Colonel Billy M. "Mike" Nabors is the Commander, 186th Air Refueling Wing, Key Field Air National Guard Base, Meridian, MS. The 186th Air Refueling Wing provides over 1,200 personnel and eight KC-135R aircraft to Air Mobility Command for worldwide operations. The Wing also supports domestic counter-drug and emergency response missions as well as overseas combatant commander requirements with an RC-26B aircraft. Tennant units include the 238th Air Support Operations Squadron, the 248th Air Traffic Control Squadron, and the 286th Air Control Operations Center.
Col Nabors was commissioned through Officer Training School in the United States Air Force on January 4, 1984 as a distinguished graduate. After completing Undergraduate Pilot Training at Columbus Air Force Base, he was assigned to the 37th Flying Training Wing as an Instructor Pilot, Evaluator Pilot, Class Commander, and RSU Controller. His next assignment was in the KC-135A/R aircraft as an Aircraft Commander in the historic 407th Air Refueling Squadron of the Strategic Air Command. He performed Strategic Air Command alert duty, deployed in support of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, flying multiple combat and combat support sorties throughout Southwest Asia, and progressed to Instructor Pilot.
On March 14, 1992, Col Nabors accepted assignment to the 186th Air Refueling Wing as an Instructor Pilot in the unit's new KC-135R aircraft. Col Nabors has served multiple tours overseas in support of contingency operations, performing aircrew, staff and command duties. These operations include Joint/Deliberate Forge, Uphold Democracy, Deny Flight, Allied Force/Phoenix Duke II, Northern Watch, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom and multiple other AEF taskings. Col Nabors has also served two tours as the Commander, Pacific Tanker Task Force, in Guam. In 2008, Col Nabors was tasked with standing up a third flying mission at Key Field, the MC-12W, through the Project Liberty program. He was responsible for the training of over 1000 active duty aircrew and the approval and appropriation of over 21 million dollars in equipment and contracts. In 2010 Col Nabors led the unit in becoming mission ready in record time in its new airlift mission flying the C-27J aircraft and in 2012 led the conversion of the 186th Air Refueling Wing back to its air refueling roots in the KC-135R aircraft.
EDUCATION:
1983 Bachelor of Science in Psychology/Pre-Medicine, Milsaps College, Jackson, Miss.
1984 Undergraduate Pilot Training, Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.
1985 Pilot Instructor School (T-37), Randolph Air Force Base, Texas
1988 KC-135A Aircraft Commander School, Castle Air Force Base, Calif.
1989 KC-135R Qualification Upgrade School, Castle Air Force Base, Calif.
1989 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1992 Pilot Instructor School (KC-135R), Castle Air Force Base, Calif.
1997 Advanced Instrument School, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas
1998 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2006 Air War College, by correspondence
2009 MC-12W Qualification Training, Wichita, Kan.
2010 Air National Guard Commanders Development Course, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
2011 Mobility Commander Tactics Course, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
2012 C-27J Initial Qualification Training, Robins AFB, Ga.
2014 KC-135R Senior Officer Course, Altus AFB, Ok.
2014 USAF Wing Commander's Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS:
1. May 1984 - May 1985, student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.
2. May 1985 - September 1985, student, Pilot Instructor School, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas
3. September 1985 - September 1988, T-37 instructor pilot, chief of stan/eval, class commander and RSU controller, 37th Flying Training Squadron, Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.
4. September 1988 - January 1989, student, Aircraft Commander School (KC-135A/R), Castle Air Force Base, Calif.
5. January 1989 - March 1992, aircraft commander and instructor pilot (KC-135A/R), 407th Air Refueling Squadron, Loring Air Force Base, Maine
6. March 1992 - October 2006, chief of pilot training, scheduling officer, chief of 8044 plans, chief of stan/eval, flight commander, 153rd Air Refueling Squadron, Key Field Air National Guard Base, Meridian, Miss.
7. October 2006 - August 2010, Air Operations Officer, GS-14, 186th Air Refueling Wing, Key Field Air National Guard Base, Meridian, Miss.
8. August 2010 - December 2013, Commander 186th Operations Group, GS-14, Key Field Air National Guard Base, Meridian, Miss.
9. December 2013 - Present, Commander 186th Air Refueling Wing, GS-15, Key Field Air National Guard Base, Meridian, Miss.
FLIGHT INFORMATION:
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight Hours: Over 5000 Total hours, Over 150 Combat/Combat Support hours
Aircraft Flown: T-41, T-37, T-38, KC-135A/R, MC-12W, C-27J
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Aerial Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal
Combat Readiness Medal with eight oak leaf clusters
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with two bronze stars
Southwest Asia Service Medal with one bronze star
Kosovo Campaign Medal with two bronze stars
Humanitarian Service Medal
United Nations Medal
Kuwait Liberation Medal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Kuwait Liberation Medal Gov of Kuwait
Mississippi Magnolia Medal
Mississippi War Medal with one bronze star
Mississippi Emergency Service Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:
Second Lieutenant May 4, 1984
First Lieutenant May 4, 1986
Captain May 4, 1988
Major June 14, 1994
Lieutenant Colonel June 14, 2001
Colonel May 26, 2011
(Current as of May 2014)