Colonel Craig S. Leavitt commands the 8th Operations Group at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea. As commander, he is responsible for the conduct of conventional air-to-ground and air-to-air missions in support of armistice and wartime taskings to defend the Republic of Korea.
Colonel Leavitt entered the Air Force in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science from the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado. He is a 1996 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Weapons School and has operational assignments in the Pacific Air Forces, U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Combat Command. Prior to his current assignment, Colonel Leavitt was the Futures and Studies Division Chief on the Secretary of Defense Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Task Force, where he was responsible for maximizing currently deployed ISR capabilities as well as identifying, coordinating and integrating emerging ISR capabilities in support of ongoing combat operations.
He is a command pilot with more than 3,300 flying hours including over 600 hours of combat time, and has deployed in support of Operations PROVIDE COMFORT, DENY FLIGHT, DELIBERATE FORCE, NORTHERN WATCH, SOUTHERN WATCH, ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM.
EDUCATION
1989 Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1996 Squadron Officer School, Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1996 F-16 Weapons Instructor Course, Weapons School, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.
2004 Master of Science in Military Art and Science, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2004 Air Command and Staff College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2007 Air War College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala., in correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS
1. October 1989 - October 1990, student, undergraduate pilot training,
Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas
2. March 1991 - September 1991, pilot, F-16 Replacement Training Unit,
MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.
3. September 1991 - December 1992, F-16 pilot, 35th Fighter Squadron,
Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea
4. January 1993 - March 1996, F-16 instructor pilot, mission commander and flight
examiner, 23rd Fighter Squadron, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany
5. April 1996 - December 1997, F-16 weapons officer, instructor pilot and mission
commander, 80th Fighter Squadron, Kunsan AB, Republic of Korea
6. January 1998 - January 2001, F-16 weapons officer and flight commander,
389th Fighter Squadron, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho
7. February 2001 - July 2003, advanced air supremacy programs manager,
Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley Air Force Base, Va.
8. July 2003 - June 2004, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
9. August 2004 - August 2005, F-16 wing weapons officer and instructor pilot, 51st
Operations Support Squadron, Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea
10. September 2005 - June 2007, chief of standardization and evaluation, 20th
Operations Group; director of operations, 79th Fighter Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.
11. June 2007 - June 2009, commander, 77th Fighter Squadron, Shaw AFB, S.C. 12. July 2009 - July 2010, division chief, U.S. Southern Command; operations officer, U.S. Africa Command; deputy director for regional operations, J-3, The Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
13. July 2010 - June 2011, futures and studies division chief, ISR Task Force, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Intelligence), Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
14. July 2011 - Present, commander, 8th Operations Group, Kunsan AB, Republic of Korea
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: 3,500
Aircraft flown: F-16C/D, AT-38, T-38 and T-37
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with six oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with five oak leaf clusters and valor device
Combat Readiness Medal with four oak leaf clusters
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant - May 1, 1989
First Lieutenant - May 1, 1991
Captain - May 1, 1993
Major - Sept. 1, 2000
Lieutenant Colonel - Oct. 1, 2005
Colonel - Sept. 1, 2010
(Current as of July 2011)