Bio
Maj Kalyn Howard is serving as an Assistant Professor at the United States Air Force Academy. As Program Director, she specializes in courses supporting the interdisciplinary Global Logistics Management minor program, as well as over 500 future officers annually in the nation’s #1 rated undergraduate-only management program.
She commissioned in 2013 through Reserve Officer Training Corps at Arizona State University. She received a join spouse assignment to Minot Air Force Base and held a variety of base-level positions, including flight commander and wing executive officer, before being selected for a Doctorate at the Air Force Institute of Technology. Her dissertation, Aligning Performance Management Systems for Lasting Outcomes in Humanitarian Operations, was field-tested at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, where she served as the PhD Logistics Advisor to the Humanitarian Operations Center during Operation ALLIES REFUGE. Prior to her current position, Maj Howard galvanized cross-functional teams to address some of the Air Force’s most challenging logistics problem sets at the Supply Chain Operations Wing and as a remote Detachment Commander at Wake Island Airfield.
Education
Air Command and Staff College (2023-2024)
Squadron Officer School (2021)
Ph.D. Logistics, Air Force Institute of Technology (2017-2020)
M.S. Project Management, Colorado State University (2013-2016)
Logistics Readiness Officer Basic Course (2013)
B.A. Global Studies, Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona (2009-2013)
Professional Experience
Assistant Professor, USAFA, CO (2024-PRESENT)
Commander, PRSC Detachment 1, Wake Island Airfield (2023-2024)
Operations Officer, Logistics Sustainment Division, 635th Supply Chain Operations Wing, Scott Air Force Base, IL (2023)
Vehicle Management Flight Commander, 379th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar (2021-2022)
Strategic Analysis Flight Chief, 635 SCOW, IL (2020-2023)
PhD Student, AFIT, OH (2017-2020)
Officer-In-Charge of Operations Compliance, 5th LRS, Minot AFB (2016-2017)
Executive Officer, 5th Bomb Wing, Minot AFB (2015-2016)
Installation Deployment Officer, 5 LRS, Minot AFB (2014-2015)
Deployment and Distribution Flight Commander, 5 LRS, Minot AFB (2013-2014)
Honors & Awards
Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster (2024)
Humanitarian Service Medal (2021)
Department of State Superior Honor Award (2021)
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Support Medal (2015)
Research and Scholarly Interests
Remote Logistics Operations
Humanitarian Operations Management
Supply Chain Analysis
Strategic Management and Risk
Publications
Howard, K. and Andrews, E. (2025). Once Upon a Time at Wake Island Airfield, Logistics Officer Association Exceptional Release, Summer 2025 edition, https://atloa.org/once-upon-a-time-at-wake-island-airfield/.
Rinehart, K. and Howard, K. (2025). Cost Analysis of Innovative Solutions to Air Base Defense in the Pacific, Future Conflict, United States Air Force Academy Press, https://www.ifc.usafa.edu/articles/cost-analysis-of-innovative-solutions-to-air-base-defense-in-the-pacific.
Howard, K. (2023). Riding Out the Storm, Logistics Officer Association Exceptional Release, Winter 2023 edition.
Howard, K. and Maywald, J. (2023). A Bridge to Innovation: A Discussion of Advanced Academy Degree Opportunities in Logistics, Logistics Officer Association Exceptional Release, Fall 2023 edition.
Howard, K. (2020). Aligning Performance Management Systems for Lasting Outcomes in Humanitarian Operations. Doctoral Dissertation, Air Force Institute of Technology.
Howard, K. and Zunker, C. (2019). Disasters Happen: A Statistical Foundation for Risk Management, Liaison: A Journal of Civil-Military Disaster Management and Humanitarian Relief Collaboration, USINDOPACOM Center for Excellence in Disaster Management.