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COLONEL CRAIG L. LA FAVE
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Colonel Craig L. La Fave is the Vice Commander, 403rd Wing, Air Force Reserve Command, Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. He assists the commander leading a flying wing with more than 1,700 Reservists and 20 C-130J Super Hercules aircraft. The 403rd Wing is the only unit performing the aerial weather reconnaissance mission in the Department of Defense.
Colonel La Fave graduated from Lehigh University in 1986 and was a distinguished graduate of the Air Force Reserve Training Corps. He attended Undergraduate Pilot Training at Williams Air Force Base and subsequently served as a C-141B Special Operations Low Level II Evaluator Pilot. Since then, Colonel La Fave has commanded a C-17 squadron, served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and completed combat deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan. He is a command pilot with over 11,000 flying hours, including more than 5,000 military flying hours and 320 combat flying hours in numerous overseas contingency operations. In his civilian job, he is an airline pilot with a major U.S. carrier.
EDUCATION
1986 Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering, Distinguished Military Graduate, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pa.
1997 Squadron Officer School (correspondence)
2000 Air Command and Staff College (correspondence)
2002 Reserve Officer Joint Military Operations Course, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
2004 Advanced Joint PME Course, Commandant Award winner, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
2006 Air War College, Outstanding Graduate (correspondence).
2008 Masters of Strategic Studies, United States Army War College, Carlisle, Pa.
2011 COMAFFOR Senior Staff Course, USAF Expeditionary Center, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
2011 Safety and Accident Investigation Board President Course, USAF Safety Center, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
2011 Reserve Component National Security Course, National Defense University, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 1987- April 1988, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Distinguished Graduate, Williams AFB, Ariz.
2. September 1988- November 1993, C141B Special Operations Aircraft Commander, Evaluator Pilot, Flight Commander, 14th Airlift Squadron, Charleston AFB, S.C.
3. November 1993- October 1999, C-5A/B Aircraft Commander, 709th Airlift Squadron (Reserve Associate), Dover AFB, Del.
4. October 1999-February 2003, Government Flight Representative, Defense Contract Management Agency, Boston, Mass.
5. February 2003- July 2005, Mobilization Assistant to the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, Military Personnel Policy, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
6. July 2005-August 2007, Chief, C-17 Program Integration Office, 512 Airlift Wing, Dover AFB, Del.
7. August 2007- December 2007, Air Force Operations Planner, C3 Air, Multi-National Corps-Iraq, Camp Victory, Baghdad, Iraq
8. January 2008- January 2009 Chief Pilot, 326th Airlift Squadron (Reserve Associate), Dover AFB, Del.
9. January 2009- September 2010, Commander, 326th Airlift Squadron (Reserve Associate), Dover AFB, Del.
10. October 2010- June 2012, Vice Commander, 403d Wing (Active Associate), Keesler AFB, Miss.
11. June 2012- November 2012, Deputy Commander, 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force - Afghanistan and Assistant Deputy Commander Air, United States Forces - Afghanistan, Kabul, Afghanistan.
12. November 2012- present, Commander, 403d Wing (Active Associate), Keesler AFB, Miss.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. February 2003- July 2005, Mobilization Assistant to the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, Military Personnel Policy, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a Lieutenant Colonel
2. August 2007- December 2007, Air Force Operations Planner, C3 Air, Multi-National Corps-Iraq, Camp Victory, Baghdad, Iraq, as a Lieutenant Colonel.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: More than 5,000 military hours, including 320 combat hours
Aircraft flown: T-41, T-37, T-38, C-141, C-5, C-17, C-130J, B737, B757, B767, B777
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with oak leaf cluster
Aerial Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with four oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal with three oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with one bronze star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal with two bronze stars
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon
Air Force Longevity Service with four oak leaf clusters
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with 'M' device
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
Air Force Training Ribbon
Non-Article 5 NATO Medal
Kuwait Liberation Medal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Kuwait Liberation Medal Government of Kuwait
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Oct. 25, 1986
First Lieutenant Oct. 25, 1988
Captain Oct. 25, 1990
Major Oct. 1, 1999
Lieutenant Colonel Sept. 30, 2004
Colonel Aug. 7, 2010
(Current as of November 2012)
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