Guest Speaker - Col Billy Pope, Commander, 81st Training Wing

Col. Billy E. Pope, Jr., is the Commander, 81 st Training Wing, Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. As the Commander, he is responsible for the training of more than 25,000 military and civilians. He commands 12,000 Airmen and civilians, providing technical training for officers, enlisted, and civilians of the U.S. Air Force, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserves as well as other Department of Defense agencies in addition to international students. The training covers numerous electronic, computer, weather, medical, personnel. comptroller, and information management career fields and creates combat capability for expeditionary air, space, and cyberspace forces. 

Col. Pope received his commission from the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Redlands in June 2001. He has served in numerous capacities within the communications and cyber operations career fields to include: cyberspace strategy, offensive and defensive cyber operations, and joint special operations communications. Col. Pope previously commanded at the group level and has held positions at service headquarters, joint combatant command, major command, and installation levels within the continental United States and abroad.