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Colonel RODRICK A. KOCH

Colonel Koch currently serves as the Acting Director of the Sensors Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The directorate ensures America's air, space, and cyber forces have superior Air Force intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, precision engagement, and electronic warfare systems capabilities by developing, demonstrating, and transitioning advanced sensors and sensing technologies. The directorate’s primary areas of technology investment include radio frequency sensing; netcentric spectrum warfare; electro-optical sensors and countermeasures; automatic target recognition; performance-based sensing; and electronic devices. Colonel Koch leads the day-to-day operations of over 1,200 military, civilian, and contractor personnel, and oversees the planning and execution a more than 900-million-dollar annual budget.

Prior to AFRL, he was the Deputy Director for the Space Test Program (STP) where he deployed in fall of 2021 through spring of 2022 Al Udied AFB as a Special Projects Officer on the 9 AF/AFCENT CAG. Before STP, he was a Division Chief for the Integrated Combat System for the Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (DAFRCO) where he was responsible for the execution of multiple ACAT-1 equivalent programs. Previously to DAFRCO, he was Deputy Program Manager for Production as well as the Warfighter Integration Integrated Product Team lead for the Family of Advanced Beyond Line-of-Sight Terminal (FAB-T) Program office at Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts. He also deployed to Afghanistan where he worked at Headquarters International Security Assistance Force for the Deputy Chief of Staff for Stability in the Civil Military Synchronization Branch.

Colonel Koch’s first assignment, at the Air Force Research Laboratory Headquarters, was as a requirements officer then became the Plans and Programs Director’s executive officer. After the exec tour, he moved to the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate Composites Branch where he worked with Carbon based materials research contracts as the thermal management lead for the branch. He was then assigned to the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) and received a master’s degree in research and development management. He was then assigned to Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC), where he was the AEDC Commander’s Executive officer, the Operations Officer for the 650th Investment Planning Squadron and the Executing Agent for the Office of the Secretary of Defense’s High Speed and Hypersonic Test Technology Focus Area where he was responsible for development of high speed and hypersonic test technologies across the entire Department of Defense.

Colonel Koch is married with four children. In his spare time, he enjoys turning wrenches on project cars, bicycling, disc golf, camping, backpacking, and running.

EDUCATION
2000 BS in Mechanical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
2001 Aerospace Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, AL
2006 MAS in Research and Development Management, WPAFB, Dayton, OH
2007 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL (Residence/Non-Residence)
2011 Air Command and Staff College (Non-Residence Program)
2016 Air War College (Non-Residence Program)

ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2000-January 2001, Requirements Officer, AFRL/XPPR, WPAFB, OH
2. January 2001 – January 2002, Executive Officer, AFRL/XP, WPAFB, OH
3. July 2002–June 2004, Composites Research Engineer, AFRL/ML, WPAFB, OH
4. June 2004-June 2006, Student, AFIT, WPAFB, OH
5. June 2006-July 2009, Technology Program Manager/Ops Officer AEDC/XR, Arnold AFB, TN
6. July 2009-July 2010, Executive Officer to the Commander, Arnold AFB, TN
7. July 2010-March 2012, Chief, Warfighter Integration, FAB-T Program, Hanscom AFB, MA
8. March 2012-November 2012, Staff Officer, ISAF HQ, Kabul Afghanistan
9. November 2012-July 2014, Deputy PM, Production, FAB-T Program, Hanscom AFB, MA
10. July 2014-June 2016, Chief Advanced Tactical Systems Branch, DAFRCO, JBAB, D.C.
11. June 2016-July 2017, Deputy Chief, Tactical Combat Systems Division, AFRCO, JBAB, D.C.
12. July 2017-June 2019, Chief, Integrated Combat Systems Division, AFRCO, JBAB, DC
13. June 2019-June 2022, Deputy Division Chief Space Test Program, Kirtland AFB, NM
14. Oct 2021-May 2022, Special Projects Officer, 9AF/AFCENT CAG, Al Udied AFB, Qatar
15. June 2022-March 2024, Deputy Director, AFRL/RY, WPAFB, OH
16. March 2024 – Present, Acting Director, AFRL/RY, WPAFB, OH

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Air Force Achievement Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, 1st oak leaf cluster
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal, 1st oak leaf cluster

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant 11 June 2000
First Lieutenant 11 June 2002
Captain 11 June 2004
Major 1 June 2010
Lieutenant Colonel 1 September 2015
Colonel 1 February 2023

(Current as of March 2024)