Col. Bart Van Roo is the commander of the 115th Fighter Wing, Wisconsin Air National Guard, Truax Field, Madison, Wisconsin. As commander, he is responsible for the organization, training, and equipping of nearly 1,200 active-guard and traditional forces serving the dual mission of state and federal responsibility falling under the governor of Wisconsin and the president of the United States of America. The 115th Fighter Wing operates the F-35A Lightning II as its primary weapon system.
Col. Van Roo began his military career in 1992 when he enlisted at the 115th Fighter Wing, Madison, Wisconsin as an aeromedical specialist. He served as a noncommissioned officer until 1998. Col. Van Roo obtained his BS from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and University of Wisconsin-Madison then received his commission through the Academy of Military Science in April 1999. In 2000, he graduated from specialized undergraduate pilot training at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas. He then went on to complete the F-16 Training Course, Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. Col. Van Roo returned to the 115th Fighter Wing where he held numerous positions within the Operations Group, including multiple combat tours as an F-16 pilot in support of Operation Noble Eagle, and as the 176th Fighter Squadron Director of Operations. In 2017, Col. Van Roo was appointed the 176th Fighter Squadron Commander. The same year he was deployed to the Korean Peninsula with the 8th Fighter Wing as the 176th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron Commander. He then served as the 115th Fighter Wing Inspector General. Prior to his current position as Wing Commander, the Colonel was the State Director of Operations for the Wisconsin Air National Guard, Joint Force Headquarters, while simultaneously serving as the Northern Lightning Exercise director at the Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center.
Col. Van Roo is a command pilot with more than 3,100 flying hours in the F-16C/D Fighting Falcon, F-35A Lightning II, AT-38A Talon II, Northrop T-38A Talon, and Cessna T-37B Tweet.
EDUCATION
1992 Basic Military Training, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas
1993 Aeromedical Specialist Course, Brooks AFB, Texas
1998 Bachelor of Science, Cell Physiology, University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, Wis.
1999 Academy of Military Science, McGhee Tyson AFB, Tenn.
2000 United States Air Force Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin AFB, Texas
2000 Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals, Randolph AFB, Texas
2001 Survival Training, Fairchild AFB, Wash.
2006 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2008 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2015 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2019 Masters of Management, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 1992 – April 1999, AEROMEDICAL SPECIALIST, Truax Field, Wis.
2. May 1999 – June 1999, PILOT TRAINEE, 176th Fighter Squadron, Truax Field, Wis.
3. July 1999 – August 2000, PILOT TRAINEE, Laughlin AFB, Texas
4. September 2000 – October 2000, FIGHTER PILOT TRAINEE, Randolph AFB, Texas
5. November 2000 – July 2001, F-16 PILOT TRAINEE, Luke AFB, AZ
6. August 2001 – January 2005, CHIEF OF SCHEDULING, 176th Fighter Squadron, Truax Field, Wis. (November 2004 –
January 2005, CHIEF OF SCHEDULING, 176th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar)
7. February 2005 – April 2007, CHIEF OF STANDARDIZATION/EVALUATION, 176th Fighter Squadron, Truax Field, Wis.
8. May 2007 – June 2007, CHIEF OF TRAINING, 176th Fighter Squadron, Truax Field, Wis.
9. July 2007 – June 2008, WEAPONS AND TACTICS OFFICER, Volk Field Air National Guard Base, Wis.
10. July 2008 – March 2012, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, 176th Fighter Squadron, Truax Field, Wis. (January
2008 – March 2008, CHIEF OF STANDARDIZATION/EVALUATION, 176th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, Balad AB, Iraq;
September 2009 – November 2009, DEPLOYMENT PROJECT OFFICER, 176th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, Balad AB,
Iraq)
11. April 2012 – September 2013, CHIEF OF STANDARDIZATION/EVALUATION, 115th Fighter Wing, Truax Field, Wis.
(January 2013 – March 2013, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, Camp Lemonier, Djibouti)
12. September 2013 – March 2015, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, 176th Fighter Squadron, Truax Field, Madison, Wis
13. March 2015 – June 2016, INSPECTOR GENERAL, 115th Fighter Wing, Truax Field, Madison, Wis.
14. June 2016 – October 2018, COMMANDER, 176th Fighter Squadron, Truax Field, Madison, Wis. (July 2017 – November
2017, COMMANDER, 8th Fighter Wing, 176th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, Kunsan AB, Korea)
15. October 2018 – September 2020, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS-AIR, Joint Force Headquarters, Madison, Wis.
16. September 2020 – Present, COMMANDER, 115th Fighter Wing, Truax Field, Madison, Wis.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 3,100
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-38, AT-38, F-16C, F-16D, F-35A
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
MERITORIOUS SERVICE MEDAL with three oak leaf clusters
AIR MEDAL with oak leaf cluster
AERIAL ACHIEVEMENT MEDAL
AIR FORCE COMMENDATION MEDAL
AIR FORCE ACHIEVEMENT MEDAL
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant April 22, 1999
First Lieutenant April 23, 2001
Captain April 28, 2003
Major May 5, 2007
Lieutenant Colonel April 3, 2012
Colonel October 1, 2018
(Current as of January 2022)