Brig. Gen. Ryan J. Garlow is the Deputy U.S. Military Representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Military Committee, NATO Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium. He supports the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in executing the U.S. political-military mission with the Alliance.
Brig. Gen. Garlow received his commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2001. He has commanded at the squadron and wing levels and is a distinguished graduate of the Air Force’s Weapons School. He holds two master’s degrees and is an A.F. Fellow from Harvard Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.
Prior to assuming his current position, Brig. Gen. Garlow served as the Commander, 100th Air Refueling Wing, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom. He has served on the Joint Staff as Chief of the Logistics Distribution Division and Commanded both an Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and an Air Refueling Squadron Commander. He is a command pilot with over 3,400 hours to include deployments in support of operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom and Joint Task Force Horn of Africa.
EDUCATION
2001 Bachelor of Science, Management, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2006 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2009 Master of Business Administration, Webster University, Mo.
2010 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2013 Master of Arts, Counseling and Human Services, University of Colorado, Boulder
2020 Joint and Combined Warfighting School, National Defense University, Norfolk, Va.
2021 Air Force Fellow – Harvard Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Cambridge, Mass.
2022 Machine Learning in Business certificate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management, Cambridge
ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 2001–February 2002, Current Operations Officer, 9th Special Operations Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
2. February 2002–April 2003, Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Moody AFB and Columbus AFB, Miss.
3. September 2003–September 2006, KC-135 Aircraft Commander, Squadron Executive Officer, 351st Air Refueling Squadron, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom
4. September 2006–June 2010, KC-135R/RT Standards and Evaluations Pilot, Flight Commander, Chief of Standards and Evaluations, Chief Group Executive Officer, 22nd Operations Group McConnell AFB, Kan.
5. June 2010–May 2012, Chief of Tanker Integration, HQ AMC/A3D, Nellis AFB, Nev.
6. May 2012–May 2013, Student, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
7. May 2013–August 2014, Air Officer Commanding, Cadet Squadron 30, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.
8. June 2014–May 2015, Executive Officer to the Superintendent, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.
9. September 2015–June 2016, Director of Operations, 6 Operational Support Squadron, MacDill AFB, Fla.
10. June 2016–January 2017, Commander, 91st Air Refueling Squadron, MacDill AFB, Fla.
11. January 2017–June 2018, Commander, 6th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, MacDill AFB, Fla.
12. September 2018–July 2019, Operations Officer, Nuclear Command, Control and Communications, Operations Directorate (J3), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
13. August 2019–December 2020, Deputy Chief, Distribution Division, Directorate of Logistics (J4), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
14. January 2020–July 2020, Chief, Distribution Division, Directorate of Logistics (J4), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
15. July 2020–July 2021, Student, Harvard University Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Cambridge, Mass.
16. July 2021–June 2023, Vice Commander, 60th Air Mobility Wing, Travis AFB, Calif.
17. July 2023–July 2025, Commander, 100th Air Refueling Wing, RAF Mildenhall, U.K.
18. August 2025–present, Deputy U.S. Military Representative to the NATO Military Committee, NATO Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 2018–July 2019, Operations Officer, Nuclear Command, Control and Communications, Operations Directorate (J3), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a lieutenant colonel
2. August 2019–December 2019, Deputy Chief, Distribution Division, Directorate of Logistics (J4), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a lieutenant colonel
3. January 2020–July 2020, Chief, Distribution Division, Directorate of Logistics (J4), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a colonel
4. July 2025–present, Deputy U.S. Military Representative to the NATO Military Committee, NATO Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium, as a brigadier general
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 3,400 including more than 850 combat hours
Aircraft flown: T-6, T-1A, KC-135R/RT, T-53A, C-5M, KC-135R/T
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2003 Distinguished Graduate and Flying Excellence Award, Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training
2003 Air Education Training Center Commander’s Trophy Winner, Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training
2008 Distinguished Graduate and Outstanding Graduate, Air Force Weapons Officer School
2008 Mobility Air Force Tactician of the Year
2017 Air Force Lance P. Sijan Award, Senior Officer
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 30, 2001
First Lieutenant May 30, 2003
Captain May 30, 2005
Major Apr. 1, 2011
Lieutenant Colonel Jan. 1, 2016
Colonel Mar. 1, 2020
Brigadier General Frocked
(Current as of October 2025)