CRAIG W. DUEHRING

Craig W. Duehring is the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Washington, D.C. A political appointee, Mr. Duehring heads a four-division department that deals at the policy level with Air Force manpower and Reserve affairs issues. He is responsible for providing overall supervision of manpower, military and civilian personnel, Reserve component affairs, and readiness support for the Department of the Air Force.

Mr. Duehring is a 28-year Air Force veteran, having been commissioned in 1968 through Officer Training School. He is a decorated combat pilot, completing more than 800 missions during the Vietnam War as a forward air controller, including a tour as one of the Raven FACs in northern Laos. Mr. Duehring has flown more than a dozen types of aircraft, amassing more than 1,200 hours in the A-10 Thunderbolt II. He retired as a colonel in 1996. His final military assignment was U.S. Air Attaché to Indonesia.

Mr. Duehring has served on the Bush-Cheney Transition Team and the Department of Defense Transition Team. He was the Executive Director of the Patrick Henry Center for Individual Liberty, a non-profit educational and charitable foundation, and he was endorsed as the Republican candidate for the Minnesota 2nd Congressional District in 1998. Prior to his current assignment, Mr. Duehring served six years as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs. He performed the duties of acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs in the absence of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, including an extended period during and following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

EDUCATION
1967 Bachelor of Science degree in history and sociology, Minnesota State University, Mankato
1975 Master's degree in counseling and guidance, Troy State University, Montgomery, Ala.
1972 Squadron Officer School
1981 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1982 Fellow, Haus Rissen International Institute for Politics and Economics, Hamburg, West Germany
1983 National Security Management Course, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
1992 Department of State Foreign Service Institute, Washington, D.C.
2002 Fellow, National Security Studies, Maxwell School of Syracuse University, Johns-Hopkins Campus, Md.

CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. 1968 - 1969, student, undergraduate pilot training, 3615th Flying Training Wing, Craig AFB, Ala.
2. 1969 - 1970, forward air controller, 22nd Tactical Air Support Squadron, 25th Infantry Division, Army of the Republic of Vietnam, Doc Hoa, Vietnam
3. 1970 - 1971, Raven forward air controller, Detachment 1, 56th Special Operations Wing, Udorn Royal Thai AFB, Thailand
4. 1971 - 1975, T-37 instructor pilot and flight commander, 43rd Flying Training Squadron, Craig AFB, Ala.
5. 1975 - 1978, base fuels management officer, 1st Tactical Fighter Wing, Langley AFB, Va.
6. 1978 - 1981, Flight Commander, 92nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, and Chief of Training, 81st Tactical Fighter Wing, Royal Air Force Bentwaters, England
7. 1981 - 1984, action officer, Tactical Fighter Operations Division, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein Air Base, West Germany
8. 1984 -1986, assistant operations officer, 510th Tactical Fighter Squadron, later, Director of Operations Training, 81st Tactical Fighter Wing, RAF Bentwaters, England
9. 1986 - 1989, American Community Commander, and Commander, 7502nd Munitions Support Squadron, Norvenich AB, West Germany
10. 1989 - 1990, assistant Deputy Commander for Operations, 406th Tactical Fighter Training Wing, Zaragoza AB, Spain
11. 1990 - 1991, Deputy Commander for Operations and Vice Commander, 406th Tactical Fighter Training Wing, Zaragoza AB, Spain
12. 1992 - 1993, student, Department of State Foreign Service Institute, Washington, D.C.
13. 1993 - 1995, U.S. Air Attaché to Indonesia
14. 2001 -2007, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, Washington, D.C.
15. 2007 - present, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Washington, D.C.

AWARDS AND HONORS
Silver Star
Defense Superior Service Medal
Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with 26 oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross
Republic of Vietnam Staff Service Medal (First Class)

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1987 Lance P. Sijan Award, senior officer category
2008 Exceptional Civilian Service Award 

(Current as of September 2008)