HomeHomeBiographies

Colonel CHRISTOPHER T. RAYMOND

Colonel Christopher T. Raymond is the incoming Vice Commander of the 189th Airlift Wing, Arkansas National Guard, located on Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. As Commander, Colonel Raymond directly supervises over 160 full-time and Drill- Status Guardsmen serving aircrew and personnel duties. The complex mission of the 154th Training Squadron is to the provide the highest quality C-130 aircrew formal training for the Department of Defense and more than 20 allied nations, while effectively airlifting cargo and personnel in support of state and national objectives. Colonel Raymond is a Command Pilot with more than 4000 hours of military flying time. He has flown the T37, T44, C-130E, and C-130H variants aircraft.

Colonel Raymond was born at West Point, New York, and attended the University of Notre Dame, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in 1998. He commissioned into the United States Air Force and graduated Undergraduate Pilot Training from Naval Air Station Corpus Christi in July 2000. At Dyess Air Force Base, he graduated from copilot to instructor pilot, served as Executive Officer, Central Scheduler, and Flight Commander, while enduring six deployments to Southwest Asia in support of Operations SOUTHERN WATCH, ENDURING FREEDOM, and IRAQI FREEDOM. In 2005, he transferred to Little Rock Air Force’s 463rd Airlift Group, where he served as Chief of Tactics. During his time there, Colonel Raymond also attended the USAF C-130 Weapons School, where he graduated as Outstanding Academic and Flying Performer. Afterwards, he deployed as Squadron Operations Officer, 777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, Balad AB, Iraq. Colonel Raymond then returned to the 29th Weapons Squadron, USAF Weapons School, where he served as Standardizations/Evaluations Chief, Assistant Operations Officer, Director of Operations, and Chief Pilot. Additionally, he forward-deployed to Afghanistan to serve as a 3rd Special Forces Group Joint Terminal Attack Controller.

Colonel Raymond transitioned to the Arkansas Air National Guard in 2009, when he served as a Drill-Status Guardsman C-130E/H Instructor Pilot and worked as a Lockheed Martin C-130J Maintenance and Aircrew Training Systems Instructor Pilot until 2012. When he was selected for a full-time position, Colonel Raymond he served as C-130H evaluator/instructor pilot, Pilot Scheduler, Wing Conversion Officer, Chief of Tactics, and 189th Chief, 189th Operations Group Standardizations & Evaluations. Prior to his current position, Colonel Raymond served as Commander, 154th Training Squadron, Little Rock Air Force, Arkansas. He was promoted to the grade of colonel Nov. 22, 2019.

EDUCATION

1998 Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN

2005 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL, in residence

2006 United States Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, NV

2008 Masters of Business Administration, Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA

2008 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL, by correspondence

2019 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, AL, by correspondence

ASSIGNMENTS

  1. May 1998 – May 1999, Acquisitions Officer, Development Plans, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
  2. May 1999 – July 2000, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, 47th Flying Training Wing, Laughlin AFB, TX and VT-31, Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, TX
  3. July 2000– May 2005, C-130 Pilot/Aircraft Commander/Instructor 39th Airlift Squadron, Dyess AFB, TX
  4. May 2005 – March 2007, C-130 Evaluator Pilot/Chief of Tactics, 34th Combat Training & 463rd Airlift Group, Little Rock AFB, AR
  5. March 2007 – August 2009, C-130 Evaluator Pilot/Operations Officer/Chief Pilot, 29th Weapons Squadron, USAF Weapons School, Little Rock AFB, AR
  6. August 2009 – March 2014, C-130 Evaluator Pilot/Instructor Pilot/Chief of Tactics, 154 Training Squadron, Arkansas ANG, Little Rock AFB, AR
  7. March 2014 – March 2015, C-130 Operations Group Evaluator Pilot, 189th Operations Group, Arkansas ANG, Little Rock AFB, AR
  8. March 2015 – February 2017, Chief of Standardizations/Evaluations, 189th Operations Group, Arkansas ANG, Little Rock AFB, AR
  9. February 2017 – April 2019, Commander, 154th Training Squadron, Arkansas ANG, Little Rock AFB, AR
  10. April 2019– October 2020, Commander, 189th Operations Group, Arkansas ANG, Little Rock AFB, AR
  11. October 2020-Present, Vice Commander, 189th Airlift Wing

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Bronze Star Medal

Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with four devices Air Medal with six devices

Aerial Achievement Medal with one device Air Force Commendation Medal

Air Force Achievement Medal with one device Air Force Combat Action Medal

Meritorious Unit Award

Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (Valor) with seven devices Air Organizational Excellence Award

Combat Readiness Medal National Defense Service Medal

Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one device Iraq Campaign Medal with one device

Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Armed Forces Service Medal

Humanitarian Service Medal

Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border with four devices Air Force Longevity Service with three devices

Air Force Training Ribbon

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS

National Guard Association of the United States, Lifetime member

Enlisted National Guard Association of Arkansas, Lifetime member 

National Guard Association of Arkansas, Lifetime member

Order of Daedalians, Lifetime member 

(Current as of October 2020)