Dr. Ravi I. Chaudhary is the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Installations, and Environment, Department of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. Dr. Chaudhary is responsible for the formulation, review and execution of plans, policies, programs, and budgets to meet Air Force energy, installations, environment, safety, and occupational health objectives.
Dr. Chaudhary most recently served as the acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy. Prior to this role, he served as the Director of Advanced Programs and Innovation, Office of Commercial Space Transportation, at the Federal Aviation Administration. He provided technical leadership and oversight for the commercial space industry, to include research and development activities to support Department of Transportation and White House National Space Council initiatives.
Prior to this role, he served as Executive Director, Regions and Center Operations, at the FAA. In this role, he was responsible for leadership, integration and execution of aviation operations in nine regions nationwide. Dr. Chaudhary served as second in command to the Deputy Assistant Administrator and was responsible for providing Department of Transportation and FAA-wide services in the areas of operations, safety, policy, congressional outreach and emergency readiness for the National Aerospace System.
Dr. Chaudhary commissioned in the Air Force in 1993 upon graduation from the United States Air Force Academy. He completed 21 years of service in a variety of command, flying, engineering and senior staff assignments in the Air Force. As a C-17 pilot, he conducted global flight operations, including numerous combat missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as a ground deployment as Director of the Personnel Recovery Center, Multi-National Corps, Iraq. As a flight test engineer, he was responsible for flight certification of military avionics and hardware for Air Force modernization programs supporting flight safety and mishap prevention. Earlier in his career, he supported space launch operations for the Global Positioning System and led third stage and flight safety activities to ensure full-operational capability of the first GPS constellation. As a systems engineer, he supported NASA’s International Space Station protection activities to ensure the safety of NASA Astronauts. Dr. Chaudhary is a DoD Level III Acquisition Officer and has published numerous articles in future strategy, aircraft design, business transformation and space operations.
EDUCATION
1993 Bachelor of Science, Aeronautical Engineering, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1999 Master of Science, Industrial Engineering, NASA Research Fellow, St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, Texas
1997 Department of Defense DAWIA Acquisition Certification, Level III, Test and Evaluation, Level I Prog. Management
2003 Air Force Advanced Instrument School, San Antonio, Texas
2006 Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
2008 Joint Personnel Recovery Command and Control, Joint Personnel Recovery Center, Fort Belvoir, Va.
2008 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2015 Federal Executive Institute, Leadership for a Democratic Society, Charlottesville, Va.
2017 Doctor of Liberal Studies, Executive Leadership and Innovation, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. 1993–2014, Officer, United States Air Force
2. 2014–2017, Executive Director, Regions and Center Operations, Federal Aviation Administration, Washington, D.C.
3. 2017–2020, Director, Advanced Programs and Innovation, Office of Commercial Space Transportation, FAA, Washington, D.C.
4. 2022–2023, Senior Advisor then Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy (acting), Office of the Assistant
Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations, and the Environment, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
5. 2023–present, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Installations, and Environment, Department of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Pilot: C-17, T-1, T-37, FAA Commercial Multi-Engine Rating in the PA-28, BE 400 aircraft
Flight Test Engineer: C-5, C-130, C-141, F-15E, T-37
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with ‘V’ device and oak leaf cluster
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Combat Readiness Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Iraqi Campaign Medal
Joint Service Commendation Medal
(Current as of March 2023)