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Lori Milkeris indoor headshot.

Lori Milkeris

Biography

Lori Milkeris is a proud United States Air Force veteran, continuing a family legacy of service shared by her parents and brother. She enlisted in 1994, serving four years on Active Duty as an F-16 Crew Chief before completing an additional four years in the Air Force Reserves as a Mental Health Technician. In 2005, she made Florida her home.

Dedicated to supporting others, Lori earned an Associate’s Degree in Small Business from Pensacola State College, followed by both a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of West Florida (UWF). Her journey with UWF began in 2012 as a VA Work Study student. After graduation, she became one of the nation’s first veteran counselors embedded within a campus resource center.

Lori went on to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and launched the university’s Mentoring Program in November 2015—an initiative supported by a quarter-million-dollar annual state grant. She was promoted to Assistant Director in August 2018 and then to Director just three months later, a role she continues to proudly serve in today.

In addition to her leadership at UWF, Lori has served as an adjunct professor teaching Social Work in the Military at the graduate level. She was honored as the 2020 Social Worker of the Year for her region.

She remains deeply engaged in community advocacy and veteran support, serving in multiple leadership and advisory roles. Lori is:

  • Chair of the EscaRosa Suicide Prevention Coalition
  • Co-Chair of the Pensacola Veterans Support Organization Network (PVSON)—a quarterly gathering that strengthens collaboration among local veteran-serving organizations
  • An interim board member for 90Works
  • A member of the Mental Health Task Force
  • A member of the EscaRosa Financial Stability Coalition

Through each role, Lori continues her commitment to strengthening resources, improving mental health outcomes, and ensuring veterans and their families receive the support they deserve.

Education

2004 Bachelor of Science: Agricultural Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

2012 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL

2014 Master of Science: Academic Advising, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS

2016 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL, by correspondence

Assignments

1. January 2005 – December 2006, Student, Joint Undergraduate Navigator Training, NAS Pensacola, Florida

2. December 2006 – December 2007, Student, F-15E Initial Qualification Course, 334th Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina

3. January 2008 – May 2011, F-15E Instructor WSO, Scheduler, Assistant Chief of Strike, Chief of Aircrew Flight Equipment, 336th Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina

4. June 2011 – October 2013, F-15E Instructor WSO, Chief of Safety, Flight Commander 334th Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina

5. November 2013 – April 2017, F-15E Instructor WSO, Wing Electronic Warfare Officer, 20th Operations Support Squadron, Shaw AFB, South Carolina

6. May 2017 – March 2018, Student, EA-18G Initial Qualification Course, VAQ-129 and 390th Electronic Combat Squadron, NAS Whidbey Island, Washington

7. April 2018 – March 2018, EA-18G EWO, Chief of Safety, Chief of Tactics, Assistant Director of Operations, VAQ-132 and 390th Electronic Combat Squadron, NAS Whidbey Island, Washington

8. April 2019 – March 2020, EA-18G Instructor EWO, Assistant Director of Operation, VAQ-129 and 390th Electronic Combat Squadron, NAS Whidbey Island, Washington

9. April 2020 – February 2022, Director of Operations, 548th Combat Training Squadron, Fort Polk, Louisiana

10. February 2002 – May 2024, Commander, 548th Combat Training Squadron, Fort Johnson, Louisiana

11. May 2024 – Present, Commander, Air Force ROTC, Det 014, University of South Alabama

Flight Information

  • Rating: Master Navigator
  • Flight hours: More than 2,000
  • Aircraft flown: F-15E, F-16D, EA-18G, T-1, T-6, T-38, T-39

Major Awards and Decorations

  • Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
  • Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal
  • Air Medal with seven oak leaf clusters
  • Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster

Effective Dates of Promotion

  • Second Lieutenant, December 17, 2004
  • First Lieutenant, January 3, 2007
  • Captain, January 3, 2009
  • Major, June 1, 2015
  • Lieutenant Colonel, November 1, 2019