COLONEL MATTHEW T. KING, USAF (Ret.), is a Senior Resident Fellow for Space Studies at the Mitchell Institute’s Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence.
BACKGROUND: Matt is a recognized national security, space law, and international law expert and experienced educator. During his
23-year Air Force career, he served as a Judge Advocate with tours in military justice, leadership, operations, and international law, and space law. His assignments include service as the Deputy Director for Operations and International Law at the Headquarters, Department of the Air Force, Chief of Space Law for the Headquarters Air Force and Space Force, Chief of International and Administrative Law for the Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Staff Judge Advocate at Vandenberg (then) Air Force Base, and Assistant Professor of Law at the US Air Force Academy. His deployments include tours as legal advisor in the NATO Headquarters-Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, supporting the capture of the indicted war criminals; NATO Headquarters at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, supporting ISAF and installation operations at the largest theatre US/NATO airfield; and the USCENTCOM Combined Air Operations Center during Operation Inherent Resolve (counter ISIS), advising on air support for the peak of operations to recapture of Mosul and Raqqa and during multiple air-to-air engagements and complex geostrategic developments. Throughout his career, Matt provided legal advice and prudential counsel on a wide range of strategic and operational challenges facing the Air Force, Space Force, and Joint Force, and has enjoyed the opportunity to teach, write, and present on various national security matters in numerous Air Force, Space Force, and other Service, civilian, and academic settings.
AREAS OF FOCUS: He’s a recognized expert in national security, international, operations, and space law and policy.
ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL TITLES: Matt has a BA in History and Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia, a JD and Certificate in International and Comparative Law from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, an LLM from the McGill University Institute of Air & Space Law, and an MS in Strategic Studies (Space Concentration) from Air University’s Air War College, where he was a member of the inaugural West Space Seminar (initial US Space Force senior developmental education). Among his career achievements, he was awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, and the Arthur S. Flemming Award (Legal Achievement).