Colonel Nicholas Jurewicz is the Deputy Commander of the 48th Fighter Wing at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, United Kingdom, the only wing in the Air Force with an official name, the “Statue of Liberty Wing.” The Liberty Wing consists of 7,000 active duty personnel, British and U.S. civilians, and 11,000 family members, and includes a geographically separated unit at nearby RAF Feltwell. Employing four combat ready fighter squadrons of F-15E Strike Eagles and F-35A Lightning II, the Liberty Wing is the largest U.S. fighter operation in Europe.
Col Jurewicz received a Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Science from the United States Air Force Academy and was commissioned in 2005. He later received a Master of Arts degree in Philosophy from Virginia Tech in 2006 and a Master of Policy Management from Georgetown University in 2018. He completed Senior Developmental Education at NATO Defense College in Rome, Italy.
Col Jurewicz is a command pilot with over 2,100 flying hours, and has served in a variety of flying positions, including as an instructor at the F-15E Formal Training Unit, deputy squadron commander, and squadron commander. He has deployed to the Republic of Korea, Afghanistan, the United Arab Emirates, and an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia, accruing over 900 combat hours. His staff assignments include Aide-de-Camp to the Commander, United States Pacific Command, and multiple position in U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa. Prior to his current position, Col Jurewicz served as the Division Chief, Current Operations and Plans Division (A33), at the 603d Air Operations Center.
EDUCATION
2005 Distinguished Graduate, Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Science, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2006 Master of Arts in Philosophy, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg
2012 Distinguished Graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2017 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2018 Master of Policy Management, Georgetown University, Washington D.C.
2021 Graduate Certificate, Space Nuclear Command, Control, Communications, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.
2023 Graduate Certificate, Defense and Security Studies, Missouri State University, Mo.
2023 Distinguished Graduate, NATO Defense College, Rome, Italy
2024 Joint and Combined Warfighting School (Joint Professional Military Education II), Norfolk, Va.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 2005 – July 2006, Student, Air Force Institute of Technology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg
2. July 2006 – August 2008, Student Pilot, Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training/Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas
3. August 2008 – June 2009, Student Pilot, F-15E Initial Qualification, 334th Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
4. June 2009 – November 2012, Squadron Executive Officer, Standardization and Evaluation Officer, Assistant Chief of Scheduling, and Multi-Ship Flight Lead, 391st Fighter Squadron, Mountain
Home AFB, Idaho
5. November 2012 – October 2013, Flight Commander, Chief of Weapons and Tactics, F-15E Instructor Pilot and Mission Commander, 334th Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson, N.C.
6. October 2013 – May 2015, Wing Executive Officer, F-15E Evaluator Pilot and Mission Commander, 4th Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
7. June 2015 – April 2017, Aide-de-Camp to the Commander, U.S. Pacific Command, Hawaii
8. May 2017 – May 2018, National Defense Fellow/McConn Scholar, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
9. May 2018 – June 2020, Deputy Commander, Director of Operations, and Assistant Director of Operations, 389th Fighter Squadron, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho (September 2019 – May 2020, Deputy Commander, 389th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, Southwest Asia)
10. June 2020 – June 2022, Commander, 428th Fighter Squadron, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho
11. July 2022 – July 2023, NATO Defense College, Rome, Italy
12. July 2023 – June 2024, Chief of Combat Operations then Deputy Division Chief, Combat Operations Division (A33), 603rd Air Operations Center, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
13. June 2024 – June 2025, Division Chief, Combat Plans Division (A36) then Current Operations and Plans Division (A33), 603d Air Operations Center, Ramstein AB, Germany
14. June 2025 – Present, Deputy Commander, 48th Fighter Wing, RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2015 – April 2017, Aide-de-Camp to the Commander, U.S. Pacific Command, Hawaii, as a major
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: More than 2,100
Aircraft flown: F-15E, F-15SG, T-38, T-37
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Meritorious Unit Award with five oak leaf clusters
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with four oak leaf clusters
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2005 Aviation Week and Space Technology magazine “Tomorrow’s Leader” Award
2012 Distinguished Graduate, F-15E Instructor Course
2020 AFIT Academic Partnership in Nuclear Education Scholarship
2022 Honors, NATO Regional Cooperation Course, NATO Defense College, Rome, Italy
2023 Honors, Senior Course, NATO Defense College, Rome, Italy
2023 National Finalist, White House Fellowship
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 1, 2005
First Lieutenant June 1, 2007
Captain June 2, 2009
Major August 1, 2015
Lieutenant Colonel October 1, 2018
Colonel July 1, 2024
(Current as of June 2025)