Chief Master Sergeant Lehi S. Hartwell Senior Enlisted Leader, 124th Fighter Wing, Idaho Air National Guard, Boise, Idaho
COLONEL CHRISTOPHER D. ROOD Colonel Christopher D. Rood is Vice Commander of the 124th Fighter Wing, Idaho Air National Guard, Boise, Idaho. He shares responsibility with the wing commander for the operational readiness of the wing's flying squadron, range squadron, and 14 support units, with more than 1,350 members. The 124th Fighter Wing, based at Gowen Field (Boise Air Terminal) in Boise, Idaho, is a reserve component of the U.S. Air Force's Air Combat Command. Colonel Rood graduated from Boise State University in 1981 earning his Baccalaureate degree in Secondary Education. He joined the Idaho Air National Guard in 1984 receiving his commission through the Academy of Military Science that same year. Col. Rood graduated from pilot training in 1985. His first assignment was as an RF-4C pilot for the Idaho Air National Guard in 1986. He became a full-time Guardsman in 1989. He was assigned to the 189th RTU as an RF-4C flight instructor. He became an Air Combat instructor pilot through the United States Fighter Weapons School in 1991. In 1996, he was the first Idaho Guardsman to convert to the C-130 Hercules as an aircraft commander and later flew the first-ever Idaho C-130 combat mission as the aircraft commander. He attended the C-130 Tactical Air/Land Combat Course and was rated as a C-130 Instructor/Evaluator Pilot. EDUCATION 1981 -- B.S., Secondary Education, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho. 1997 -- Squadron Officer School, In Residence 2000 -- Air Command and Staff College, Correspondence 2006 -- Air War College, Correspondence ASSIGNMENTS 1. August 1984 -- August 1985, student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin AFB, Texas 2. October 1985 - June 1986, student RF-4C Pilot, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho 3. July 1986 - December 1989, RF-4C Pilot, 124th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho 4. January 1990 - March 1994, RF-4C instructor pilot, 189th Tactical Reconnaissance Training Flight, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho 5. August/September 1991 - Student, Reconnaissance Weapons School, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho 6. April 1994 - July 1994, F-4G Wild Weasel conversion, 189th GTU, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho 7. August 1994 - March 1996, instructor pilot, scheduling officer, 190th Fighter Squadron, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho 8. April 1996 - August 1996, C-130 conversion, Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas 9. September 1996 - November 1997, Chief Scheduling, 189th Airlift Squadron, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho 10. December 1997 - February 1999 Chief Current Operations, 189th Airlift Squadron, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho 11. March 1999 - February 2001, C-130 Wing chief of Safety, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho 12. March 2001 - April 2002, Chief of training, 189th Airlift Squadron, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho 13. May 2002 - June 2004, Assistant Director Operations, 124th Operations Group, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho 14. July 2004 - Jan 2008, 189 Airlift Squadron commander, 124th Wing, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho 15. January 2008 - June 2012, Mission Support Group Commander, 124th (Fighter) Wing, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho 16. June 2012 - present, Vice Commander, 124th Fighter Wing, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho FLIGHT INFORMATION Rating: Command pilot Combat Sorties: 208 Combat flight hours: 360 Total flight hours: 4309 Aircraft flown: T-37, T-38, RF-4C, F-4G, F-4E, C-130E, C-130H2.0, C-130H2.5 MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Meritorious Service Medal Air Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster Aerial Achievement Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters Air Force Commendation Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster Air Force Achievement Medal Joint Meritorious Unit Award one oak leaf cluster Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with one oak leaf cluster Governors Outstanding Unit Award x 3 Adjutant General's Outstanding Unit Award EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION Second Lieutenant: July 1984 First Lieutenant: August 1987 Captain: January 1990 Major: October 1997 Lieutenant Colonel: November 2002 Colonel March 2009 (Current as of June 2012)