CSAF announces selectees for new senior officer program

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Monique Randolph
  • Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs
WASHINGTON (AFPN) --  Seven senior officers were recently selected to be part of a new program directed by Chief of the Staff of the Air Force Gen. T. Michael Moseley.

As part of the Chief of Staff of the Air Force Fellows program, these select officers will work directly for the chief of staff in lieu of serving as a group or vice wing commander, and after successful completion of the program will be strong candidates for operational wing command or equivalent positions.

"The CSAF Fellows program is a prestigious opportunity to develop some of the Air Force's most talented officers," General Moseley said. "It will provide these hand-selected officers with the opportunity to cultivate their skill sets in career-broadening positions specializing in national military strategy, national defense policy and international relations."

The intent of the CSAF Fellows program is to develop a strong group of senior officers with breadth and depth in operational, command and joint/interagency experience, he said. Officers are selected based on their strong competency and potential to serve in senior positions.

Tour lengths for the program will vary from one to two years, and participating officers will still be expected to complete a program such as Air War College to receive credit for developmental education.

"Maintaining peak combat capability begins and ends with talented, motivated, trained and well-equipped Airmen," General Moseley said. "This prestigious program provides distinguished officers with the right experience at the right time in their careers."

Officers selected for the program are:

-- Lt. Col. Gary W. Henderson is a senior developmental education student at NATO Defense College in Rome, Italy. Colonel Henderson graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1987. He is a command pilot with more than 4,400 flying hours in the HH-60G Pave Hawk, UH-1 Huey and T-38 Talon. He previously served as an instructor pilot, flight commander, and on the staff at Air Combat Command headquarters at Langley Air Force Base, Va. Prior to attending SDE, he was commander of the 33rd Rescue Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan. He is a graduate of the Air Command and Staff College and a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Weapons School.

-- Lt. Col. David A. Krumm is commander of the 43rd Fighter Squadron at Tyndall AFB, Fla. Colonel Krumm received his commission from Auburn University in 1989. He is a command pilot with more than 2,600 flying hours in the F-15 Eagle and F-22 Raptor. He has served as a flight commander, assistant operations officer and chief of F-22 initial operation test and evaluation. Prior to assuming command of the 43rd FS, Colonel Krumm served as initial cadre for the F-22, and then as operations officer for the 43rd FS and the 325th Operations Support Squadron. He is a distinguished graduate and outstanding graduate of the U.S. Air Force Weapons Instructor Course.

-- Col. Michael T. Plehn is commander of the 27th Special Operations Group at Cannon AFB, N.M. Colonel Plehn graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy with military distinction in 1988. He is a senior navigator with more than 1,900 hours as an electronic warfare officer on the AC-130 Gunship, including more than 330 combat hours. In previous assignments he has served as a flight commander, wing electronic warfare officer, operations group executive officer, special operations squadron commander and on the staff at Air Force Special Operations Command headquarters. At the Pentagon, he served on the Air Staff as a strategic planner and as speechwriter to the vice chief of staff of the Air Force. He is an alumnus of the College of Naval Command and Staff, the School of Advanced Airpower Studies and the Air Force Fellows Program.

-- Col. Kathleen C. Sakura is deputy director for joint staff intelligence support for the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon. A distinguished graduate from Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at Auburn University, Colonel Sakura earned a regular commission upon graduation in 1988. In 1994, she cross-flowed into the intelligence career field from the acquisition career field. She previously served as deputy director for intelligence in the National Military Command Center. Her most recent operational assignment was commander of the 24th Intelligence Squadron at Ramstein AB, Germany. She is a graduate of Air Command and Staff College and Air War College where she earned a diploma in international security and warfighting operations (with distinction).

-- Col. Jeffrey B. Taliaferro is an Air Force Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. Colonel Taliaferro received his commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy in May 1989. He is a command pilot with more than 2,400 flying hours in the B-1B Lancer and T-38 Talon. He has served in a variety of flying positions including B-1 instructor pilot, U.S. Air Force Weapons School instructor and wing weapons officer, serving combat tours in Operations DESERT FOX and ALLIED FORCE. While an Air Force intern, he served on the Air Staff in the B-1 acquisition office, and in personnel education and training. He has also served on the U.S. Central Command staff as a strategic warplanner. Previously, he was commander of the 28th Bombardment Squadron at Dyess AFB, Texas. He is a graduate of Air Command and Staff College and the School of Advanced Airpower Studies.

-- Col. Stephen N. Whiting is commander of the 614th Air and Space Operations Center and director of the Joint Space Operations Center at Vandenberg AFB, Calif. Colonel Whiting was commissioned upon graduation from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1989. As a space operations officer, he has served as an operations officer, flight commander and squadron commander. He was selected for the first Air Force intern class during which he spent two years in Washington, D.C., working on the Air Staff and attending George Washington University. He has also served in headquarters assignments at United States Space Command and United States Strategic Command. He is a graduate of Air Command and Staff College, the School of Advanced Airpower Studies and an Air Force fellowship at RAND Corporation.

-- Col. John M. Wood is deputy commander of the 60th Operations Group at Travis AFB, Calif. Colonel Wood was commissioned in 1989 after receiving his degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of California at Davis. He is a command pilot with more than 3,800 flying hours, primarily in the T-38 Talon, C-130 Hercules and KC-10 Extender. Colonel Wood's previous assignment was as an Air Force fellow with RAND Corporation. He also served as commander of the 32nd Air Refueling Squadron at McGuire AFB, N.J., and he has completed staff tours at both United States Transportation Command headquarters and Air Mobility Command headquarters at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. 

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