Colonel Kurt J. Gallegos is the Commander, 944th Fighter Wing, United States Air Force Reserve, Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. As commander, he is responsible for an expeditionary combat support and F-16 Total Force associate wing. The 944th Fighter Wing is tasked to support worldwide mobility and combat employment operations in conjunction with supporting the Air Education and Training Command, and Air Combat Command mission to train F-16, F-15E and A-10 pilots for the United States Air Force, Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard and other participating nations.
Colonel Gallegos was born and raised in Layton, Utah. He graduated from Layton High School and was commissioned in 1985 from Utah State University's Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program and earned his pilot wings in 1987. He served on active duty from 1986 to 2000 and joined the Air Force Reserve in 2000. He was the first F-16 pilot to drop bombs in Afghanistan after Sep. 11, 2001. He has had flying experience in Operation Southern Watch, Operation Allied Force, Deliberate Forge, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Red Flag, Green Flag, Maple Flag, Ulchi Freedom Guardian and Cope Jade Exercises. He has flown F-16 Combat aircraft in Air Combat Command, Pacific Air Forces and United States Air Forces in Europe and Air Force Reserve Command.
Colonel Gallegos is a command pilot with over 4,100 F-16 flying hours and over 5,300 total hours. He has 462 combat hours.
EDUCATION:
1985 Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Utah State University, Utah
1990 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1995 Master of Aeronautical Science, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Fla.
2000 Air Command and Staff College by correspondence
2005 USAF Aircraft Mishap Investigation and Safety Board President Course, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
2007 Air War College by correspondence
2012 Space Operations Executive Level Course, Peterson AFB, Colo.
2012 Joint Air & Space Operations Senior Staff Course, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
ASSIGNMENTS:
1. March 1986 - May 1987, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, 64th Flying Training Wing, Reese AFB, Texas
2. May 1987 - July 1987, Student, Pilot Instructor Training, 559th Flying Training Squadron, 12th Flying Training Wing, Randolph AFB, Texas
3. July 1987 - July 1991, T- 37 Instructor Pilot, Check Pilot, Wing Flight Examiner, Chief Spin Pilot, 35th Flying Training Squadron, 64th Flying Training Wing, Reese AFB, Texas
4. July 1991 - November 1991, Student, Fighter Lead-in Training, 433rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, 479th Tactical Fighter Training Wing, Holloman AFB, N.M.
5. November 1991 - February 1992, Student, F-16 Replacement Training Unit, 311th Fighter Training Squadron, 58th Fighter Wing, Luke AFB, Ariz.
6. March 1992 - August 1994, F-16 Scheduler, Standardization Evaluation Liaison Officer, 421st Fighter Squadron, 388th Fighter Wing, Hill AFB, Utah
7. August 1994 - March 1997, F-16 Instructor pilot, Mission Commander, Standardization Evaluation Flight Examiner, 12th Air Force Demonstration Pilot, 34th Fighter Squadron, 388th Fighter Wing, Hill AFB, Utah
8. March 1997 - March 1998, F-16 Assistant Operations Officer, 80th Fighter Squadron, 8th Fighter Wing, Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea
9. March 1998 - May 2000, F-16 Block 40 and Block 50 Chief, U.S. Air Forces in Europe Standardization and Evaluation, 24th Air Operations Squadron, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein AB, Germany
10. May 2000 - June 2010, Chief of Scheduling and Training, Chief of Safety, Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, Operations Officer, 466th Fighter Squadron, 419th Fighter Wing, Hill AFB, Utah
11. June 2010 - February 2013, Commander, 301st Operations Group, NAS Fort Worth JRB, Texas
12. February 2013 - present, Commander, 944th Fighter Wing, Luke AFB, Ariz.
FLIGHT INFORMATION:
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: more than 5300
F-16 Hours: more than 4100
Combat Hours: 462.1
Aircraft flown: F-16, T-38, T-37
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:
Legion of Merit
Distinguished Flying Cross
Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
Air Force Combat Action Medal
Combat Readiness Medal with ten oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal
Kosovo Campaign Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Korean Defense Service Medal
NATO Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:
Second Lieutenant Oct. 21, 1985
First Lieutenant Oct. 21, 1987
Captain Oct. 21, 1989
Major Aug. 1, 1997
Lieutenant Colonel Sep. 13, 2001
Colonel Mar. 2, 2011
(Current as of 10 February 2013)