The Air Force this month hired a retired fighter pilot to lead its charge to increase the service’s diversity footprint. He is Chris G. Patterakis, a California native who enlisted in the Air Force in 1953, transferred to the Air National Guard and completed pilot training in 1961. He flew F-86, F-100, and F-4 fighters, amassing 5,100 flying hours and 315 combat missions in the Vietnam War. Patterakis had a varied aerospace career after retiring from the Air Force, returning to the service in 2002 as special assistant for community relations to the Secretary of the Air Force. SECAF promoted him to his present position to head a new office created last year to encourage individuals from a broader range—be it race, gender, or economics—to join the service as officers or enlisted members.
Former AFCENT Commander Reflects on Lessons of Epic Fury
Sept. 13, 2026
Operation Epic Fury marked the U.S. military's largest air campaign in a generation, with strikes on 13,000 targets in Iran before the first in a series of shaky ceasefires began in April. Now, even as hostilities continue to flare up, Lt. Gen. Derek C. France sees several clear lessons that…
