Colonel Oscar Palomino is a faculty member at the Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, DC. He is an acquisitions officer with extensive experience in international affairs, advanced weapons programs, and strategic airlift.
Colonel Palomino commissioned in 2004 from the United States Air Force Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. His early assignments included serving as a B-1B Mechanical Systems Engineer at Tinker AFB, OK, and as a Flight Commander at the Air and Space Basic Course at Maxwell AFB, AL.
He later led the Specialized Weapons Integrated Product Team at Eglin AFB, FL, managing $568M in advanced weapons programs including the BLU-129B, HAMMER WMD Defeat, and Next Generation Area Attack. As Country Director for the Western Hemisphere in the Office of the Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs, he oversaw 200 FMS cases valued at $2.2B across 18 partner nations.
Colonel Palomino also served as Chief of the Operational Support Airlift and Executive Airlift Requirements Branch at Air Mobility Command Headquarters. He subsequently commanded the Defense Contract Management Agency – United Kingdom, leading a 65-member team across three sites and overseeing $4.5B in contracts supporting 90 contractors across five countries. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he led DCMA-UK through unprecedented operational challenges, ensuring continuity of oversight and mission success across international boundaries.
Colonel Palomino is fluent in Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese. He is a graduate of Air War College and is married to Jacqueline Palomino. They have two daughters, Isabella and Victoria.