Panther of the Week: Capt. Chris Barnes

  • Published
  • 460th Space Wing Public Affairs
Name: Capt Chris Barnes, 8th Space Warning Squadron deputy flight commander and 2nd Space Warning Squadron assistant director of operations

-Length of Service: 14 years

-Hometown: Roscoe, Illinois

-Hobbies: Running, reading, spending time with family

-Unique fact:  Barnes spent half his enlisted career in combat roles in multiple locations across Iraq and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Panther at a Glance: Barnes was born and raised in northern Illinois.  He enlisted in the Air Force in 2001 as an all-source intelligence analyst. His enlisted tours include several years at U.S. Strategic Command as a targeting analyst and a tour at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado as a missile warning analyst. He also spent more than one year in Iraq as part of the weapons intelligence teams and six months in Bosnia and Herzegovina as a NATO headquarters intelligence analyst.  After more than eight years of enlisted time, Barnes attended Officer Training School, where he was a distinguished graduate.  He then attended additional training courses, beginning his officer career with two more distinguished graduate honors and multiple academic awards.  During his time at Buckley Air Force Base, Barnes served as a deputy flight commander, deputy chief of training, flight commander, and group executive officer.  He was also selected as the 2012 460th Space Wing Company Grade Officer of the Year, the Air Force Space Command Company Grade Officer Operator of the Year and the Colorado Air Force Association Company Grade Officer of the Year.  Barnes then moved on to his last active duty assignment at the 76th Space Control Squadron at Peterson AFB, where he was a space control crew commander.  Earlier this year, Barnes used the palace chase program to leave active duty and accept a commission in the Reserves, where he now serves in the 8th Space Warning Squadron on Buckley AFB performing duties with the unit's active-duty counterpart as their assistant director of operations.
"While performing as the acting 2 SWS Director of Operations, Captain Barnes expertly managed multiple operational problems requiring timely personnel coordination, higher headquarters reporting, key decision making, and critical thinking with ease.  His performance under pressure ensured the missile warning mission was maintained and the degradations lasted the least amount of time possible.  During this time, Captain Barnes also led planning and execution of eight VIP restricted area tours."
- Lt. Col. Bob Reeves, 460th Operations Group deputy commander