Craig W. Duehring
Encyclopedia
Craig W. Duehring was United States
Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Manpower & Reserve Affairs)
from 2007 to 2009.
, receiving a B.A.
in history
and sociology
in 1967.
After college, Duehring joined the United States Air Force
. He spent 1968-69 completing undergraduate pilot
training at Craig Air Force Base
. He saw service during the Vietnam War
in 1969-70, as a forward air controller with the 22nd Tactical Air Support Squadron
. In 1970-71, he was a Raven Forward Air Controller based at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base
. He then returned to Craig Air Force Base 1971-75, as a Cessna T-37 Tweet instructor pilot with the 43d Flying Training Squadron
. He also earned a master's degree
in counseling and guidance from Troy University
in 1975. From 1975 to 1978, he was base fuels management officer with the 1st Fighter Wing
at Langley Air Force Base. He was posted at RAF Bentwaters
from 1978 to 1981, serving as Chief of Training of the 81st Training Wing
. From 1981 to 1984, he was action officer of the Tactical Fighter Operations Division at the Headquarters of the United States Air Forces in Europe
at Ramstein Air Base
in West Germany
. He returned to RAF Bentwaters in 1984, first as assistant operations officer of the 510th Fighter Squadron
, then as Director of Operations Training for the 81st Training Wing
. He returned to West Germany in 1986, and was stationed at Nörvenich
Air Base as American Community Commander and Commander of the 7502nd Munitions Support Squadron. He was then Assistant Deputy Commander of Operations of the 406th Tactical Fighter Training Wing at Zaragoza Air Base
1989-90, and then Deputy Commander of Operations 1990-91. He then spent 1992-93 studying at the Foreign Service Institute
in Washington, D.C.
From 1993 to 1995, he was United States Air Attaché
to Indonesia
. Duehring retired from the Air Force in 1996, having attained the rank of colonel
.
After leaving the military, Duehring served as Executive Director of the Patrick Henry Center for Individual Liberty (founded by Gary Aldrich
). In 1998, he was an unsuccessful candidate for the United States House of Representatives
on the Republican
ticket for Minnesota's 2nd congressional district
. During the 2000 U.S. presidential election campaign
, he campaigned on behalf of George W. Bush
, and was later a part of Bush's presidential transition
team.
Duehring joined the United States Department of Defense
, becoming Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs
. As there was no Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs from May 31, 2001 to October 9, 2002, Duehring was performing the duties of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs in the period immediately following the September 11 attacks. Following the resignation of Michael L. Dominguez
as Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Manpower & Reserve Affairs)
in July 2006, Duehring became Acting Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Manpower & Reserve Affairs) at that time. In November 2007, President of the United States
George W. Bush
nominated Duehring to be Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Manpower & Reserve Affairs), and Duehring subsequently held this office until retiring from public service on April 30, 2009.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Manpower & Reserve Affairs)
Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Manpower & Reserve Affairs)
Assistant Secretary of the Air Force is the title of a civilian office in the United States Department of the Air Force...
from 2007 to 2009.
Biography
Craig W. Duehring was educated at Minnesota State University, MankatoMinnesota State University, Mankato
Minnesota State University, Mankato is a public four-year university located in Mankato, Minnesota, a community of 53,000 located southwest of Minneapolis-St. Paul. As of Fall 2011, the student body is the third-largest in the state of Minnesota with over 15,000 students...
, receiving a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
in 1967.
After college, Duehring joined the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
. He spent 1968-69 completing undergraduate pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
training at Craig Air Force Base
Craig Air Force Base
Craig Air Force Base near Selma, Alabama, was a U.S. Air Force Undergraduate Pilot Training base that closed in 1977. As an active air force base, Craig had two parallel runways, a large aircraft parking ramp and several large maintenance hangars....
. He saw service during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
in 1969-70, as a forward air controller with the 22nd Tactical Air Support Squadron
22nd Tactical Air Support Squadron
The 22nd Tactical Air Support Squadron is an inactive unit of the United States Air Force. It has been in active service for four different occasions, and saw combat service in the early years of World War II and in the Vietnam War.-World War II:...
. In 1970-71, he was a Raven Forward Air Controller based at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base
Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base
Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base is a Royal Thai Air Force base, the home of 2nd Air Division/23rd Wing Air Combat Command.The 231 Squadron "Hunter" is assigned to Udorn, equipped with the Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet-A.-History:...
. He then returned to Craig Air Force Base 1971-75, as a Cessna T-37 Tweet instructor pilot with the 43d Flying Training Squadron
43d Flying Training Squadron
The 43d Flying Training Squadron is part of the 340th Flying Training Group and is the reserve associate to the 14th Flying Training Wing based at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi...
