ROBERT M. LYLES, Colonel, U.S. Air Force, Chief of Staff, Joint Task Force Civil Support
Col. Lyles, U.S. Air Force, is the Chief of Staff of Joint Task Force
Civil Support (JTF-CS), headquartered at Fort Monroe in Hampton , Va.
JTF-CS is a standing joint task force under the U.S. Northern Command. JTF-CS plans and integrates Department of Defense (DoD) support to the Lead Federal Agency for domestic consequence management operations after chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield explosive incidents. When directed by the Commander of U.S. Northern Command, JTF-CS will deploy to the incident site, establish command and control of designated DoD forces, and provide military assistance to civil authorities to save lives, prevent injury and provide temporary critical life support.
Col. Lyles joined JTF-CS in June 2003. Prior to this assignment, he attended the National War College in Washington , D.C.
Col. Lyles enlisted in the Air Force in 1973, and attained the rank of staff sergeant before being discharged in 1978. He received his commission as a distinguished graduate from the Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps in 1979. A distinguished graduate of Undergraduate Navigator Training at Mather AFB, Calif. , he was awarded his wings in December 1980. Following completion of KC-135 Combat Crew Training School (CCTS) as a distinguished graduate, he was assigned to Seymour-Johnson AFB, N.C. In 1983, he was assigned to Eielson AFB, Alaska , where he flew the RC-135S. Following this assignment, he was stationed at Royal Air Force Station Alconbury, United Kingdom .
In 1990, Col. Lyles was selected for duty with KC-135 CCTS at Castle AFB , Calif. , where he served as an Instructor Navigator, Flight Commander, and as Chief of the Standardization and Evaluation Division. In 1993, he was transferred to Randolph AFB, Texas , and served as Chief, Tanker Programs. Following this assignment he attended Air Command and Staff College and was selected to remain there as an academic instructor following his graduation in 1995. In 1997, he was assigned to Royal Air Force Station Mildenhall as the Operations Officer in the 351 st Air Refueling Squadron, and assumed command in 1998. In 2000, Col. Lyles was reassigned to the Air Command and Staff College and served as the Vice-Dean of Education, Operations. He then attended the National War College .
Among Col. Lyles' decorations are the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal with six oak leaf clusters, the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Aerial Achievement Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, the Air Force Achievement Medal, the Air Force Good Conduct Medal and the National Defense Service Medal with one bronze star.
A native of Chandler , Ariz. , Col. Lyles graduated from the University of Nebraska in Omaha in 1979 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in General Studies. In 1988, Col. Lyle earned a Master of Science degree in International Relations through Troy State University .