Col. Thomas “Tom” E. Burke

A native of Chicago, Illinois, Colonel Thomas “Tom” E. Burke commissioned into Aviation upon graduation from St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota.  Following the Officer Basic Course and flight school at Fort Novosel, Alabama, then Fort Rucker. Burke served his initial tour as an AH-64A Apache Platoon Leader, Aviation Support Platoon Leader, and Battalion S4 with 2^nd Battalion, 101^st Aviation Regiment at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

His key assignments include: Assistant Brigade S3 and Commander, Alpha Troop, 3^rd Squadron, 6^th Calvary Brigade at Camp Humphreys, Korea; Aviation Captains Assignment Officer with Human Resources Command in Alexandria, Virginia; Joint Chiefs of Staff/Office of the Secretary of Defense (JCS/OSD) Intern to the Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld; Executive Officer to the Commanding General of the Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq/NATO Training Mission-Iraq at Camp Phoenix in Baghdad, Iraq; Battalion Operations Officer and Executive Officer with 3^rd Battalion, 101^st Aviation Regiment at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and Forward Operating Base Salerno in Khost Province, Afghanistan; Deputy Chief of Strategic Plans and Policy in the Pakistan-Afghanistan Coordination Cell at the Pentagon in Washington, DC; Battalion Commander of 3^rd Battalion, 101^st Aviation Regiment at Fort Campbell, Kentucky and Forward Operating Base Fenty in Jalalabad, Afghanistan; Brigade Commander of the 25^th Combat Aviation Brigade with the 25^th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; Chief of Staff of the Army Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC; Deputy Commanding Officer-Support with the 7^th Infantry Division at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington and; Director, House Affairs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs at the Pentagon in Washington, DC.

Colonel Burke received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from St. John’s University, a Master of Science degree in Policy Management from Georgetown University, and PhD in International Relations from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. 

Colonel Burke’s awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit (1 Oak Leaf Cluster), the Bronze Star Medal (2 Oak Leaf Clusters), Defense Meritorious Service Medal (1 Oak Leaf Cluster), Air Medal (numeral device “2”), Meritorious Service Medal (3 Oak Leaf Clusters), Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal (2 Oak Leaf Clusters), Senior Aviator Badge, Combat Action Badge, and the Air Assault Badge.

Colonel Burke is married to the former Frances Tilney and they have three daughters – Mary, Claire, and Catherine  – and one son, Nicholas (10).