Senior Master Sergeant Eric A. Combs is retired from the 88th Security Forces Squadron, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio where his last position was the Force Protection Operations Superintendent. During his 20 year career, Sergeant Combs has been stationed in South Korea, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Wyoming and England and has been on numerous deployments in the Middle East, North Africa and Europe. Sergeant Combs has participated in two hostile fire Area of Operation positions and over 11 Joint Chiefs of Staff and Command level combat training exercises. He has served as a tactical evaluator/liaison with 21 “C” Squadron, British Special Air Service and was the 1992 NCO of the Year for United States Air Forces in Europe.

After retiring, Mr. Combs became a high school Social Studies teacher with the Troops to Teachers Program.  Working with a School-within-a-School Program called Team Delta, he prepared students who were not successful in the past to learn their potential and adapt to school life.  In 2006 he was the Ohio Teacher of the Year and subsequently became a Smithsonian Ambassador Teacher.  He has also worked as an administrator for both Elementary and High Schools and was the finalist for Assistant Principal of the Year in Ohio in 2013.  

As a keynote speaker and author, Eric travels throughout the U.S. and Canada speaking to both leadership and educational organizations about the importance of public education, teamwork, resilience and many other topics.  He has presented to NCATE, NAAC,  Teach Now, U.S. Department of Defense, Veteran’s Administration Support Group NASDTEC, Kappa Delta Pi and the Arkansas, Ohio, Indiana Departments of Education.