User:Gkleponis/Colonel W. Gregory Kleponis

'W. Gregory Kleponis,PhD. Colonel Greg Kleponis(pronunciation ķĺépōŇƏş);born 26 May 1963)was a Colonel (0-6) in the United States Air Force, historian and author. He is known for his roles in, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Born in Philadelphia, Kleponis graduated from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania in 1985, and later earned a Masters of Diplomacy from Norwich University, an Master of Laws from Queen Mary College, University of London, and a Ph.D. in Conflict Studies from the University of Bolton UK. His Thesis "Bridging the Strategic Gap: New Strategies in Post Conflict Management: A within-case and across-case study of security sector reform and rule of law institution building in post-conflict states." His Ph.D. thesis was critical of American strategy and military leadership during the Iraq and Afghanistan conflict and promoted alternatives to institutional development based largely on culture, tradition and history. His Thesis Advisor was Stephen Hardy, PhD, LLM, LLB, the well known EU jurist and former First Tier Tribunal Judge of the UK Ministry of Justice and Diamond Jubilee Barrister.

During his career he served in a variety of roles both in and out of his occupational specialty of Security Forces. In the late 1980's he served with the 38th Tactical Missle Wing, Weuschheim, Germany where he was a Defense Force Commander with the fielded tactical missile system, Ground Launched Cruise Missle (GLCM). After the INF Treaty of 1987 ended the GLCM program, he was selected as the Deputy Commander for the Air Force Ceremonial Unit in Washington DC. He then entered the reserves. He was recalled to active duty following 2001. A month after the 911 attacks he was deployed to Qatar to stand up what is now Al Udeid Air Base that served as both a base for strikes on enemy positions within Afghanistan as well as a rear base for Special Operations units. Following were a number of staff positions. In 2004 he was detailed to Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq (MNSTC-I)

He became a counterinsurgency advisor to General David Petraeus while standing up the Public Order Battalions and the Iraqi Special Police Forces at An Numaniya in Wasit Province. He remained in Iraq later taking up the position of Commander of the 889th Security Forces Squadron, Camp Bucca, Iraq. The unit was responsible for the security and detention of over 10,000 insurgents, criminals and Al Quaida aligned foreign fighters. 

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From 2009 to 2011 he was the Senior Advisor to Deputy Minister of Interior for Security for the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan serving in the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan (CSTC-A),Kabul, Afghanistan. In this role he advised the Ministry on Security forces development, internal defense and rule of law programs. Prior to this assignment he served as the as Division Chief, Policy, Requirements & Applications, Global Combat Support Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Installation, and Mission Support, Headquarters United States Air Force, Washington, DC. He contributed to the Air Force wide planning of materiel management, maintenance, munitions, services, communications, deployment and distribution, civil engineer, security, and medical functions to directly support expeditionary airbase standup, operations, sustainment, redeployment and reconstitution. He devised and coordinated program upgrades pertaining to Expeditionary Combat Support planning and deployment readiness training. As the ACS lead for the development of Irregular Warfare, he shapes doctrine, develops policy, and defines effects that Expeditionary Combat Support can deliver across the broad spectrum of Civil Military Operations in the interagency environment.

Major highlights of his career include Deputy Commander USAF Honor Guard in Washington DC, German Military Liaison and White House Social Aide. He has also held a variety of leadership positions, from Shift Commander through Deputy Support Group Commander. In 2001 he was recalled to active duty and served as the Training and Air Base Defense Action Officer in the ACC Security Forces Directorate. During this time he deployed to Operation Enduring Freedom and as the Wing AT/FP advisor, helped to stand up Al Udeid AB as well as established the Force Protection structural designs for the long term construction currently in place. In 2004, he was once again recalled and deployed to Iraq where he served as the Program Director, Iraq Special Police Development Division. In this role, he was responsible for the training and deployment of over 17,000 Iraqi Special Police supporting Multi-National Forces-Iraq in combating insurgents, terrorists and criminal elements throughout the country. He also served as an advisor to the Commanding General MNSTC-I for National Police Programs. In this capacity he worked closely with the Iraqi Ministry of the Interior, Department of State and US Military in developing training and operational doctrine for newly formed Iraqi Special Police Forces. His most recent deployment was as Commander, 886th Expeditionary Security Squadron, Camp Bucca Iraq. The unit, the largest squadron in the AOR with over 620 members, was responsible for the safeguarding of over 17,000 Iraqi insurgents, Al Qaida in Iraq (AQI), foreign fighters and violent criminals at the largest Theater Internment Facility

EDUCATION 1985 Bachelor of Arts, in Anthropology/Languages & Cultures, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania 1992 Squadron Officers School, Maxwell AFB, Ala 1999 Masters of Financial Planning, CFP, CFP Board of Standards, College of Financial Planning 1999 Certified Trust Financial Advisor (CTFA) Institute of Certified Bankers 2003 Air Command & Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala 2006 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala 2008 Master of Arts in Diplomacy/Conflict Management, Norwich University

ASSIGNMENTS Jul 1985- Oct 1987, Convoy Commander, Shift Commander, Carswell AFB, TX Oct 1987- May 1990, Defense Force Commander, 38th Missile Defense Squadron, Weuschheim AS, Germany Jul 1990- 1991, Operations Officer, 650th Security Police Squadron, Hahn, AB GE Aug 1991-Aug 1993, Deputy Commander, USAF Honor Guard, Bolling AFB, Air Force District of Washington Oct 1993- Nov 1998, IMA Operations Officer, Security Forces Squadron, Langley AFB, VA Jan 1997-1998 AT/FP Officer, Eskan Village, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Nov 1998-Sept 2001, IMA Commander, 1st Security Forces Squadron, Langley AFB, VA Oct 2001-Apr 2002, AT/FP Officer, Operation Enduring Freedom, Classified Location April 2002- Aug 2003, Action Officer, Air Base Defense Training Section, ACC HQ SF Directorate Aug 2003-Sept 2004, IMA Commander, 1st SFS, Langley AFB, VA Sept 2004-Apr 2005, Program Manager, Special Police Development Division, CPATT, MNSTC-I Baghdad, Iraq Aug 2006 – Feb 2007, Commander, 886th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, Camp Bucca. Iraq Sept 2007 – Present, Division Chief, Policy, Requirements & Applications, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Bronze Star Medal w/1 OLC Meritorious Service Medal w/4 OLC Air Force Commendation Medal Army Commendation Medal Navy & Marine Corp Commendation Medal Army Achievement Medal Air Force Achievement Medal w/1 OLC Air Force Combat Action Medal Combat Readiness Medal Iraq Campaign Medal w/2 devices Global War on Terrorism Medal Expeditionary Global War on Terrorism Medal Armed Forces Reserve Medal w/device National Defense Service Medal w/device Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal w/device US Army Combat Action Badge EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION Second Lieutenant July 10, 1985 First Lieutenant July 11, 1987 Captain July 11, 1989 Major Oct 2, 1998 Lieutenant Colonel Nov 17, 2004 Colonel Sept 1, 2008

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