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Eric Froehlich

Eric Froehlich is the Chief Growth Officer of the Small Business Consulting Corporation (SBCC). Through Strategic Partnerships with the US Air Force (USAF), he helps the Department of Defense find and connect with innovative companies to help transition their best technologies for the nation’s most critical defense missions. SBCC focuses on aligning partners to create a collaborative environment where entrepreneurs, industry, small businesses, startups, and capital intersect to spark innovation, build community, and create investment in technologies, services, products, production, or processes, which will enable the US military to better defend the nation.  Prior to joining the SBCC leadership team, Froehlich served as the Director of Logistics and Engineering, USAF Global Strike Command.

Froehlich is a 28-year Air Force Veteran.   In his last role as the Director of Logistics and Engineering, he was responsible for integrating strategy, policy, resources, performance management and human capital development in support of the more than 12,800 maintenance, munitions, supply, transportation and civil engineering personnel who serve throughout the command. Additionally, Froehlich was responsible for integration, advocacy and oversight of the nation's largest nuclear weapon storage facility, its’ Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles and Nuclear Command, Control and Communication (NC3) weapons systems, B-1, B-2 and B-52 bombers while also performing lead command functions for the Air Force's UH-1N helicopter fleet, the E-4B National Airborne Operations Center aircraft, and the NC3 weapon system.

Froehlich commissioned into the USAF from the University of Tennessee, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering.  His advanced education includes four Masters degrees.  He received a Masters in National Security Studies from both the National War College and Marine Corps University, an Organizational Management degree from George Washington University, and a MS in Systems Engineering from St. Mary’s University.  Froehlich has participated in multiple leadership enhancement seminars through the Center for Creative Leadership, the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and attended the Capstone General and Flag Officer Course at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C.

Froehlich served much of his USAF career in aviation logistics, enterprise sustainment, supply chain, and industrial operations.  He served as the Vice Commander of the USAF Sustainment Center, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, where he was responsible for oversight of depot-level maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) operations at three Air Logistics Complexes.  His duties also included management of Air Force enterprise supply chain operations with over $62 billion in buying power, and three supporting base installations.  Prior to this role, Froehlich was the Commander of Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he was responsible for 21,000 national security professionals working on a military base spanning 52,000 acres.  In this role, he and his wife, Stephanie, where formally recognized as the Air Force’s top Wing Commander and Spouse team with the award of the 2017 General and Mrs. Jerome O'Malley Award.

In addition to enterprise logistics and sustainment, Froehlich has significant experience in military education and training activities.  He served at Sheppard AFB in Wichita Falls, Texas, as Vice Commander of the Wing responsible for technical skills training for all Air Force maintenance, logistics, supply, and civil engineering specialties, including advanced skills education at over 50 worldwide locations.  In that role, he also gained experience working with US coalition partners through F-15 maintenance training delivery to the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF). 

Froehlich’s distinguished military career included four command tours and two combat operations support deployments.  He was honored to command 1700 Airmen at Minot AFB, North Dakota, where he was responsible for all mission generation activities of two B-52 nuclear bomber squadrons.  Froehlich led 3 units at overseas locations, commanding in Guam, and during air combat operations over Afghanistan and Iraq from Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory.  He also led aviation combat support from RAF Fairford, United Kingdom, during Operation ALLIED FORCE, where his efforts were later recognized with Air Combat Command General Lew Allen Award as the “Top Aircraft Sortie Generation Officer”.