Col Jon D. Earles is Commander at 27th Special Operations Medical Group. He leads 242 personnel in the delivery of medical care for the Special Operations Wing and 13,000 beneficiaries in eastern New Mexico and northwestern Texas. In this role, he is responsible for proper funding and allocation of a $11.2M medical system to support the combat capabilities of over 8,000 active-duty members across an Air Force Integrated Wing.
Prior to serving his current position, Colonel Earles, RN, MA, CEN was dual hatted as the Acting Commander, 55th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron and the Chief Nurse, 55th Medical Group, 55th Wing, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. He leads 100 medics providing AD primary care to 7.1K AD, across 52 mission partners in ACC’s most deployed Wing. Col Earles is also responsible for nursing care and the total nursing force within Ehrling Bergquist Clinic providing care for 51,000 beneficiaries. He oversees the Education and Training flight that is responsible for monitoring and teaching readiness, life support, and Total Force Awareness Training requirements for the 612-person facility. He serves as the principal advisor to the Medical Group Commander on all nursing personnel and challenges. The 55th Medical Group provides comprehensive health services to maintain the highest degree of readiness in support of contingency war mobilization and Homeland Defense plans for Offutt Air Force Base, 50 associate units, U.S. Strategic Command and the 557th Weather Wing.
EDUCATION
1993 Associate degree in Nursing, Lexington Community College; Lexington, Ky.
1999 Bachelor of Science in Nursing, University of Kentucky; Lexington, Ky.
2005 Squadron Officer School, correspondence
2007 Squadron Officer School, in-Residence, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2009 Contingency Wartime Planning Course
2012 AFSOC Mission Commanders Course
2016 Air Command and Staff College, correspondence
2017 Masters of Arts in Executive Leadership, Liberty University
2020 Air War College, correspondence
2020 Intermediate Executive Skills Course, Virtual 2020 PACAF Squadron Commanders Course, Virtual
2021 AF Combined Senior Leader Course, Virtual
2021 AFPC Squadron Leadership Course, Virtual
2022 AETC Squadron Leadership Course, Virtual
2023 Joint Medical Senior Leader Course
ASSIGNMENTS or CAREER CHRONOLOGY
- July 1989 – October 1994, Clerk Typist, 728th Engineer Detachment, United States Army Reserve, Bardstown, KY.
- October 1994 – August 1996, Clinical Nurse, 5010th US Army Hospital, USAR, Louisville, KY.
- 1996 – 1999 Individual Ready Reserve
- 1999 – 2000, Clinical Nurse, ICU, 1984 USAH, USAR, Fort Wainwright, AK.
- April 2001 – August 2004, Clinical Nurse, ICU, 99th Medical Operations Squadron, Nellis AFB, NV. (November 2002 – May 2003, Clinical Nurse, ICU, Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, Southwest Asia)
- (March 2004 – June 2004, Clinical Nurse, ICU, Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, Tallil Air Base, Iraq)
- July 2004 – August 2007, Clinical Nurse, Emergency Services, 96 MDOS, Eglin AFB, FL.
(April 2006 – September 2006, Clinical Nurse, ICU, Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, Balad AB, Iraq)
- August 2007 – April 2008, SOCCET Nurse 1st Special Operations Support Squadron, Hurlburt Field, FL.
(November 2007 – April 2008, Operation ENDURING FREEDOM-Philippines)
- April 2008 – June 2009, Squadron Commander’s Executive Officer, 1 SOSS, Hurlburt Field, FL.
(July 2008, SOCCET Nurse, Operation WILILNG SPIRIT, SOUTHCOM)
- June 2009 – August 2010, Deputy Flight Commander, 1 SOSS, Hurlburt Field, FL.
(January 2010, SOCCET Nurse, Operation UNIFIED RESPONSE, Haiti)
- August 2010 – April 2013, SOST/SOCCET OIC OL-B, 1 SOSS, St Louis, MO.
(April 2011 – August 2011, SOST Team Leader, Operation ENDURING FREEDOM-Afghanistan)
(November 2012 – April 2013, SOST Team Leader, Operation ENDURING FREEDOM-Afghanistan)
- April 2013 – July 2014, SOST/SOCCET OIC OL-B, 720th Operations Support Squadron, St Louis, MO.
- July 2014 – January 2015, Element Leader, ICU, 96th Inpatient Operations Squadron, Eglin AFB, FL.
- January 2015 – July 2018, ICU Flight Commander, 96 IPTS, Eglin AFB, FL.
(July 2015 – January 2016, Operation INHERENT RESOLVE, Al Udeid AB, Qatar)
- July 2018 – June 2020, Director, Medial Ops Division, AFSOC HQ, Hurlburt Field, FL.
- June 2020 – May 2022, Commander, 35th Surgical Ops Squadron, Misawa AB, Japan
- May 2022 – July 2024, Commander, 959th Inpatient Ops Squadron, Brooke Army Medical Center, JBSA, TX.
- July 2024 – June 2025, Chief Nurse, 55 Medical Group, Offutt AFB, NE.
- October 2024 – June 2025, Commander, 55th Operational Medical Readiness Sq, Offutt AFB, NE
- July 2025 – Present, 27th Special Ops Medical Group, Cannon AFB, NM
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with 1 silver and 3 bronze oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters Army Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with 1 oak leaf cluster Meritorious Unit Award with 3 oak leaf clusters
AF Outstanding Unit Award with 3 oak leaf cluster AF Organizational Excellence Award
Combat Readiness Medal
Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal Humanitarian Service Medal
Air Force Special Operations Command Field Grade Officer, Clinical Excellence in Nursing Award, 2011 Air Combat Command, Command Surgeon Real Pro Award 2002
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION [MILITARY ONLY]
First Lieutenant Nov. 16, 2000*
Captain Nov. 21, 2001
Major Nov. 1, 2009
Lieutenant Colonel Dec. 1, 2016
Colonel Nov. 1, 2021
(Current as of July 2025)