Colonel Edward M. Vedder is the Vice Commander, 633d Air Base Wing, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va. As the Joint Base Vice Commander, he leads three groups, providing installation support to more than 18,000 Air Force and Army personnel, including Headquarters Air Combat Command, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, four operational wings, eight brigades, and more than 20 major associate units. COL Vedder is also responsible for providing mission-ready expeditionary Airmen to combatant commanders in support of joint and combined operations worldwide.
COL Vedder enlisted in the Army in 1988, and he earned his commission in 1994 after graduating from University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth. He then attended the Aviation Officer Basic Course and Flight Training at Fort Rucker in 1995. COL Vedder has held a variety of flying positions in the UH-1, OH-58, AH-64A/D/E, and UH-60A/L. He has served as a company commander, HHC commander, executive officer and operations officer in domestic, international and deployed environments. He was the commander of the 1-1 Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, Fort Riley, Kan. He has also served at the Pentagon as the Executive Officer to the Director of Army Aviation, HQDA G3/5/7. In his previous assignment, COL Vedder served as the Dean of Administration, a Curriculum Developer, assistant professor and faculty member of the Joint Forces Staff College.
EDUCATION
1994 Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth.
1995 Aviation Basic Officer Course, Fort Rucker, Ala.
1996 AH-64 Combat Aviator Qualification Course, Fort Rucker, Ala.
1999 Armor Captain Career Course, Fort Knox, Ky.
1999 Combined Arms and Services Staff School, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
2006 Joint Planner’s Course Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
2006 Master of Science in Administration/Management, Central Michigan University, Mt Pleasant, Mich.
2007 AH-64D Aviator Qualification Course, Fort Rucker, Ala.
2007 Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
2008 UH-60 Aviator Qualification Course, Fort Rucker, Ala.
2012 AH-64E Aviator Qualification Course, Mesa, Ariz.
2013 Joint and Combined Warfighting School, Norfolk, Va.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 1996 – September 1999, Attack Platoon Leader, Executive Officer, Assistant S-3, 1-229th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, Fort Bragg, N.C. and Bosnia
2. September 1999 – February 2001, Plans Officer, 7th Army Training Command, Grafenwohr, Germany
3. February 2001 – April 2003, Company Commander, HHC Commander, 1-501st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, Hanau, Germany and Kosovo
4. April 2003 – September 2003, HHC Commander, 1-501st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, Baghdad, Iraq
5. September 2003 – March 2007, Maneuver Observer Trainer, Battle Command Training Program at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
6. March 2007 – March 2008, Executive Officer, 1-1 Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, Fort Riley, Kan. and Iraq
7. March 2008 – May 2009, Operations Officer, 2-1 General Support Aviation Battalion, Fort Riley, Kan. and Iraq
8. May 2009 – November 2009, Operations Officer, HQDA G3/5/7 Aviation, Pentagon, DC
9. November 2009 – June 2011, Executive Officer to the Director of Army Aviation, HQDA G3/5/7, Pentagon, DC
10. June 2011 – May 2013, Commander, 1-1, Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, Fort Riley, Kan.
11. May 2013 – June 2018, Dean of Administration, Assistant Professor and Faculty Member, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rated Aircraft: UH-1, OH-58, AH-64A/D/E, UH-60A/L
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Bronze Star (with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Meritorious Service Medal (with 4 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
Air Medal
Army Commendation Medal (with 3 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
Army Achievement Medal (with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Combat Action Badge
Senior Aviator Badge
Parachutist Badge
Army Staff Badge
EFFECTIVE DATE OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 1994
First Lieutenant May 1996
Captain May 1998
Major March 2005
Lieutenant Colonel March 2010
Colonel January 2017
(Current as of June 2018)