Colonel CHAD A. SCHOONOVER

Col. Chad Schoonover is the Maintenance Group Commander, 185th Air Refueling Wing, Sioux City, Iowa. In this role, he is responsible for the manning, training and readiness of 230 Maintenance Group personnel. His leadership expertise provides quality aircraft and equipment maintenance, sortie generation and munitions required by the wing to produce over 900 sorties and 3,400 flight hours annually. In addition, he directs the one and only Air National Guard Paint Facility which has painted over 650 aircraft and achieved $57.6 million in cost avoidance to the Air National Guard.

Col. Schoonover began his military career at the 190th Air Refueling Wing, Forbes Field, Topeka, Kansas, where he served as a Strategic Aircraft Maintenance Specialist. He was commissioned as a Maintenance Officer in 2001. In 2003, he transitioned to the 185th Air Refueling Wing in Sioux City, Iowa, where he undertook Joint Undergraduate Pilot Training and began flying the KC-135. In 2011, Colonel Schoonover was assigned to the 126th ARW at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, taking on several leadership roles including Flight Commander and Operations Officer, in addition to Advisor roles at Headquarters, Air Mobility Command. His operational deployments have supported missions such as OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM, NEW DAWN, UNIFIED PROTECTOR, FREEDOM SENTINEL, and NOBLE EAGLE, as well as operations in the USINDOPACOM area of operations. Prior to his current role, Col Schoonover served as the Air National Guard Advisor to the Commander, Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.

EDUCATION 
1996 Bachelor of Science, Aeronautical/Aviation Science Technology, Central Missouri State University, Warrensburg, Mo. 
2004 Undergraduate Pilot Training, Vance Air Force Base, Okla. 
2008 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence 
2012 Master of Aeronautical/Aviation Science Technology, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Worldwide Campus
2012 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence 
2018 Masters, Strategic Studies, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 
2019 Reserve Component National Security Course (RCNSC), National Defense University, Fort McNair, Washington, DC 
2021 Directory of Mobility Forces (DM4), United States Air Force Expeditionary Operations School, Det 1, Hurlburt Field, Fla. 
2022 Arctic Regional Security Orientation Course (ARSOC), Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies, Anchorage, Alaska 
2023 Air National Guard Commander Leadership Course (CLC), National Capital Region, Arlington, Va. 
2024 Senior Leader Nuclear Management Course (Nuclear 400),  Kirtland AFB, NM.  
 
ASSIGNMENTS 
  1. September 1992 – October 1992, Trainee, Basic Military Training, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas 
  2. October 1992 – February 1993, Student, Sheppard AFB, Texas 
  3. February 1993 – March 2001, Aircraft Maintenance Technician, 190th Maintenance Squadron, Forbes Field, Topeka, Kan. 
  4. March 2001 – April 2001, Student, Academy of Military Science, McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base, Tenn. 
  5. April 2001 – August 2003, Aircraft Maintenance Officer, 190th MS, Forbes Field, Topeka, Kan.  (December 2002 – April 2003, ANG Action Officer, Air National Guard Readiness Center, Crisis Action Team, Andrews AFB, Washington, D.C.) (April 2003 – August 2003, Action Officer, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Tanker Airlift Control Center, Scott AFB, Ill.) 
  6. August 2003 – October 2003, 185th Student Flight, Sioux City ANG, Iowa 
  7. October 2003 – December 2004, Joint Undergraduate Pilot Training, Vance AFB, Okla. 
  8. December 2004 – May 2005, Student, KC-135 Initial Qualification Training, Altus AFB, Okla. 
  9. May 2005 – December 2011, Pilot, 185th ARW, Sioux City ANG, Iowa (August 2005 – March 2007, Deputy Director of Operations – Air Refueling Execution Cell, 618th Air Operations Center, TACC, Scott AFB, Ill.), (April 2008 – June 2008, Staff Officer, Manas, AB),  (March 2010 – May 2010, Pilot, Al Udeid AB, Qatar) (November 2010 – January 2011, Pilot, Anderson AFB, Guam), (June 2011, Pilot, Moron, Spain) 
  10. December 2011 – February 2017, Command Pilot, 126th ARW, Scott AFB, Ill. (June 2012 – July 2013, Pilot, Anderson AFB, Guam) (December 2012 – February 2013, Staff Officer, Al Udeid AB, Qatar) (April 2013 – May 2013, Director of Operations, Anderson AFB, Guam) (April 2014 – May 2014, Pilot, Anderson AFB, Guam) (November – December 2015, Pilot, Anderson AFB, Guam) (September 2016 – November 2016, Pilot, Al Udeid AB, Qatar) 
  11. February 2017 – April 2017, KC-135 Instructor Aircraft Commander Course, Altus AFB, Okla. 
  12. April 2017 – February 2020, Flight Commander, 126th ARW, Scott AFB, Ill. (October 2018, Operations Commander, Poland) (September 2019 – December 2019, Instructor Pilot, Kandahar AB) 
  13. February 2020 – May 2021, Director of Operations, 126th ARW, Scott AFB, Ill. (March 2019 – May 2021, ANG Liaison Officer, HQ AMC, Operations Management Division, Scott AFB, Ill.) 
  14. May 2021 – April 2023, ANG Advisor to Director of Operations, Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration, HQ AMC, Scott AFB, Ill. 
  15. April 2023 – Nov 2024, ANG Advisor to Commander, AMC, Scott AFB, Ill. 
  16. Nov 2024 – Present, Commander, 185th Maintenance Group, Colonel Bud Day Field, Sioux City, Iowa 
FLIGHT INFORMATION  
Rating:  Command Pilot 
Flight hours:  More than 2600 hours (including more than 709 combat hours) 
Aircraft flown:  KC-135E/R/T, T-1, T-37 
FAA Air Transport Pilot, Type Ratings:  B-707, B-720, BE-400, MU-300 
 
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS 
Meritorious Service Medal 
Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters and four “C” devices 
Air and Space Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster 
Air and Space Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters  
 
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS  
Life member, National Guard Association of the United States 
Life member, Iowa National Guard Association 
Life member, Veterans of Foreign Wars 
Life member, Airlift / Tanker Association 
 
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION 
Second Lieutenant April 20, 2001 
First Lieutenant April 20, 2003 
Captain April 20, 2005 
Major December 1, 2010 
Lieutenant Colonel December 1, 2017 
Colonel November 30, 2022 
(Current as of July 2024) 

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