Colonel Scott A. Gunn is the Commander, 53d Wing, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The wing is comprised of more than 1,600 military and civilian personnel across 42 units at 16 diverse locations throughout the United States. The 53d Wing conducts fighter, bomber, combat search and rescue, and remotely-piloted air vehicle operational testing, evaluation, and tactics development. Additionally, the wing is responsible for the Air Force’s Weapons System Evaluation Program.  

Before serving at the 53d Wing, Col Gunn was the Deputy Director of Force Design, Integration, and Wargaming, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air Force Futures (AF/A5/7D), Headquarters United States Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. Colonel Gunn was commissioned in the Air Force in 2001 after graduating from Harvard University. During his career, he has served as an F-15 and F-35 weapons officer, instructor pilot, flight examiner, assistant director of operations, and commander. He has attended Aerospace Basic Course, Squadron Officer School and the Air Force’s Strategic Policy Fellowship. Colonel Gunn was awarded a Master’s of Aeronautical Sciences from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2011 and a Master of Philosophy in Military Strategy from the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies in 2015, and a Master of Science in National Security Strategy in 2019.
 
Colonel Gunn is a senior pilot with over 1,800 flight hours, including over 300 flying hours in the F-35A and 1,300 flying hours in the F-15. His distinctive accomplishments include participating in Air Education and Training Command’s first-ever F-35A heavyweight weapons employment, initiating the Wing Weapons and Tactics shop for the 380th Expeditionary Operations Group at Al Dhafra Air Base, UAE, serving as a fellow on the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Air Force’s Executive Action Group, and initiating the fellowship program at America’s only dedicated air power think tank – The Mitchell Institute.

EDUCATION
2001 Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics, Harvard University, Mass.
2001 Aerospace Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2007 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2011 Air Command and Staff College by correspondence, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2011 Master’s degree in Aeronautical Sciences, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Fla.
2015 Master of Philosophy in Military Strategy, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2019 Master of Science in National Security Strategy, National War College, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C.
 
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2001 – February 2003, Student, Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training, Sheppard AFB, Texas
2. February 2003 – June 2003, Student, Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals, Moody AFB, Ga.
3. June 2003 – Feb 2004, Student, F-15 Fighter Training, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
4. February 2004 – January 2007, F-15 Instructor Pilot, Assistant Scheduler, Electronic Combat Officer, Chief of F-15C Weapons and Tactics, 67th Fighter Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Japan
5. January 2007 – June 2008, F-15 Chief of Training and Standards and Evaluations Liaison, Chief of Current Operations, 422 Test and Evaluation Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
6. July 2008 – December 2008, Student, F-15 Weapons Instructor Course, Nellis AFB, Nev.
7. January 2009 – July 2010, Squadron Weapons Officer, Weapons Shop Flight Commander, 19th Fighter Squadron, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
8. July 2010 – June 2013, F-15 Evaluator Pilot, Chief of 18th Wing Fighter Tactics, Assistant Director of Operations, Chief, Wing Weapons and Tactics, 18th Operations Support Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan
9. June 2013 – June 2014, Air Force Fellow, Strategic Policy Fellowship, Washington, D.C.
10. June 2014 – June 2015, Student, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
11. June 2015 – June 2016, F-35A Evaluator Pilot, Director of Operations, 58th Fighter Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla.
12. June 2016 – June 2018, F-35A Evaluator Pilot, Commander, 33rd Operations Support Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla.
13. June 2018 – June 2019, Student, National War College, National Defense University, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C.
14. June 2019 – June 2020, Strategist, Directorate for Strategy, Plans, and Policy (J5), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
15. June 2020 – June 2021, Chief, Strategy Division, 609th Combined Air Operations Center, Al Udeid AB, Qatar
16. June 2021 – June 2023, Vice Commander, 80th Flying Training Wing, Sheppard AFB, Texas
17. June 2023 – July 2024, Director, United States Africa Command Liaison Office, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
18. July 2024 – Present, Deputy Director, Force Design, Integration, and Wargaming, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air Force Futures, HAF, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
 
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight Hours: 2,222
Aircraft Flown: T-6, T-37, T-38, F-15C/D, F-35A
 
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal
Combat Readiness Medal with one oak leaf cluster
National Defense Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
 
ADDITIONAL AWARDS
2019 Distinguished Graduate, National War College
2012 18 OSS Field Grade Officer of the Year
2011 18 OG Field Grade Officer of the Year
2009 19 FS Instructor of the Year
2008 F-15C Weapons Instructor Course Flying Award
2008 422 TES Company Grade Officer of the Year
2007 53 Wing Company Grade Officer of the Quarter
2007 SOS Top Third Graduate
2004 F-15C FTU Top Gun/Top Book
2003 Distinguished Graduate, Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals
2003 Distinguished Graduate, Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training
2001 Aerospace Basic Course Outstanding Contributor
2001 Distinguished Graduate, ROTC, Detachment 365
 
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 20, 2001
First Lieutenant June 20, 2003
Captain June 20, 2005
Major Aug. 1, 2011
Lieutenant Colonel Feb. 1, 2015
Colonel Feb. 1, 2021
 
(Current as of January 2025)