Biographies

Colonel IAN FAIRCHILD

 

Col Ian Fairchild is Vice Commander of the 314th Airlift Wing, Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. The wing's mission is to train over 1,000 C-130 aircrew members annually from across the Department of Defense and 47 partner nations, and serve as the nation's C-130 "Center of Excellence" for tactical airlift.

Col Fairchild graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1997 with a degree in Management and earned his pilot wings at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, TX in 1999. His flying background includes various duties in the reconnaissance, training, and mobility pilot career fields. He has held a variety of leadership and staff positions including Commander, 34th Combat Training Squadron, 53d Airlift Squadron Director of Operations, Little Rock AFB, Ark., as well as Lead Homeland Defense  Planner, and Executive Officer at Headquarters NORAD-USNORTHCOM, Peterson AFB, Colo. Additionally, he has served as a National Defense Fellow to the Atlantic  Council of the United States and as Communications Team Chief and Chief Speechwriter to the Secretary of the Air Force. Prior to his current assignment, Col Fairchild served as the Air Force District of Washington Section Commander and Inspector General.

Col Fairchild is a command pilot with over 3,100 hours in EC-130, C-130, T-44, and T-37 aircraft, and has deployed in support of Operations SOUTHERN WATCH, ENDURING FREEDOM, and IRAQI FREEDOM.

EDUCATION
1997 Bachelor of Science in Management, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. 2003 Master of Business 
Administration, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colo.

2004 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2007 Air Command and Staff College, Correspondence
2010 Master of Science, Logistics, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.
2010 Advanced Study of Air Mobility, USAF Expeditionary Center, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ 2011 Air War College, Correspondence
2017 National Defense Fellow, Atlantic Council of the United States, Washington D.C.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 1998 – June 1998, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training; 37 FTS, Columbus AFB, Miss
2. June 1998 – March 1999, Student, Advanced Multiengine Pilot Training; VT-31, NAS Corpus Christi, Texas
3. March 1999 – September 1999, Student, EC-130H Transition Course, 355 TS, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
4. September 1999 – September 2003, Flight Commander, 43 ECS, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
5. September 2003 – September 2006, Assistant Director of Operations; 36 AS, Yokota AB, Japan
6. September 2006 – January 2007, Executive Officer; 53 AS, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
7. January 2007 – May 2008, Director of Staff; 62 AS, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
8. May 2008 – May 2009, Assistant Director of Operations; 714 TRS, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
9. May 2009 – June 2010, IDE Student, USAF Expeditionary Center, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ
10. June 2010 – December 2010, Lead Homeland Defense Planner, HQ NORAD-USNORTHCOM, Peterson AFB, Colo.
11. December 2010—June 2012, Executive Officer to the Director of Strategy, Policy and Plans, HQ NORAD- USNORTHCOM, Peterson
 AFB, Colo.

12. June 2012 – February 2013, Operations Officer, 53 AS, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
13. February 2013 – May 2014, Commander, 34 CTS, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
14. June 2014 – June 2016, Chief, Communications Team and Chief Speechwriter to the Secretary of the Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air
Force, Washington, D.C.

15. June 2016 – June 2017, National Defense Fellow, Atlantic Council of the United States, Washington D.C.
16. June 2017 – August 2018, Section Commander and Director, Commander’s Action Group, Air Force District of Washington, Joint Base
Andrews, Md.

17. August 2018 – June 2019, Inspector General, Air Force District of Washington, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
18. June 2019 - Present, Vice Commander, 314 AW, Little Rock AFB, Ark.

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
June 2010 – June 2012, Lead Homeland Defense Planner and Executive Officer to the Director of Strategy, HQ NORAD-USNORTHCOM, Peterson AFB, Colo., as a major and lieutenant colonel

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: More than 3,100
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-44, EC-130H, C-130E/H, C-130J

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster Air Medal Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster Joint Service Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2011 HQ NORAD Field Grade Officer of the Year
2010 Distinguished Graduate, Advanced Study of Air Mobility 2010 General Ronald R. Fogleman Award
2010 Lt. Edwin E. Aldrin, Sr., Award
2008 314 AW Technical Training Flight Commander of the Year 2008 714 TRS Field Grade Officer of the Year
2007 62 AS Field Grade Officer of the Year 2003 43 ECS Pilot of the Year
2002 Distinguished Graduate, C-130 Instructor School

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
2nd Lieutenant May 28, 1997
1st Lieutenant May 28, 1999
Captain May 28, 2001
Major Dec 01, 2006
Lt Colonel Mar 01, 2012
Colonel Sep 01, 2018

(Current as of January 2020)