Paul P. Townsend, U.S. Air Force, is a military fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. He most recently served as the commander of the 354th Fighter Wing at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, from June 2023 until July 2025. In this role, he commanded 3,500 personnel across 5 locations, executed a $175 million budget, and managed $12.6 billion in assets, including a 72,000-acre installation. He was responsible for delivering the F-35A fifth-generation combat airpower to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility. Colonel Townsend also supplied a dedicated fourth-generation Alert Fighter Cell for the North American Aerospace Defense Command-Northern Command Homeland Defense mission. Finally, he provided high-end, multi-domain combat training to U.S. and international partners via RED FLAG-Alaska, a premier multinational large-force training exercise.  
 
Prior to commanding the 354th Fighter Wing, Colonel Townsend served as the vice commander of the 48th Fighter Wing at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, from June 2021 to June 2023. He entered the Air Force in 2000 after earning his commission from the United States Air Force Academy. Colonel Townsend has held a variety of leadership and flying positions throughout his career. He has flown the F-15C/E and F-35A in operational and operational test fighter assignments in the Pacific Air Forces, U.S. Air Forces Europe, and Air Combat Command. He has served as a staff officer for the secretary of the air force for acquisitions and the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Strategy, Plans, and Policy (J5) directorate. He is a command pilot with more than 2,000 flight hours.  

Colonel Townsend holds a master’s degree in national resource strategy from the Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy.