Brig. Gen. Christopher F. Yancy is the Special Assistant to the Commander, U.S. Africa Command, Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany. He is responsible to the Commander to help enable operations, activities, and investments for the command as they promote the national security interests for the U.S. in the 11.2 million square mile USAFRICOM area of responsibility, consisting of 53 African countries. USAFRICOM works with partners to counter transnational threats and malign actors, strengthen security forces, and respond to crises in order to advance U.S. national interests and promote regional security, stability and prosperity.
Brig. Gen. Yancy entered the Air Force in 1988 as a ROTC distinguished graduate from Texas A&M University. He served 11 years in the Air Force as an F-16 Pilot in Air Combat Command and U.S. Air Forces Europe. He joined the Air Force Reserve in 1999 and has held various command positions at the squadron, group and wing level. His combat experience includes nine deployments in operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, Southern Watch and Northern Watch; multiple operations in the former Yugoslavia; and Expeditionary Fighter Squadron Command in South Korea.
Brig. Gen. Yancy is a command pilot with more than 3,900 flying hours, including 3,800 hours in the F-16 Block 30+, 40, 50 and 50+ as well as more than 15 years of joint/partner programmatic, test and tactics development experience in the F-35. In his previous assignment, he served as the Mobilization Assistant to the Deputy Commander, Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. He was responsible for Air Force activities spread over half the globe, supporting 46,000 Airmen serving principally in Japan, South Korea, Hawaii, Alaska and Guam.
EDUCATION
1988 Bachelor of Science, Aerospace Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station
1995 Forward Air Controller–Airborne Instructor Course, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.
1996 Master of Aeronautical Science, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla.
1998 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
1999 U.S. Air Force Safety and Accident Investigation Board President Course, Kirtland AFB, Ariz.
2002 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2009 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2017 Area Studies Seminar, Africa, Washington, D.C.
2018 Area Studies Seminar, Middle East and South Asia, Washington, D.C.
2019 Combined Force Air Component Commander Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2021 General/Flag Officer and Ambassador Course, NATO Defense College, Rome, Italy
2022 Area Studies Seminar, Transnational Threats, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. November 1989–November 1990, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Distinguished Graduate, 47th Flying Training Wing, Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas
2. November 1990–February 1991, Student, Fighter Lead-In Training, 436th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Holloman AFB, N.M.
3. March 1991–September 1991, Student, F-16 Replacement Training Unit, 61st Fighter Training Squadron, MacDill AFB, Fla.
4. September 1991–September 1992, F-16 Pilot; Chief, Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation Range Control, 308th Fighter Squadron/307th FS, Homestead AFB, Fla.
5. September 1992–October 1995, F-16 Instructor Pilot; Mission Commander; Assistant Chief, Weapons and Tactics; and Chief, Plans and Mobility, 308th FS/68th FS, Moody AFB, Ga.
6. October 1995–September 1998, F-16 Instructor Pilot; Mission Commander; Flight Commander; Chief, Wing Flying Standardization and Evaluations; Chief of Safety; and Chief Wing Functional Check Flight Pilot, 555th FS, 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano Air Base, Italy
7. September 1998–November 2009, Deputy Operations Group Commander; Assistant Director of Operations; Weapons and Tactics Flight Commander; Chief, Weapons and Tactics; and Chief, Wing Safety, 457th Fighter Squadron, 301st Fighter Wing, Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, Texas
8. September 2009–April 2011, Commander, 457th FS, 301st FW, NAS Fort Worth JRB, Texas
9. April 2011–August 2013, Vice Commander, 944th FW, Luke AFB, Ariz.
10. August 2013–August 2014, Vice Commander, 301st FW, NAS Fort Worth JRB, Texas
11. August 2014–March 2016, Individual Mobilization Assistant to the Director of Force Application, Headquarters Air Force A5RC, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
12. March 2016–July 2018, Mobilization Assistant to the Director of Plans, Programs and Analyses for Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe and U.S. Air Forces Africa, Ramstein AB, Germany
13. July 2018–September 2019, Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, Second Air Force, Keesler AFB, Miss.
14. September 2019–September 2020, Mobilization Assistant to the Deputy Commander, Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
15. September 2020–present, Special Assistant to the Commander, U.S. Africa Command, Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 2020–present, Special Assistant to the Commander, U.S. Africa Command, Stuttgart, Germany, as a brigadier general
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 3,900, more than 650 combat
Aircraft flown: F-16, AT-38, T-38, T-37, B-727, A-319/320/321, A-330
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Distinguished Flying Cross
Meritorious Service Medal with silver oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with silver oak leaf cluster and three bronze oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal
Gallant Unit Citation
Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with "V" device and eight oak leaf clusters
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with two devices
Iraq Campaign Medal
Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal
NATO Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Dec. 16, 1988
First Lieutenant May 30, 1991
Captain May 30, 1993
Major June 2, 2000
Lieutenant Colonel Aug. 17, 2006
Colonel June 15, 2011
Brigadier General March 26, 2018
(Current as of July 2022)