COLONEL JAMES L. CARDOSO

Colonel James L. Cardoso is the commander of the 58th Special Operations Wing, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. The wing trains mission-ready special operations, combat search and rescue, missile site support and UH-1N distinguished visitor aircrews for the world's best aerospace force. He oversees the activities of 2,000 Airmen, administering more than 100 training courses in 29 different crew positions, training 2,300 students annually.

Colonel Cardoso is a 1988 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. He has spent most of his career in special operations aviation and staff assignments, and commanded a squadron, group and expeditionary wing. He is a command pilot with more than 3,600 hours, including combat missions in Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia and Albania.

EDUCATION
1988 Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering, United States Air Force Academy, Colo.
1992 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1998 Master's Degree in Aeronautical Science, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Fla.
2000 Spanish Language, Defense Language Institute/Foreign Language Center, Presidio of Monterey, Calif.
2001 Command and General Staff Officer Course, Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, Fort Benning, Ga.
2002 Joint Professional Military Education Phase II, Naval Air Station Norfolk, Va.
2008 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 1988 - August 1989, student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Vance AFB, Okla.
2. August 1989 - August 1994, Safety Officer, Check Pilot, Assistant Flight Commander, and Instructor, T-38, 25th Flying Training Squadron, Vance AFB, Okla.
3. August 1994 - December 1994, student, Rotary Wing Qualification Course, Fort Rucker, Ala.
4. December 1994 - December 1995, student, MH-53J Pilot Initial Qualification, 551st Special Operations Squadron, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
5. January 1996 - January 1997, Training Officer, Executive Officer, and Pilot, MH-53J, 31st Special Operations Squadron, Osan AB, Korea
6. January 1997 - March 2000, Training Officer, Flight Commander, Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, and Evaluator Pilot MH-53J/M, 20th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
7. March 2000 - May 2000, Chief, Rotary Wing Standardization and Evaluation, Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
8. May 2000 - December 2000, student, Spanish language, Defense Language Institute/Foreign Language Center, Presidio of Monterey, Calif.
9. December 2000 - December 2001, student, Command and General Staff Officer Course, Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, Fort Benning, Ga.
10. December 2001 - December 2003, Aide-de-Camp to the Commander, United States Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.
11. December 2003 - December 2004, Operations Officer and Evaluator Pilot MH-53J, 551st Special Operations Squadron, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
12. May 2005 - May 2007, Commander and CV-22 Evaluator Pilot, 71st Special Operations Squadron, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
13. May 2007 - June 2007, Deputy Commander, 58th Operations Group, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
14. June 2007 - May 2008, Student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
15. July 2008 - March 2010, Commander, 27th Special Operations Group, Cannon AFB, N.M.
16. March 2009 - September 2009, Commander, Combined Joint Special Operations Aviation Component/1st Expeditionary Special Operations Wing, Special Operations Command Central, Joint Base Balad, Iraq
17. March 2010 - June 2010, Vice Commander, 27th Special Operations Wing, Cannon AFB, N.M.
18. July 2010 - present, Commander, 58th Special Operations Wing, Kirtland AFB, N.M.

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight Hours: More than 3,600
Aircraft Flown: PC-12, CV-22, MH-53J/M, T-38, MV-22, TH-53A, UH-1H, MQ-1

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Silver Star
Bronze Star
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal one oak leaf cluster
2000 James Jabara Award

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 1, 1988
First Lieutenant June 1, 1990
Captain June 1, 1992
Major October 1, 1999
Lieutenant Colonel March 1, 2003
Colonel September 1, 2007

(Current as of 15 Jul 10)