Captain Joshua Acosta is the Recruiting Officer and Assistant Professor of Aerospace Studies for the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) Detachment 028 at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona. He is responsible for the instruction and development of over 250 cadets. As an experienced B-52 instructor and evaluator weapons systems officer, he provides unique experience and perspective in nuclear and conventional military operations.
Captain Acosta was born in Anaheim, California. He entered the Air Force in December 2009 as an Airman First Class and Fuels Management Apprentice. He was selected to attend Officer Training School in 2016 and attended Undergraduate Combat Systems Officer Training at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. Upon completion of Undergraduate CSO Training, Captain Acosta was chosen to fly the B-52H at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, as a Weapon Systems Officer. At the 20th Bomb Squadron and 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron, Barksdale AFB, he served in a variety of roles in support of B-52 operations, upgrading from an inexperienced to an Evaluator WSO. Serving at the 49th TES, he made critical contributions to the many B-52 modernization programs, ranging from avionics software to launching a hypersonic weapon.
- 2013 - Bachelor of Science in Psychology, University of Maryland University College, Adelphi, Md.
- 2021 - Master of Arts in Psychology, Liberty University, Lynchburg, Ky.
- April 2015-June 2016, Student, Undergraduate Combat Systems Officer Training, NAS Pensacola, Fla.
- June 2016-April 2017, Student, B-52 Dual Seat Navigator Training, 11 Bomb Squadron, Barksdale AFB, La.
- April 2017-August 2017, B-52 WSO, 20 Bomb Squadron, Barksdale AFB, La.
- August 2017-January 2019, Reports Officer and B-52 WSO, 20 Bomb Squadron, Barksdale AFB, La.
- January 2019-January 2020, Flight Scheduler and B-52 WSO, 20 Bomb Squadron, Barksdale AFB, La.
- January 2020-January 2021, B-52 Instructor & WSO Weapons and Tactics Officer, 20 Bomb Squadron, Barksdale AFB, La.
- January 2021-July 2022, B-52 Instructor WSO & Deputy Chief of Standardization and Evaluations, 20 Bomb Squadron, Barksdale AFB, La.
- Rating: Evaluator Weapons Systems Officer
- Flight Hours: More than 1,5000
- Aircraft Flown: T-6, T-1, B-52H
- Air Medal
- Aerial Achievement Medal
- Air Force Commendation Medal
- Air Force Achievement Medal
- Second Lieutenant - April 16, 2015
- First Lieutenant - April 16, 2017
- Captain - April 16, 2019
(Current as of June 2024)
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Administration
Prescott, AZ 86301