Col Lawrence Nixon is the Deputy Chief of Safety for Headquarters Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, DC. He is responsible for overseeing the Air Force’s flight, ground, space, and weapons safety mishap prevention programs designed to preserve combat capability by preventing mishaps. Colonel Nixon received his commission as a graduate of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL. He has held positions at the wing, major command, combatant command, Air Staff, and Joint Staff level. He has a background in the Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) mission area in the HH-60G Pave Hawk both operationally and as a formal training unit (FTU) evaluator pilot. Prior to his current assignment, he served as Air Combat Command’s Director of Safety. His education includes a Masters from the University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, MO and completion of Squadron Officer School, Air Command and Staff College, and Air War College.

Career assignments include Chief of Training, 47 RQF, Whiteman AFB, MO, Chief of Plans and Deployments, 66 RQS, Nellis AFB, NV, Flight Safety Officer, Air Warfare Center, Nellis AFB, NV, Flight Safety Officer, 18 WG, Kadena AB, Japan, Flight Commander, Weapons and Tactics, 512 SOS, Kirtland AFB, NM, Assistant Director of Operations, 512 RQS, Kirtland AFB, NM, Director of Operations, 36 RQF, Fairchild AFB, WA, Commander, 36 RQF, Fairchild AFB, WA, Chief, Personnel Recovery/CSAR, HQ Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, DC, Chief, Commander’s Action Group, Joint Personnel Recovery Agency, Ft. Belvoir, VA, Director of Assessments, Joint Personnel Recovery Agency, Ft. Belvoir, VA

Command Inspector General, ISAF Joint Command/V Corps, Kabul, Afghanistan, Chief, Flight Safety, HQ Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, VA. Major awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters.