Colonel Charles W. Stevens is the commander of the 386th Expeditionary Operations Group, Southwest Asia. He leads a team of Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen providing tactical airlift, aeromedical evacuation, search and rescue, personnel recovery, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and operational support capability throughout Southwest Asia.
Colonel Stevens received his commission through the United States Air Force Academy in June of 1993. He has served as a primary instructor pilot, tactical airlift instructor pilot, squadron safety officer, flight commander, Pilot Instructor Training instructor, T-6A “Texan II” Demonstration Pilot, tactical airlift combat pilot, Director of Operations of a combat group, and Commander of the 52d Expeditionary Flying Training Squadron, 321st Air Expeditionary Advisory Group, 321st Air Expeditionary Wing, Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Tikrit, Iraq. He also served as a Joint Staff, Air Staff, and MAJCOM staff officer as well as an Executive Officer at the wing, Director of Mobility Forces, and Air Staff Directorate levels. Colonel Stevens is a seasoned aviator with more than 220 combat hours and 140 combat sorties. He participated in the US Global War on Terrorism in JTF-HOA and Operations IRAQI FREEDOM, NEW DAWN and ENDURING FREEDOM. He is a command pilot with more than 3,700 flight hours.
EDUCATION
1993 Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado
2000 Distinguished Graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
2004 Masters in Business Administration and Management, St. Mary’s University, Texas
2004 Air Command and Staff College, Correspondence
2008 Air War College, Correspondance
2014 Masters in National Security Strategy, National War College, Fort McNair, Washington D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1993 – January 1994, Intramural Program Manager, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado
2. January 1994 – January 1995, Student Pilot, T-37/T-1, Reese AFB, Texas
3. January 1995 – October 1995, Student, T-37 Pilot Instructor Training, Randolph AFB, Texas
4. October 1995 – May 1996, Instructor Pilot, T-37 Undergraduate Pilot Training, 35th Flying Training
Squadron, Reese AFB, Texas
5. May 1996 – January 1997, Instructor Pilot, T-37 Undergraduate Pilot Training, 85th Flying Training
Squadron, Laughlin AFB, Texas
6. January 1997 – May 1998, T-37 Category Check Pilot, T-37 Undergraduate Pilot Training, 85th Flying
Training Squadron, Laughlin AFB, Texas
7. May 1998 – October 1998, Student, C-130 Initial Qualification, Little Rock AFB, Arkansas
8. October 1998 – July 1999, C-130H Pilot, 517th Airlift Squadron, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
9. July 1999 – March 2001, C-130H Aircraft Commander, 517th Airlift Squadron, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
10. March 2001 – November 2001, Chief of Squadron Safety/C-130H Instructor Aircraft Commander,
517th Airlift Squadron, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
11. November 2001 – March 2002, Student, T-6 Pilot Instructor Training, Randolph AFB, Texas
12. March 2002 – June 2002, T-6 Pilot Instructor Training Instructor, 558th Flying Training Squadron,
Randolph AFB, Texas
13. June 2002 – November 2002, Flight Commander/T-6 Pilot Instructor Training Instructor, 558th Flying
Training Squadron, Randolph AFB, Texas
14. November 2002 – October 2003, Demo Pilot/T-6 Pilot Instructor Training Instructor, 558th Flying
Training Squadron, Randolph AFB, Texas
15. October 2003 – November 2004, Chief of AETC T-6A West Coast Demo Team/Demo Pilot/T-6 Pilot
Instructor Training Instructor, 558th Flying Training Squadron, Randolph AFB, Texas
16. November 2004 – February 2005, Assistant Director of Operation/T-6 Pilot Instructor Training
Instructor, 558th Flying Training Squadron, Randolph AFB, Texas
17. February 2005 – April 2005, Student, C-130 Re-Qualification, Little Rock AFB, Arkansas
18. April 2005 – November 2005, Assistant Operations Officer/C-130E Aircraft Commander, 2d Airlift
Squadron, Pope AFB, North Carolina
19. November 2005 – July 2007, Executive Officer, 43d Airlift Wing, Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina
20. July 2007 – May 2008, Staff Officer, AF/A5R-J, HQ USAF, Pentagon, Washington D.C.
21. May 2008 – June 2009, Executive Officer, AF/A5R, HQ USAF, Pentagon, Washington D.C.
22. June 2009 – July 2010, Director of Operations, 819th Global Support Squadron, Joint Base McGuire-
Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey
23. July 2010 – July 2011, Commander, 52d Expeditionary Flying Training Squadron, Contingency
Operating Base Speicher, Tikrit, Iraq
24. July 2011 – February 2012, Chief, Undergraduate Pilot Programs Branch, Air Education and Training
Command, Randolph AFB, Texas
25. February 2012 – August 2013, Deputy Chief, Undergraduate Flying Training Division, Air Education
and Training Command, Randolph AFB, Texas
26. August 2013 – June 2014, Student, National War College, National Defense University, Fort McNair,
Washington D.C.
27. June 2014 – June 2016, Deputy Division Chief, Joint Operations Division-AFRICOM, Operations
Directorate, J-3 Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
28. June 2016 – Present, Commander, 386th Expeditionary Operations Group, Southwest Asia
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2014 – Jun 2016, Deputy Division Chief, Joint Operations Division-AFRICOM, Operations
Directorate, J-3 Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: 3734 Hours
Aircraft Flown: T-37B, T-1A, T-6A, C-130E, C-130H
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Bronze Star
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal
Combat Readiness Medal with one oak leaf cluster
National Defense Service Medal with one device
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 2, 1993
First Lieutenant June 2, 1995
Captain June 2, 1997
Major August 1, 2003
Lieutenant Colonel September, 2008
Colonel December, 2014
(Current as of June 2016)