Maj. Gen. Christopher E. Craige is the Commander, Air Force Personnel Center, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas. AFPC ensures commanders around the world are provided with skilled Airmen to conduct Air Force and Joint missions. Additionally, APFC executes programs covering the entire life cycle of military and civilian personnel for the Air Force, from accession through retirement, including readiness, growth, development and deployment. AFPC’s diverse workforce, with five subordinate units, has approximately 2,500 Air Force military, civilian and contractor personnel responsible for worldwide operations for nearly two million total force Airmen, retirees and family members.
Maj. Gen. Craige was commissioned in 1991 as a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. He is a command pilot with more than 3,900 hours in multiple aircraft and operations and has served in a wide variety of flying and staff positions. These include experience at Headquarters U.S. Air Force and U.S. Joint Forces Command, service at the White House as a Military Aide, and command experience as the Commander, 39th Air Base Wing, Incirlik Air Base, Turkey and Commanding General, Train, Advise, Assist Command-Air, and Commander, 438th Air Expeditionary Wing, Kabul, Afghanistan. Prior to his current assignment, the general served as the Director, Strategy, Engagement and Programs, U.S. Africa Command, Stuttgart-Möhringen, Germany.
EDUCATION
1991 Bachelor of Science, Political Science, Distinguished Graduate, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1994 Master of Science, Aeronautical Operations, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla.
2004 Master of Arts, Security Studies, Distinguished Graduate, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.
2009 Master of Arts, Strategic Studies, Distinguished Graduate, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2012 U.S. Air Force Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Darden School, University of Virginia, Va.
2017 Combined Force Air Component Commander’s Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1991–August 1992, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Williams Air Force Base, Ariz.
2. September 1992–December 1992, C-21 Initial Qualification, Scott AFB, Ill.
3. January 1993–May 1996, C-21 Instructor/Evaluator Pilot, Chief of Standardization and Evaluations, 11th Airlift Flight, Offutt AFB, Neb.
4. June 1996–May 1997, Chief, Standardization and Evaluations Pilot, 55th Operations Group, Offutt AFB, Neb.
5. June 1997–February 1998, F-15E Strike Eagle Initial Qual, 333rd Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
6. March 1998–December 2000, F-15E Flight Commander, 335th Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
7. January 2001–April 2001, Student, Pilot Instructor Training, Randolph AFB, Texas
8. May 2001– July 2003, Assistant Ops Officer, T-38 Flight Examiner, 25th Flying Training Squadron, Vance AFB, OK.
9. July 2003 –September 2004, IDE Student, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif..
10. October 2004–December 2004, F-15E TX-2 course, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
11. December 2004–February 2006, Director of Staff, 48th Operations Group, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, United Kingdom
12. March 2006–June 2008, Military Aide to the Vice President, the White House, Washington, D.C.
13. July 2008–June 2009, Student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
14. June 2009–June 2010, Chief, Force Analysis (J-3/4), U.S. Joint Forces Command, Norfolk, Va.
15. July 2010–July 2011, Vice Commander, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, Joint Base Balad, Iraq
16. August 2011–June 2013, Commander, 39th Air Base Wing, Incirlik Air Base, Turkey
17. July 2013–July 2015, Director, Air Force General Officer Management, Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower, Personnel and Services, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
18. July 2015–June 2016, Commanding General, Train, Advise, Assist Command-Air (TAAC-Air) and Commander, 438th Air Expeditionary Wing, Kabul, Afghanistan.
19. July 2016–July 2017, Vice Commander, 3rd Air Force & 17th Expeditionary Air Force, Ramstein AB, Germany
20. July 2017–April 2018, Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Forces in Europe-U.S. Air Forces Africa, Ramstein AB, Germany
21. April 2018–July 2020, Director, Strategy, Engagement, Programs, U.S. Africa Command, Stuttgart, Germany
22. August 2020–present, Commander, Air Force Personnel Center, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. March 2006–June 2008, Military Aide to the Vice President, the White House, Washington, D.C., as a lieutenant colonel
2. June 2009–June 2010, Chief, Force Analysis (J-3/4), U.S. Joint Forces Command, Norfolk, Va., as a colonel
3. July 2010–July 2011, Vice Commander, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, Joint Base Balad, Iraq, as a colonel
4. July 2015 – June 2016, Commanding General, Train, Advise, Assist Command-Air and Commander,
438th Air Expeditionary Wing, Kabul, Afghanistan, as a brigadier general
5. Apr 2018–Jul 2020, Director, Strategy, Engagement, Programs, U.S. Africa Command, Stuttgart-Möhringen, Germany, as a major general
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command Pilot
Flight Hours: more than 3,900
Aircraft Flown: F-15E, T-38, C-21, C-130H and MC-12W
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Army Commendation Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 29, 1991
First Lieutenant June 1, 1993
Captain June 1, 1995
Major March 1, 2002
Lieutenant Colonel March 1, 2006
Colonel Oct. 1, 2009
Brigadier General Aug. 2, 2015
Major General Sep. 4, 2018
(Current as of August 2020)