Lieutenant Colonel Derek J. Hall is an Assistant Professor of Aerospace Studies, Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Detachment 520, Cornell University, New York. He concurrently serves as the Recruiting and Education Officer and leads the cadets through preparatory exercises prior to field training.
Lt Col Hall is a 2008 graduate of the University of Wisconsin Whitewater and commissioned through ROTC as a Communications and Information Officer. After serving at Schriever AFB, Colorado, he was selected for undergraduate navigator training at Randolph AFB, Texas, and he graduated as an Electronic Warfare Officer. In 2011 he was assigned to the RC-135S COBRA BALL at Offutt AFB, where he deployed 15 times to locations worldwide for over 700 days. During that time, he rose to instructor, Mission Commander, evaluator, and attained a Master’s of Engineering degree from the University Nebraska Lincoln. Prior to his current position he was the Director of Staff, 74th Reconnaissance Squadron, Beale AFB, California.
EDUCATION
2008 Bachelor of Science degree in Physics, University of Wisconsin, Whitewater
2008 Air & Space Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2013 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2014 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2014 Masters of Engineering, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
2020 Air Command Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2023 Masters of Aerospace Engineering, Naval Post Graduate School, Monterey, Calif.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 2008 – May 2009, Officer In Charge of Circuit Actions, 50th Space Communication Squadron, Schriever AFB, Colo.
2. May 2009 – June 2010, Student Navigator, 562nd Undergraduate Navigator Training Squadron, Randolph AFB, Texas
3. June 2010 – January 2011, Student Electronic Warfare Officer, RC-135S, 338th Combat Training Squadron, Offutt AFB, Neb.
4. January 2011 – June 2012, Electronic Warfare Officer, RC-135S, 45th Reconnaissance Squadron, Offutt AFB, Neb.
5. June 2012 – August 2014, Operations Support Flight Officer, Instructor Electronic Warfare Officer, RC-135S, 45th Reconnaissance Squadron, Offutt AFB, Neb.
6. August 2014 – May 2015, Assistant Flight Commander, Instructor Electronic Warfare Officer, RC-135S, 45th Reconnaissance Squadron, Offutt AFB, Neb.
7. May 2015 – February 2017, Flight Commander, Evaluator Electronic Warfare Officer, RC-135S, 97th Intelligence Squadron, Offutt AFB, Neb.
8. February 2017 – January 2018, Chief Electronic Warfare Officer, RC-135S, 55th Operations Group, Offutt AFB, Neb.
9. January 2018 – September 2019, Chief of Scheduling, Det 3, 9th Operations Group, Beale AFB, Calif.
10. September 2019 – January 2020, Chief of Scheduling, 427 Reconnaissance Squadron, Beale AFB, Calif.
11. January 2020 – March 2021, Chief of Security, 74 Reconnaissance Squadron, Beale AFB, Calif.
12. March 2021 – December 2021, Director of Operations, 74 Reconnaissance Squadron, Beale AFB, Calif.
13. December 2021 – June 2022, Director of Staff, 74 Reconnaissance Squadron, Beale AFB, Calif.
14. June 2022 – Present, Instructor Operations Officer, AFROTC Detachment 520, Cornell University, Ithaca N.Y.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Senior Combat Systems Officer
Flight hours: more than 1,500
Aircraft flown: RC-135
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
PUBLICATIONS
“Quantum Cryptography for Nuclear Command and Control”, Computer and Information Science Journal by the Canadian Center of Science and Education, January 2020
“Vehicle Directional Cosine Calculation Method”, Vehicles, Published by MDPI January 2023
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 28, 2008
First Lieutenant May 28, 2010
Captain May 28, 2012
Major April 01, 2018
Lieutenant Colonel July 01, 2023
(Current as of July 2023)