Lt Col Roman T. Underwood is Commander, 586th Flight Test Squadron Detachment 1 at White Sands Missile Range, NM. He leads the Air Force team sponsor more than 600 test missions and other evaluation activities on Range annually. He also serves as the Deputy for Air Force, interfacing with Army and Navy leaders to utilize the resources on tri-service White Sands Missile Range.
The Lt Col entered the Air Force through Officer Training School, earning his commission in April 2003. He completed Fundamentals of Acquisition Management in March 2004 and has worked in variety acquisition positions but has focused on Test and Evaluation, graduating from the USAF Test Pilot School class 11B. Lt Col Underwood was been a Flight Commander testing C-17, C-130, C-5, and KC-135 aircraft systems and was then the director of Flight Test Engineering for the KC-46 Initial CADRE test detachment. He also served as the Deputy Director the Security Assistance Office-Afghanistan, managing $4B in security assistance funding. Prior to his current position, the Lt Col was the Deputy Chief for AFRL’s Plans and Programs Business Operation Division at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH.
Lt Col Underwood is a Senior Flight Test Engineer with over 508 hours in the F-16, T-38, C-17, C-130, KC-46, and 30 other aircraft
EDUCATION
2002 Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Tri-State University, Angola, Ind.
2003 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2004 Fundamentals of Acquisition Management, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
2008 Master of Science in Aeronautical Engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
2010 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2012 USAF Test Pilot School, Master’s Degree in Flight Test Engineering, Edwards AFB, Calif.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 2003 – April 2003, Student, Officer Training School, Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, Ala.
2. April 2003 – August 2006, Test Engineer, 40th Flight Test Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla.
3. August 2006 – March 2008, Student, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
4. March 2008 – May 2010, Program Engineer, Nondestructive Inspection Office, Tinker AFB, Okla.
5. May 2010 – May 2011, Project Manager, B-52 System Program Office, Tinker AFB, Okla.
6. May 2011 – June 2012, Student, USAF Test Pilot School, Edwards AFB, Calif.
7. June 2012 – May 2014, FTE Flight Commander, 418th Flight Test Squadron, Edwards AFB, Calif.
8. May 2014 – December 2017, Director of Flight Test Engineering, 418th Flight Test Squadron Det 1, Seattle, Wash.
9. December 2017 – June 2020, Deputy Div Chief, AFRL Business Operations Division, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
(April 2019 – November 2019, Deputy Director, Security Assistance Office-Afghanistan, HKIA, Kabul, Afghanistan)
10. June 2020 – Present, Commander, 586th Flight Test Squadron Detachment 1, White Sands Missile Range, NM.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2015 AFMC Military Tester of the Year
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION [MILITARY ONLY]
Second Lieutenant April 4, 2003
First Lieutenant April 4, 2005
Captain April 4, 2007
Major March 1, 2013
Lieutenant Colonel January 1, 2018
(CURRENT AS OF JULY 2021)