Col. Tyson Kindness is the Staff Judge Advocate (SJA) for Headquarters, Air Combat Command (ACC), Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. He is the principal legal adviser to the ACC Commander and headquarters staff on all legal issues involving military justice, operational and international law, and civil law. Col. Kindness provides professional guidance to over 600 active duty, reserve, and civilian attorneys and paralegals within ACC. His office establishes legal and policy oversight for 27 legal offices, providing legal services to over 157,000 active duty, reserve, and civilian personnel and their eligible dependents.
Col. Kindness has previously served as the Director of the Professional Development Directorate and the Director of Staff for the Office of The Judge Advocate General, SJA for the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field and deployed SJA for the Combined Joint Special Operations Air Component in Afghanistan, Air Staff Counsel at Headquarters Air Force, and various military justice positions, including Government Appellate Counsel, Area Defense Counsel, and Trial Counsel.
He is an active member of the State Bar of Ohio and is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Ohio, the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.
EDUCATION
2002 Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
2005 Juris Doctor, cum laude, Capital University Law School, Columbus, Ohio
2009 Squadron Officer School, top third graduate and top third flight, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2012 Air Command and Staff College by Correspondence
2019 Air War College by Correspondence
2021 Master of Science, National Security Strategy, National War College, Distinguished Graduate, Fort McNair, Washington DC
ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 2006 – May 2009, Assistant Staff Judge Advocate, 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano Air Base, Italy (September 2008 – March 2009, Legal Advisor, Criminal Investigation Task Force, Ft. Belvoir, Va.)
2. July 2009 – August 2011, Area Defense Counsel, Trial Defense Division, Air Force Legal Operations Agency, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska
3. August 2011 – July 2013, Government Appellate Counsel, Government Trial and Appellate Counsel Division, Air Force Legal Operations Agency, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
4. July 2013 – July 2014, Chief, Executive Services, Office of the Judge Advocate General, Headquarters Air Force, Pentagon, Washington DC
5. July 2014 – July 2016, Chief, Officer Assignments Branch, Professional Development Directorate, Office of the Judge Advocate General, Headquarters Air Force, Pentagon, Washington DC
6. August 2016 – June 2018, Chief, General Law, Administrative and General Law Division, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio (October 2017 – May 2018, Staff Judge Advocate and Chief of Staff, Combined Joint Special Operations Air Component, Bagram AB, Afghanistan)
7. July 2018 – July 2020, Staff Judge Advocate, 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
8. July 2020 – June 2021, Student, National War College, Fort McNair, Washington DC
9. June 2021 – July 2022, Director of Staff, Office of The Judge Advocate General, Headquarters Air Force, Pentagon, Washington DC
10. July 2022 – June 2023, Director, Professional Development Directorate, Office of The Judge Advocate General, Headquarters Air Force, Pentagon, Washington DC
11. June 2023 – Present, Staff Judge Advocate, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal (3 OLC)
Air Force Commendation Medal (1 OLC)
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Army Achievement Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2021 Brigadier General A.A. Sardo Award for Excellence in Writing, National War College
2021 Theodore Roosevelt Award for Leadership and Scholarship, National War College
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
First Lieutenant 7 January 2006
Captain 7 July 2006
Major 1 March 2013
Lieutenant Colonel 1 August 2016
Colonel 1 August 2020
(Current as of June 2023)