. He also earned a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in counseling and guidance from Troy University
Troy University
Troy University is a public university that is located in Troy, Alabama, United States. It was originally founded in 1887 as Troy Normal School. Its main campus enrollment is 7,194 students. The total enrollment of all Troy University campuses is 29,689...
in 1975. From 1975 to 1978, he was base fuels management officer with the 1st Fighter Wing
1st Fighter Wing
The 1st Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Ninth Air Force. It is stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Va...
at Langley Air Force Base. He was posted at RAF Bentwaters
RAF Bentwaters
RAF Bentwaters, now known as Bentwaters Parks, is a former Royal Air Force station about 80 miles NE of London, 10 miles ENE of Ipswich, near Woodbridge, Suffolk in England...
from 1978 to 1981, serving as Chief of Training of the 81st Training Wing
81st Training Wing
The 81st Training Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force and the host wing at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. The 81st Training Wing has the Air Force’s largest Technical Training Group and trains more than 40,000 students annually...
. From 1981 to 1984, he was action officer of the Tactical Fighter Operations Division at the Headquarters of the United States Air Forces in Europe
United States Air Forces in Europe
The United States Air Forces in Europe is the United States Air Force component of U.S. European Command, a Department of Defense unified command, and is one of two Air Force Major Commands outside of the continental United States, the other being the Pacific Air Forces...
at Ramstein Air Base
Ramstein Air Base
Ramstein Air Base is a United States Air Force base in the German state of Rheinland-Pfalz. It serves as headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe and is also a North Atlantic Treaty Organization installation...
in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
. He returned to RAF Bentwaters in 1984, first as assistant operations officer of the 510th Fighter Squadron
510th Fighter Squadron
The 510th Fighter Squadron is part of the 31st Operations Group at Aviano Air Base, Italy. It is a combat-ready F-16CM fighter squadron prepared to deploy and fly combat sorties as tasked by NATO and US combatant commanders...
, then as Director of Operations Training for the 81st Training Wing
81st Training Wing
The 81st Training Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force and the host wing at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. The 81st Training Wing has the Air Force’s largest Technical Training Group and trains more than 40,000 students annually...
. He returned to West Germany in 1986, and was stationed at Nörvenich
Nörvenich
Nörvenich is a municipality in the district of Düren in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located about east of Düren....
Air Base as American Community Commander and Commander of the 7502nd Munitions Support Squadron. He was then Assistant Deputy Commander of Operations of the 406th Tactical Fighter Training Wing at Zaragoza Air Base
Zaragoza Air Base
Zaragoza Air Base was a NATO military airbase located near Zaragoza, Spain. It was located west of Zaragoza, west of Barcelona, and northeast of Madrid.It was closed as a NATO base in in April 1992...
1989-90, and then Deputy Commander of Operations 1990-91. He then spent 1992-93 studying at the Foreign Service Institute
Foreign Service Institute
The Foreign Service Institute is the United States Federal Government's primary training institution for employees of the U.S. foreign affairs community, preparing American diplomats and other professionals to advance U.S. foreign affairs interests overseas and in Washington...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
From 1993 to 1995, he was United States Air Attaché
Air attaché
An air attaché is an Air Force officer who is part of a diplomatic mission; this post is normally filled by a high-ranking officer.An air attaché typically represents the chief of his home air force in the foreign country where he serves. The day-to-day responsibilities include maintaining contacts...
to Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. Duehring retired from the Air Force in 1996, having attained the rank of colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
.
After leaving the military, Duehring served as Executive Director of the Patrick Henry Center for Individual Liberty (founded by Gary Aldrich
Gary Aldrich
Gary Aldrich is a former FBI agent and author from Amsterdam, New York. His wife Nina is also an ex-FBI agent, and they have 3 children. Gary graduated from Miami Dade College. He founded the Patrick Henry Center for Individual Liberty, whose aim is, "promoting the U.S...
). In 1998, he was an unsuccessful candidate for the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
on the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
ticket for Minnesota's 2nd congressional district
Minnesota's 2nd congressional district
Minnesota’s 2nd congressional district covers the south Twin Cities metro area and contains all of Carver, Scott, Le Sueur, Goodhue and Rice Counties. It also contains most of Dakota County and south Washington County including the cities of Cottage Grove and the southern part of Woodbury...
. During the 2000 U.S. presidential election campaign
United States presidential election, 2000
The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush, then-governor of Texas and son of former president George H. W. Bush , and Democratic candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President....
, he campaigned on behalf of George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, and was later a part of Bush's presidential transition
United States presidential transition
A presidential transition or presidential interregnum refers to the period of time between the end of a presidential election and the inauguration of a new President of a country...
team.
Duehring joined the United States Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
, becoming Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs
In the United States military, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, or ASD , serves as Principal Staff Assistant and advisor to the Secretary of Defense, Deputy Secretary of Defense and Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, with responsibility for overall...
. As there was no Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs from May 31, 2001 to October 9, 2002, Duehring was performing the duties of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs in the period immediately following the September 11 attacks. Following the resignation of Michael L. Dominguez
Michael L. Dominguez
Michael L. Dominguez retired as the Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness within the United States Department of Defense...
as Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Manpower & Reserve Affairs)
Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Manpower & Reserve Affairs)
Assistant Secretary of the Air Force is the title of a civilian office in the United States Department of the Air Force...
in July 2006, Duehring became Acting Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Manpower & Reserve Affairs) at that time. In November 2007, President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
nominated Duehring to be Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Manpower & Reserve Affairs), and Duehring subsequently held this office until retiring from public service on April 30, 2009.