Col. Randy Combs is the director of financial management and comptroller for Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va. He is the chief financial officer for the largest operational command in the Air Force and the principal financial adviser to the ACC commander. He provides strategic guidance and oversight for the management and execution of appropriations of more than $60 billion. He is responsible for a financial network with more than 850 people and the formulation, justification, and execution of ACC's $7.6 billion annual operations and maintenance budget and multi-year investment budget. This budget supports more than 1,000 aircraft, 35 wings, 12 bases, and 1,336 units at more than 263 operating locations worldwide with 154,219 total force military and civilian personnel.
Combs entered the Air Force after receiving his commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colo., in December 1999. He has served as a squadron commander and in a variety of financial management positions at the wing, center, major command, and Air Staff levels. He has also served on the Joint Staff in the J5 Pakistan-Afghanistan Coordination Cell and has deployed three times in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Freedom Sentinel between 2008 and 2015. In addition, Combs is qualified as an Advanced Air Advisor and served as a Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff special duty program, the Afghanistan-Pakistan Hands. Prior to this assignment, Combs was the vice commander, Space Base Delta 1, Schriever Space Force Base, Colo., where he led the Mission Support squadrons comprised of over 800 personnel, managing a $25 million annual budget, administering $500 million in contracts, and overseeing 3,840 acres and 80 facilities valued at $1.2 billion. He provided full spectrum support to the installation’s 22 tenant agencies and mission partners, 16 geographically separated units, and almost 8,000 personnel operating communications, navigation and surveillance satellites and associated systems valued at $72 billion.
EDUCATION:
1999 Bachelor of Arts, general business, University of Northern Colorado
2000 Basic Financial Management Officer Course, Sheppard Air Force Base, Tex.
2005 Master of Science, cost analysis, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
2006 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2011 Defense Financial Management and Comptroller School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2011 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2019 Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS:
January 2000 – July 2003, Budget Officer and Chief, North American Aerospace Defense Command Financial Management, Detachment 5, Electronic Systems Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.
August 2003 – March 2005, Student, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
March 2005 – September 2007, Chief, Surveillance and Navigation Systems Cost Analysis, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif.
October 2007 – June 2010, Deputy Chief, Cost Analysis Branch, Global Positioning Systems Wing, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif.
(August 2008 – February 2009, Team Lead, Financial Reform, Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan, Camp Eggers, Afghanistan)
July 2010 – May 2013, Senior Cost Analyst, Air Force Cost Analysis Agency, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
(October 2012 – May 2013, Senior Strategic Advisor to the Afghanistan Minister of Mines and the Afghanistan Minister of Public Works, Headquarters International Security Assistance Force, Kabul, Afghanistan)
June 2013 – June 2015, Action Officer, Pakistan-Afghanistan Coordination Cell, Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate, Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
(June 2014 – June 2015, Senior Strategic Advisor to the Afghanistan National Army G4 and the Afghanistan Minister of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, Headquarters International Security Assistance Force and Headquarters Resolute Support, Kabul, Afghanistan)
July 2015 – July 2016, Deputy Comptroller, Special Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
July 2016 – July 2018, Commander, Wing Staff Agency and Comptroller Squadron, DATA MASKED
August 2018 – August 2019, Chief, Budget Operations, Financial Management and Analysis Office, Plans, Programs and Financial Management Directorate, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.
August 2019 – August 2021, Executive Officer to the Chief of Staff, Headquarters United States Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.
September 2021 – July 2022, Chief, Financial Analysis Division, Financial Management and Comptroller Directorate, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
July 2022 – July 2024, Vice Commander, Space Base Delta 1, Schriever SFB, Colo.
August 2024 – Present, Director, Financial Management and Comptroller, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air and Space Commendation Medal
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS:
Acquisition Professional Development Program, Acq-PM Level I
Acquisition Professional Development Program, Bus-FM Level III
Acquisition Professional Development Program, Bus-CE Level III
DoD Financial Management Certification, Level III
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:
Second Lieutenant: Jan. 9, 2000
First Lieutenant: Jan. 9, 2002
Captain: Jan. 9, 2004
Major: Sept. 9, 2009
Lieutenant Colonel: March 1, 2015
Colonel: Dec. 1, 2021
(Current as of January 2025)