Col. Christopher Gries serves the Oklahoma Air National Guard (ANG) as the Commander of the 137th Special Operations Wing, Will Rogers Air National Guard Base, Oklahoma City, OK. Col. Gries is responsible for the combat readiness of a special operations wing consisting of three groups, including 14 squadrons and flights and 10 staff offices with more than 1,200 personnel. He directs, trains, equips and maintains a military force capable of short notice, world-wide deployments in response to Department of Defense approved war plans, contingencies and disaster relief.
Col. Gries began his career in the U.S. Air Force as an enlisted airman in September of 1993, graduating basic training as an honor graduate and selected for follow-on training as a Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) member. He completed technical training at Hurlburt Field, Florida in June 1994, and was assigned to Fort Stewart, Georgia for his first assignment. Col. Gries served as a Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) for multiple active duty and National Guard assignments, until commissioning with the Idaho ANG in January 2002. He attended Undergraduate Pilot Training at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi and graduated from C- 130E/H mission qualification training in September 2003. Throughout his career, he flew the C-130H supporting war-time airlift mobilizations, humanitarian aid and intelligence collection; the RC-26B executing domestic joint counter narco-terrorism operations and overseas contingencies; commanded both the 146th Air Support Operations Squadron as an Air Liaison Officer (ALO), and the 185th Special Operations Squadron as an MC-12W instructor pilot. Col. Gries is a veteran of Operations VIGILANT WARRIOR, VIGILANT GUARD, IRAQI FREEDOM, ENDURING FREEDOM, NEW HOPE, and NEW DAWN.
Col. Gries is a command pilot with over 3,300 total military and civilian hours in the T-37, T-1, C-130E/H, RC-26, MC-12W and numerous civilian aircraft. He currently holds the rating of instructor pilot for the MC-12W. In his civilian capacity, he served as an Air Interdiction Agent, Department of Homeland Security, Air and Marine Operations. Prior to assuming his current position, Col. Gries was the Commander, 137th Special Operations Group.
EDUCATION
1993
|
Basic Military Training, Lackland AFB, TX
|
1994
|
Tactical Air Command and Control Specialist Technical Training, Hurlburt Field, FL
|
1995
|
US Army Basic Airborne Qualification Course, Ft Benning, GA
|
1996
|
Air Ground Operation School, Hurlburt Field, FL
|
1997
|
US Navy SCUBA School, Panama City, FL
|
1999
|
Associates of Information Technology, Community College of the Air Force, Maxwell AFB, AL
|
2002
|
Bachelor of Arts, Management, Excelsior College, Albany, N.Y.
|
2002
|
Academy of Military Science, McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base, Tenn.
|
2003
|
Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Columbus AFB, MS
|
2004
|
C-130E/H Initial Qualification Course, Little Rock Arkansas
|
2006
|
Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence
|
2007
|
C-130 E/H Instructor Pilot Qualification Course, Little Rock AFB, AR
|
2008
|
RC-26 Initial Qualification Course, Hurlburt Field, FL
|
2012
|
Joint Fire Power Control Course, Nellis AFB, NV
|
2012
|
Air Liaison Officer Qualification Course, Nellis AFB, NV
|
2013
|
Joint Terminal Attack Control Course, Nellis AFB, NV
|
2014
|
Air Force Special Operations Command Mission Commanders Course, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
|
2014
|
Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
|
2016
|
Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
|
2017
|
MC-12W Initial Qualification Course, Oklahoma City, OK
|
2017
|
MC-12W Instructor Pilot Qualification Course, Oklahoma City, OK
|
2022
|
USAF Air Advisor Qualification Course, Joint Base McGuire/Dix, NJ
|
ASSIGNMENTS
- June 1994 – August 1996, Battalion TACP, 15th Air Support Operations Squadron, Ft. Stewart, Ga.
- June 1995 – August 1996, Company TACP, 17th Air Support Operations Squadron (OL-A), Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.
- August 1996 – August 1997, Battalion TACP, 607th Air Support Operations Squadron, Camp Casey, Republic of Korea
- March 1997 – January 1998, TACP Team Leader, 5th Air Support Operations Squadron, Ft Lewis, Wash.
- January 1998 – December 1999, Chief of Training, 116th Air Support Operations Squadron, Camp Murray, Wash.
- December 1999 – January 2002, Chief Standard/Evaluation, 124th Air Support Operations Squadron, Gowen Field, Idaho
- March 2002 – May 2003, Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.
- June 2003 –September 2003, C-130E/H Initial Qualification Training, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
- September 2003 – June 2009, C-130E/H Instructor Pilot, 189th Airlift Squadron, Gowen Field, Idaho (August 2004– December 2004, Weapons/Tactics Officer, 744th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait; January 2008 – May 2008, ISR Liaison Officer AFSOUTH, Davis Monthan AFB, Tucson, Ariz.)
- June 2009 – June 2012, RC-26, Joint Counter Narco-Terrorism-Task Force, Tucson, Ariz. (May 2010–August 2010, RC-26, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force, 45th ESOS, USCENTCOM)
- June 2012- May 2015, Director Operations, 146th Air Support Operations Squadron, Will Rogers Air National Guard Base, Okla.
- May 2015 – June 2017, Commander, 146th Air Support Operations Squadron, Will Rogers ANGB, Okla.
- June 2017– December 2018, Commander, 185th Special Operations Squadron, Will Rogers ANGB, Okla.
- December 2018 – May 2021, Commander, 137th Special Operations Group, Will Rogers ANGB, Okla.
- May 2021 – Present, Commander, 137th Special Operations Wing, Will Rogers ANGB, Okla.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: more than 2,000
Aircraft flown: T-37, T1, C-130E/H, RC-26B, MC-12W
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with 1 oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal
Army Commendation Medal
Air and Space Achievement Medal with 4 oak leaf clusters
Army Achievement Medal with 4 oak leaf clusters
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Enlisted 1993-2002
Second Lieutenant February 2002
First Lieutenant February 2004
Captain February 2006
Major April 2010
Lieutenant Colonel February 2015
Colonel December 2018
(Current as of April 2022)