Lt. Col. Omar Villarreal is the director of public affairs for Headquarters, Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va. He is the principal adviser to the ACC commander and headquarters staff on all matters relating to media relations, strategic communication, community relations and command information across the Air Force’s largest major command, comprised of more than 150,000 total force military and civilian personnel.
Prior to this assignment, Villarreal attended Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., alongside 245 other resident students across sister services, federal agencies, and with international fellows from 45 allied nations.
Villarreal graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication, earned a Master of Public Administration degree in 2011 from Webster University, and earned a Master of Strategic Studies from Air War College in 2025.
As a career public affairs officer, Villarreal is a graduated squadron commander and has served in a variety of staff positions at the wing, major command, field command, joint and multinational levels. His contingency experience includes service as a combat correspondent officer at the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa, service on the Combined Joint Special Operations public affairs team in Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, as a media operations officer in Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, as a plans and media operations officer at United States Central Command, and as the deputy director of public affairs at United States Air Forces Central Command during Operation INHERENT RESOLVE.
ASSIGNMENTS:
July 2004 – November 2005, Deputy Chief, Community Relations, 6th Air Mobility Wing, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.
November 2005 – December 2006, Chief, Internal Information, 6th Air Mobility Wing, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.
December 2006 – June 2007, Deputy Chief, Public Affairs, 6th Air Mobility Wing, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.
June 2007 – June 2008, Chief, Public Affairs, 6th Air Mobility Wing, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.
June 2008 – January 2009, Staff Officer, Public Affairs, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base, Tex.
January 2009 – September 2010, Deputy Chief, Civic Outreach, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base, Tex.
September 2010 – July 2011, Chief, Internal Information, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base, Tex.
July 2011 – July 2012, Chief, Public Affairs, 8th Fighter Wing, Kunsan Air Base, South Korea.
July 2012 – July 2015, Chief, Training Division, Air Force Public Affairs Agency, San Antonio, Tex.
July 2015 – May 2017, Chief, Public Affairs, 87th Air Base Wing, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
June 2017 - April 2018, Commander, 3rd Combat Camera Squadron, Air Force Public Affairs Agency, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Tex.
April 2018 - June 2019, Commander, 3rd Audiovisual Squadron, Air Force Public Affairs Agency, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Tex.
July 2019 – June 2021, Director of Public Affairs, 7th Air Force, Osan Air Base, South Korea.
July 2021 – May 2024, Director of Public Affairs, Space Systems Command, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif.
July 2024 – May 2025, Student, Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
June 2025 – present, Director of Public Affairs, Headquarters, Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
EDUCATION:
2004 Bachelor of Arts in communication, University of Texas at San Antonio, Tex.
2004 Aerospace Basic Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2010 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2011 Master of Public Administration, Webster University, St. Louis, Mo.
2014 Information Operations Fundamentals Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2014 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2020 Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2024 Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2025 Master of Strategic Studies, Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
MAJOR DECORATIONS:
Meritorious Service Medal with six oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air and Space Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Army Commendation Medal
Joint Service Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Achievement Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:
Second Lieutenant: June 14, 2004
First Lieutenant: June 14, 2006
Captain: June 14, 2008
Major: Dec. 1, 2014
Lieutenant Colonel: June 1, 2019
(Current as of June 26, 2025)