. Jun - Sep 1991 - Tyndall AFB, FL - Undergraduate Air Weapons Controller Training.

2. Sep - Dec 1991 - Luke AFB, AZ - 407L Tactical Air Control System Course.

3. Dec 1991 - Dec 1994 - Hill AFB, UT - Air Weapons Controller, Chief of Scheduling, Air Surveillance Officer, 729th Air Control Squadron.

4. Dec 1994 - Sep 1998 - Tinker AFB, OK - E-3 Air Surveillance Officer, Instructor then Evaluator E-3 Air Surveillance Officer, 964th Airborne Air Control Squadron.

5. Sep 1998 - Jun 1999 - Howard AFB, Rep. of Panama - Host Nation Liaison Flight Commander and Standards & Evaluation Liaison Officer, 24th Operations Group

6. Jul 1999 - Apr 2003 - Robins AFB, GA - Flight Commander, E-8C Sensor Operator then E-8C Senior Director then E-8C Mission Crew Commander, 12th Airborne Command & Control Squadron

7. Apr 2003 - Jun 2003 - Norfolk NS, VA - Student at Joint Forces Command & Staff College.

8. Jul 2003 - Jul 2006 - Mons, Belgium - J3 Chief of NATO Air Operations then J7 NATO Air Exercises Planner, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers, Europe (SHAPE), North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

9. Jul 2006 - Jul 2007 - Robins AFB, GA - E-8C Mission Crew Commander, Deputy Director of Operations, 116th Operational Support Squadron.

10 Aug 2007 - Nov 2008 - Robins AFB, GA - E-8C Mission Crew Commander, Chief of Staff, 128th Airborne Command & Control Squadron.

11. Nov 2008 - Apr 2012 - Robins AFB, GA - E-8C Mission Crew Commander, Instructor then Evaluator E-8C Mission Crew Commander, Chief of Staff, 16th Airborne Command & Control Squadron.

Major Awards & Decorations

Defense Meritorious Service Medal

Meritorious Service Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster

Air Medal with 7 Oak Leaf Clusters

Aerial Achievement Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters

Air Force Commendation Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters

Joint Meritorious Unit Award

Meritorious Unit Award with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters

Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters

Combat Readiness Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster

National Defense Service Medal with 1 Service Star

Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters

Southwest Asia Medal with 1 Service Star

Afghanistan Campaign Medal with 1 Service Star

Iraq Campaign Medal with 1 Service Star

Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal 

Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

Humanitarian Service Medal

Air Force Overseas Short Tour with 1 Oak Lead Cluster

Air Force Overseas Long Tour 

Air Force Longevity Service Ribbon with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters

Air Force Professional Military Education Distinguished Graduate Ribbon

Air Force Training Ribbon