Gregory A. Feest (born 1956) is a retired United States Air Force (USAF) major general who last served as the Chief of Safety of the United States Air Force, Headquarters USAF, Washington, D.C., and commander of the Air Force Safety Center, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.
Early life and education Feest was born in 1956 in Racine, Wisconsin. He attended St. Catherine's High School graduating in 1974. He received his USAF commission through the ROTC program at the University of Wisconsin in 1978.
Career Feest has held a variety of flying assignments, including command of the operations and maintenance of one of only two operational F-117A Nighthawk stealth fighter squadrons. He has also commanded the 479th Flying Training Group, Moody Air Force Base, Georgia; the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, Southwest Asia; and 19th Air Force, Randolph AFB, Texas. His staff assignments include USAF liaison officer to the U.S. Senate, senior military assistant to the director of operational test and evaluation in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and deputy director of requirements at Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Virginia. The general also served as Air Education and Training Command's director of logistics, installations and mission support, as well as deputy director for force application in the Directorate of Force Structure, Resources and Assessment on the Joint Staff. He retired on 1 November 2012. He since has worked at L3 Technologies as vice president of USAF Programs and at Lockheed Martin's Advanced Development Programs (Skunk Works) as deputy director of operations, business, and strategy development and is the executive director for the National Commission on Military Aviation Safety.
He is also recognized for having dropped the first bomb of Operation Desert Storm, flying the F-117A.
Assignments October 1978 – December 1979, student, undergraduate navigator training, Mather Air Force Base, California January 1980 – December 1982, F-111E weapons and tactics officer, 20th Tactical Fighter Wing, RAF Upper Heyford, England January 1983 – October 1984, student, undergraduate pilot training, Reese AFB, Texas, and student, F-15C Replacement Training Unit, Luke AFB, Arizona October 1984 – December 1987, F-15C flight commander, instructor pilot and flight examiner, 27th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Langley AFB, Virginia January 1988 – July 1991, F-117A assistant operations officer, flight commander and instructor pilot, 37th Tactical Fighter Wing, Tonopah Test Range, Nevada August 1991 – June 1992, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama June 1992 – June 1994, deputy chief of Senate liaison, Secretary of the Air Force Legislative Liaison, Washington, D.C. June 1994 – May 1995, operations officer, 7th Fighter Squadron, Holloman AFB, New Mexico May 1995 – June 1997, commander of 9th Fighter Squadron, Holloman AFB, New Mexico July 1997 – June 1998, student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. June 1998 – June 2000, senior military assistant to the director of operational test and evaluation, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington, D.C. July 2000 – January 2002, commander, 479th Flying Training Group, Moody AFB, Georgia February 2002 – July 2004, deputy director of requirements, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Virginia July 2004 – June 2005, commander of 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, Southwest Asia July 2005 – July 2006, deputy director of intelligence and air, space and information operations for flying training, Air Education and Training Command (AETC), Randolph AFB, Texas July 2006 – December 2006, director of logistics, installations and mission support, Headquarters AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas December 2006 – July 2008, deputy director for force application, Directorate of Force Structure, Resources and Assessment, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. July 2008 – August 2010, commander of 19th Air Force, Randolph AFB, Texas August 2010 – November 2012, Air Force Chief of Safety, Headquarters USAF, Washington, D.C., and Commander, Air Force Safety Center, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico
Education 1978 Bachelor of Business Administration degree in management and finance, University of Wisconsin-Madison 1984 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama 1985 MBA in management, Golden Gate University, San Francisco, California 1992 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama 1998 Master of Science in national security strategy, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. 2003 National Security Management Course, Syracuse University, N.Y. 2006 Combined Force Air Component Commander Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama 2010 Joint Flag Officer Warfighting Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
Flight information Rating: Command pilot Flight hours: 5,500 hours, including more than 800 combat hours earned during operations Just Cause, Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Aircraft flown: F-111E, AT-38B, T-38C, T-38A, T-6A, A-7D, F-15C, F-15E and F-117A
Awards and decorations
U.S. Air Force Command Pilot BadgeOffice of the Secretary of Defense Identification BadgeOffice of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification BadgeHeadquarters Air Force Badge Air Force Distinguished Service MedalDefense Superior Service Medal with bronze oak leaf clusterLegion of Merit with two bronze oak leaf clustersDistinguished Flying Cross with Valor deviceBronze Star Medal with bronze oak leaf clusterMeritorious Service Medal with three bronze oak leaf clustersAir Medal with silver and three bronze oak leaf clustersAir Medal (Second ribbon necessary for spacing of accouterments)Aerial Achievement Medal with silver oak leaf clusterAir Force Commendation Medal with bronze oak leaf clusterAir Force Achievement MedalJoint Meritorious Unit Award with two bronze oak leaf clustersAir Force Meritorious Unit Award with oak leaf clusterAir Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor device, silver, and two bronze oak leaf clustersAir Force Outstanding Unit Award with two bronze oak leaf clusters (Second ribbon necessary for spacing of accouterments)Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with four bronze oak leaf clustersCombat Readiness Medal with three bronze oak leaf clustersNational Defense Service Medal with bronze service starArmed Forces Expeditionary Medal with bronze service starSouthwest Asia Service Medal with two bronze service starsAfghanistan Campaign Medal with bronze service starIraq Campaign MedalGlobal War on Terrorism Expeditionary MedalGlobal War on Terrorism Service MedalArmed Forces Service Medal with bronze service starHumanitarian Service MedalAir Force Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon with bronze oak leaf clusterAir Force Overseas Long Tour Service RibbonAir Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with gold frameAir Force Longevity Service Award with silver and three bronze oak leaf clustersSmall Arms Expert Marksmanship RibbonAir Force Training RibbonKuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)
Effective dates of promotion + Promotions Insignia Rank DateMajor generalDecember 3, 2008Brigadier generalOctober 1, 2005ColonelSeptember 1, 1998Lieutenant colonelMarch 1, 1994MajorJuly 1, 1989CaptainOctober 13, 1982First lieutenantOctober 13, 1980Second lieutenantOctober 13, 1978
References