Welcome New Companions

Welcome New Companion Col James W. Atchley Jr.

COLONEL JAMES W. ATCHLEY JR., our newest companion, currently serves as the Chief, Contract and Acquisition Division J86, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command at Camp H.M. Smith, HI. Col. Atchley was accepted into the Order on January 3, 2022, and Inducted into the Hawaii Commandery on February 24th. Col Atchley hails from Grapevine, Texas, in Tarrant County.

Col Atchley began his military career in 1986 when he enlisted in the Air Force as a civil engineering powerline specialist. During his enlisted service, he served in Operations DESERT SHIELD/ DESERT STORM (17 October 1990—31 March 1991) in the United Arab Emirates, and Operation SOUTHERN WATCH (24 September 1992—3 January 1993) in Riyadh Saudi Arabia. He received his officer commission as a Second Lieutenant in 2000 as a graduate of officer training school at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, and was assigned to the 366th Contracting Squadron, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, as an Acquisition Officer. Jim deployed to Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar from 23 September 2001 to 8 March 2002. In June 2002, he was reassigned to the Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles AFB, California. He Deployed again from 8 February 2005 to 2 July 2005 to Basra Iraq, in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM III. Jim was later assigned to the U.S. Embassy, Islamabad Pakistan from 18 September 2006 to 16 February 2007, in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.

In November 2007, Jim took command of a Flight in the 21st Contracting Squadron, Peterson AFB, Colorado. In 2009, he was assigned as the Operations Officer of the same squadron. In June 2011, he took command of the 50th Contracting Squadron at Schriever AFB, Colorado. Following his Command, he served as the Deputy Chief, Clearance and Program Support Division, HQ Air and Education Training Command Contracting at Randolph AFB, Texas. In July 2015, he once again took command, this time of the 67rd Contracting Squadron, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, holding this command for three years. Following Command, he served as the Deputy Chief of the Policy Division under the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force at the Pentagon in Washington D.C. Jim then completed the U.S. Army War College at Carlisle Barracks Pennsylvania. Following graduation from the Army War College in June 2020, he was assigned as the Senior Acquisition Analyst at U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in the J81 Staff Division, before being assigned to his current position in October 2021.

Col Atchley is a veteran of four named campaigns, and is also a Cold War Veteran. He is already an active member of the American Legion and VFW. The Companions of the Hawaii Commandery are pleased to welcome Jim to our ranks in service to our Community.