James L. Hudson is currently serving on active duty in the United States Air Force and holds the rank of full Colonel. He is currently the Commander of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC), Northwest Region which is head-quartered at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. The Region’s team of 215 cadre members supports approximately 2,800 enrolled AFROTC cadets at 34 university detachments across 19 states from Alaska to the upper peninsula of Michigan.
Colonel Hudson graduated from Boise State University, Boise, Idaho in 1986 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication / English and minor in Journalism. He received his Master of Public Relations degree in 1989 through Valdosta State University (VSU) in Valdosta, Georgia. Also that year, he was recognized as a Distinguished Graduate of the AFROTC program and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the US Air Force. Col Hudson also holds a Master of Science degree in National Security Strategy from the National Defense University / National War College, Ft. McNair, Washington, D.C. Colonel also completed a focused Executive Leadership Development program at the Darden School of Business Administration, University of Virginia, Charlottesville.
After a brief assignment in undergraduate pilot training, he was assigned to the Aerospace Audio Visual Service as a producer, director and project officer. Credentialed as a federal Special Agent in the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) in 1993, Colonel Hudson conducted and supervised felony-level criminal, fraud, and counterintelligence investigations and operations; served as an instructor and director of the basic special investigations course, and director of training at the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) Academy. Additionally, he served as the Personal Security Advisor to the Secretary of the Air Force, the executive officer to the OSI commander, Director of joint counterintelligence and human intelligence operations in a forward deployed area; commanded two OSI Detachments and two OSI Regions responsible for all OSI forces in Europe, Africa, South America and the Middle East.
Prior to his current AFROTC assignment, Colonel Hudson served as the Director of Special Investigations in the Office of the Air Force Inspector General at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. He was responsible to the Secretary and Inspector General of the Air Force for integrated policies, plans, programs, and budgets for criminal investigations, counterintelligence, specialized investigative operations, protective services, special security programs, and integrated force protection activities within the Air Force, its sister Services, the Department of Defense, and with national-level partners. In addition, he represented and advocated for the Secretary, Inspector General, the Commander of OSI, and the Executive Director of the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3) across the full spectrum of their functions with such diverse activities as the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Intelligence Community, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Joint Staff, the combatant commands, and the Secretariats and Staffs of the U.S. military services.
EDUCATION
1986 Bachelor of Arts, Communication/English with a minor in Journalism, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho
1989 Master of Public Administration, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, Ga.
2009 Master of National Security Strategy, National War College, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C.
2012 Executive Program, Darden School of Business Administration, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
MILITARY AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster