Is it typical to have a guy with the rank of colonel as part of a flight crew? I think of colonels as being upper management in an office somewhere.
If you are referring to Col. Tibbets, he was the 509th Composite Group’s Commanding Officer. He had been involved in the development of the B-29. The 509th was designed specifically for delivery of the atomic bomb.
When you only have two bombs that cost billions to make, the crew better be the best.