Colonel Justin "Astro" Elliott commanded the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds—the elite demonstration squadron featured in Netflix's "America's Thunderbirds." In this episode, Astro shares what it takes to lead a team that performs inches apart at 400+ miles per hour, and how those lessons translate to leadership in any high-stakes environment.
Astro spoke at our Leadership Speaker Series this past December, and here, we bring those insights to a wider audience.
Col. Justin J. Elliott
Division Chief – Integrated Operations
NORAD and USNORTHCOM
Col Justin “Astro” Elliott is the Division Chief for NORAD and USNORTHCOM’s Integrated Operations Division, Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado. In this capacity, Col Elliott supervises 200 operators from 9 US and Canadian military branches through execution of both current and future NORAD and USNORTHCOM operations across all domains. Col Elliott and his team execute the critical homeland defense mission, create a global threat picture, and posture national leadership from both the US and Canada to respond swiftly to challenges from abroad.
Elliott entered the Air Force in 2005 with an ROTC commission from Yale University. He subsequently served in F-15E and F-35 squadrons as an instructor pilot and evaluator. After attending the USAF Weapons School, he served as Weapons Instructor and Operational Test Pilot in the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron, 53rd Wing, Nellis AFB, Nevada. After graduating from Test Pilot School, he served as Experimental Test Pilot in the 40th Flight Test Squadron, 96th Test Wing, Eglin AFB, Florida. Col Elliott commanded the 59th Test and Evaluation Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nevada where he led test and evaluation of all 6 USAF fighters (F-35, F-22, F-15EX, F-15E, F-16, and A-10). Col Elliott subsequently served as Commander/Leader of the USAF Thunderbirds. As “Thunderbird 1,” Col Elliott led the Air Force’s demonstration squadron through 150 airshows across 70 US and international cities while flying his F-16’s mere inches apart at speeds greater than 600 mph.
EDUCATION
2005 Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Conn.
2005 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2010 Master of Science, Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, N.C.
2011 United States Air Force Squadron Officer School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
2012 United States Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
2014 United States Air Force Test Pilot School, Master of Science, Flight Test Engineering, Air University, Edwards AFB, Calif.
2018 Strategic Policy Fellowship, Air Command and Staff College, Office of Secretary of Defense, Pentagon, Washington D.C.
2024 NATO Defense College, Air War College, Rome, Italy
2025 Joint and Combined Warfighting School, Norfolk, Virginia
Website:
https://www.talon-cap.com/
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/talon-capital-corp/
Contact:
[email protected]
Website:
https://www.talon-cap.com/
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/talon-capital-corp/
Contact:
[email protected]
