Col Thomas Falzarano was the Commander, 21st Space Wing, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. As the leader of the Air Force’s fifth largest wing, he commanded a work force of approximately 4,300 space professionals worldwide. Spanning the globe, this team provides missile warning and defense, space situational awareness, and space control for combat forces and the national command authorities of the United States and Canada. He was the installation commander for Colorado’s Peterson AFB and Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, as well as providing base support for Clear AFS, Alaska; Cavalier AFS, North Dakota, Cape Cod AFS, Massachusetts; and Thule Air Base, Greenland.Tom’s awards and decorations include Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster, Joint Meritorious Unit Award with oak leaf cluster, Combat Readiness Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, and Department of State, Meritorious Honor Award Medal.Tom was a 1994 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. His career includes assignments in space, missile, fighter, and mobility units. He served in joint assignments on the staff of the Multi-National Force-Iraq at the U.S. Embassy in the International Zone, Baghdad as well as on the Joint Staff in the Pentagon. Prior to his current position, Tom was the executive officer to the Commander, Air Force Space Command and the Joint Force Space Component Command. But Tom’s most significant assignment was as Executive Officer at the 14AF in 2010 where he met his future wife, Stacey. They shared a fun sports team rivalry where Tom supported all the Boston teams and Stacey cheered for all the Miami teams. After three years of courtship and crazy in love, Tom and Stacey set about building a beautiful family by adopting three babies over the next few years to join big brothers, Trevor and Spencer.

Colonel Falzarano was a supporter of Remount Foundation. He enjoyed spending time with the herd and encouraged others to find the peace he found in the human-horse relationship.