Austin H. Nearing | Air Force ROTC | SIU

Captain Austin H. Nearing

Captain Austin Nearing is the Assistant Professor of Aerospace Studies and Recruiting Officer, Detachment 205, Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC), Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. In this capacity, he is responsible for training over 100 cadets and developing future Air Force officers. Prior to assuming his current duties, Capt Nearing served as Senior Intelligence Officer, 436 Operations Support Squadron, Dover Air Force Base (AFB), Delaware.

Captain Nearing joined the United States Air Force in January 2009 and completed Military Training at Lackland AFB. Upon graduation from Aircraft Electrical & Environmental (E&E) Maintenance School, he received an assignment to Cannon AFB.  While at Cannon AFB, he served in a variety of positions including E&E Maintenance Technician and as the Maintenance Group Resource advisor.

Captain Nearing was commissioned as a second lieutenant through the Senior Leader Enlisted Commission Program (SLECP) completing Officer Training School at Maxwell AFB, Alabama in 2018. In March 2020 he was selected as the Unit Support intelligence Officer in Charge for the 436 Operations Support Squadron in charge of engaging with C-5M and C-17A air crew members through local area training scenarios and providing mission essential information that drove global Air Mobility Command taskings. In 2023, he was tasked as the Senior Intelligence Officer over the 436 Airlift Wing at Dover AFB where he worked with wing level leadership to develop operational readiness exercises for all 2K+ active duty members as well as further developing intelligence operations for 12 active duty intelligence members, civil service, and contract employees. During this time, Capt Nearing deployed to Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait to support C-17A operations in the Middle East to include the draw down of operations in the Afghan theater. Later he deployed to Rota Naval Station, Spain to provide intelligence support to air mobility efforts that bolstered US and Spanish naval forces in NATO operations.