Air Force ROTC
Detachment 035 Commander
Lieutenant Colonel James A. Ladd
BIOGRAPHY
Lt Col James Ladd is the Professor of Aerospace Studies and Commander of Air Force ROTC Detachment 035 at Fresno State University. In this capacity, he leads a cadre of officers and enlisted members responsible for recruiting, educating, training and motivating officer candidates entering the United States Air Force.
Prior to his Air Force ROTC assignment he was an Air Force Special Warfare Squadron
Commander of the 25th Air Support Operations Squadron at Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii.
As the 25 ASOS/CC, Lt Col Ladd led a team of 134 Airmen from 27 Air Force specialties
including
Air Liaison Officers, Joint Terminal Attack Controllers and support personnel with
communications, cyber, vehicle maintenance, power production, supply, space and intelligence
expertise.
Lt Col Ladd entered the Air Force in 2000, receiving his commission from the Air Force ROTC program at The University of Texas at Austin. He attended pilot training at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas and from 2001 to 2005 served as an instructor pilot flying the T-37B and T-6A. In 2005 he was assigned to the 4th Fighter Wing at Seymour Johnson AFB, NC flying the F-15E Strike Eagle and deployed in support of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and NOBLE EAGLE. While at the 4th Fighter wing he served as a flight commander, director of staff and assistant director of operations in 3 Fighter Squadrons, directly responsible for the readiness and training of 65 aircrew and flying operations of combat squadrons with assets worth over $1.6B. In 2011 he was assigned to Special Operations Command Pacific, Camp Smith Hawaii as the J3X Chief of Targeting. As the Chief of Targeting, he led targeting, counterterrorism and counter weapons of mass destruction efforts to defeat threats as designated by the Commander of United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). Lt Col Ladd provided Command and Control of joint/combined Special Operations Forces (SOF) by deploying to forward locations supporting overseas contingency and advance force operations during Operation ENDURING FREEDOM—PHILIPPINES while synchronizing operations of HHQ/staff/SOF service-components.
EDUCATION
2000 Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics, The University of Texas at Austin
2005 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL
2011 Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College,
by correspondence
2013 Joint Combined Warfighting School--JPME Phase II, MacDill AFB, FL
2014 Level III-Fully Qualified Joint Staff Officer In accordance with Title 10, United
States Code, section 661
2018 Air War College, by correspondence, Maxwell AFB, AL
AFROTC Resources
AFROTC.com
Holm Center
Air Force.com
Air Force Resources
AF.mil
foia.af.mil
Contact Us
P: 559.278.2593
Email: Det 035
Color Guard Request:
CG Request Form