Charles A. Babish IV, a Senior Level executive, is the Technical Advisor, Aircraft Structural Integrity, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. He serves as the recognized Air Force authority in aircraft structural integrity and service life. His technical responsibility includes oversight of the United States Air Force’s Aircraft Structural Integrity Program, which is executed continuously over the entire life cycle of all Air Force aircraft.
Mr. Babish entered federal service in 1986 as an aerospace engineer and was assigned to the F-16, C-17 and F-22 System Program Offices to execute ASIP for each of these aircraft. He focused on aircraft structure service life related activities to include fatigue, durability and damage tolerance analyses as well as component and full-scale aircraft structure durability test programs in each of these offices. In 2001, Mr. Babish was assigned as the F-16 Chief Flight Systems Engineer in the F-16 System Program Office and was responsible for Air Vehicle Subsystems, Crew Systems, Propulsion Integration, Structures, Flight Mechanics, Electrical Power and Wiring, and the Certification of all Stores for the F-16 weapon system.
In March 2003, Mr. Babish was requested to serve as an investigator for the Space Shuttle Columbia Accident Investigation Board. He conducted extensive research into the design, analysis, certification, production and maintenance of the Orbiter wing leading edge reinforced carbon-carbon panels which directly contributed to the determination of the root cause for the loss of Columbia during re-entry. Upon completion of this assignment in August 2003, Mr. Babish was assigned to the Structures Branch within the Aeronautical Systems Center to serve as the Technical Advisor, Aircraft Structures. In that position, he served on the ASIP Review Team that evaluated 45 different United States Air Force Mission/Design/Series aircraft and co-authored the technical report which documented the results.
In January 2006, Mr. Babish was assigned as the Technical Director, Flight Systems Engineering. He was responsible for the technical direction and results of the Flight Systems Engineering Division which includes Air Vehicle Subsystems, Crew Systems, Structures, Aerodynamics, Vehicle Control, Flying Qualities, Flight Systems Integration, Propulsion, and Mechanical Systems. Mr. Babish also provided technical direction in support of high-level Air Force initiatives including the alternative fuels certification effort for all Air Force aircraft and he chaired several First Flight Executive Independent Review Teams resulting in successful first flights.
EDUCATION
1986 Bachelor of Science, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, Ohio State University
1990 Master of Science, Mechanical Engineering, University of Dayton
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1986–July 1988, Aerospace Engineer, Structures Branch, Engineering Directorate, Aeronautical Systems Division, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
2. July 1988–August 1990, Aerospace Engineer, F-16 System Program Office, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
3. August 1990–December 1990, Student, University of Dayton, Ohio
4. December 1990–September 1993, Aerospace Engineer, F-16 System Program Office, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
5. September 1993–December 1999, Aerospace Engineer, C-17 System Program Office, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
6. December 1999–April 2001, Aerospace Engineer, F-22 System Program Office, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
7. April 2001–March 2003, Chief Flight Systems Engineer, F-16 System Program Office, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
8. March 2003–August 2003, Investigator, Space Shuttle Columbia Accident Investigation Board, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas
9. August 2003–January 2006, Technical Advisor, Structures Branch, Engineering Directorate, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
10. January 2006–March 2008, Technical Director, Flight Systems Division, Engineering Directorate, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
11. March 2008–present, Technical Advisor, Aircraft Structural Integrity, Technical Services Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
MAJOR AWARDS AND HONORS
1992 Air Force Materiel Command Junior Civilian Engineer of the Year Award
1996, 2007, 2008, 2012 Air Force Exemplary Civilian Service Award
1998 Aeronautical Systems Center Overall Engineer of the Year Award
1999, 2001, 2009 Aeronautical Systems Center Team of the Year Award
2002, 2008 Air Force Civilian Achievement Award
2003 Air Force Meritorious Civilian Service Award
2003 NASA Exceptional Achievement Award
2007 Aeronautical Systems Center Chief Engineer of the Year Award
2007 Secretary of Defense Exceptional Civilian Service Award
2011 Air Force Materiel Command General Bernard P. Randolph Engineering Team Award
2011 Aeronautical Systems Center Frederick T. Rall Career Excellence Award
2012 Air Force Materiel Command Engineering Career Achievement Award
2014 Presidential Rank Award, Meritorious Senior Professional
2020 Secretary of the Air Force Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service Award
2021 Presidential Rank Award, Meritorious Senior Professional
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS
Systems Planning, Research, Development and Engineering Level III
(Current as of February 2022)