Colonel CHESLEY L. DYCUS

Colonel Chesley L. Dycus is the Commander of the 92d Air Refueling Wing, Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington. The Wing provides global reach airpower and deploys expeditionary forces in support of worldwide combat, contingency, and humanitarian requirements. The Wing operates 71 KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft performing refueling, airlift, and aeromedical evacuation missions supporting US and coalition contingency operations and USSTRATCOM strategic deterrence missions. As installation commander, Colonel Dycus is also responsible for activities and assigned functions of Fairchild Air Force Base and support for 18 associate units.

Colonel Dycus received his commission from the United States Air Force Academy in May 2000. He is a mobility pilot with world-wide operational experience, including service in support of Operations Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. His assignments include multiple positions in operational units, squadron command and staff officer duties at Headquarters Air Mobility Command and The White House.

Prior to his current assignment, Colonel Dycus served as the Vice Commander, 22nd Air Refueling Wing, McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, one of the Air Force’s three core tanker wings.  

Colonel Dycus is a Command Pilot, having logged more than 3,800 hours in the KC-135, KC-46, C-17 and C-5.

Education
2000 Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado
2000 Aerospace Basic Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
2005 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
2006 Master of Arts in Business Administration, Webster University, Saint Louis, Missouri 
2009 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, by correspondence
2012 Master of Science in Strategic Intelligence, National Intelligence University, Washington, D.C
2020 National Defense Fellowship, The Brookings Institution, Washington D.C.

Assignments
August 2000 – February 2001, USAF Academy NCAA Division I Baseball Coach
February 2001 – February 2002, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Columbus AFB, Mississippi
August 2002 – March 2007, Deputy Chief Command Post, C-5 Instructor Aircraft Commander, Travis AFB, California
April 2007 – July 2011, Flight Commander, Chief of Wing Current Operations, then Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, 17th Airlift Squadron, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina
August 2011 – July 2012, Student, National Intelligence University, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington D.C.
August 2012 – February 2015, Chief, Future Concepts, then Executive Officer to the Vice Commander, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Illinois
March 2015 – December 2015, Assistant Operations Officer, then Operations Officer, 91st Air Refueling Squadron, MacDill AFB, Florida
January 2016 – June 2017, Commander, 6th Operations Support Squadron, MacDill AFB, Florida 
June 2017 – June 2019, Executive Secretary, then Acting Deputy National Security Advisor to the Vice President, The White House, Washington D.C.
July 2019 – June 2020, National Defense Fellow, The Brookings Institution, Washington, D.C.
June 2020 – July 2022, Vice Commander, 22nd Air Refueling Wing, McConnell AFB, Kansas
July 2022 – Present, Commander, 92d Air Refueling Wing, Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington

Flight Information
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: 3,800+
Aircraft flown: KC-135R/T, KC-46A, C-17A, and C-5A/B/C

Major Awards and Decorations
Legion of Merit
Defense Superior Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters 
Air Medal with seven oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal                                                                                              
Humanitarian Service Medal

Effective Dates of Promotion
Second Lieutenant         May 2000
First Lieutenant              May 2002
Captain                         May 2004
Major                            March 2010
Lieutenant Colonel         July 2015
Colonel                         March 2020

(Current as of July 2022)