KINGSLEY FIELD, Ore.--- The 173rd Fighter Wing, home of the premiere F-15C Eagle training school produces new pilots as part of its mission, but it is also home to experienced pilots who require requalification in the Eagle. Pilots from all around the country come to Kingsley to attend school, even the Deputy Director, Air National Guard, Maj. Gen. Duke Pirak.
Pirak, a Portland Oregon native, is no stranger to military service having grown up with a father who served in the Army. His love for aviation grew as his father fed his passion, taking him to air shows throughout his childhood.
“I was fascinated with aviation as a kid, I mean just absolutely infatuated with it,” said Pirak. “My dad would take me to air shows, and I would just sit there and drool watching them fly by.”
A boyhood dream turned to reality when he joined the Air National Guard and became a pilot, making his way through a myriad of aircraft and eventually landing in the F-15C Eagle. Operational flying was the name of the game, and he felt like he had answered his life-long calling.
“That is what is really wonderful about all this for me, because truly, it was a boyhood dream, that I was able to fully realize,” said Pirak. “Not a lot of people get to do that, I feel really lucky in that regard. The idea of being part of something that was so much more important than the individual, I had to be a fighter pilot.”
Flying in an operational unit provided Pirak with a variety of leadership and mentorship experiences which eventually led him stepping away to pursue more varied positions in D.C. He had no idea where these positions in DC would lead or what future roles were in store for him, but he was passionate about taking care of people.
“I had some great mentorship, great leaders, that suggested that I seek other things like higher levels of leadership,” said Pirak. “While it was hard to step away from operational (flying), I realized how important it was to have passion, to take care of us as an Air Force and as a Guard.”
Transferring from flying to the Pentagon, Pirak has assumed positions such as the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff Deputy Director for Politico-Military Affairs and most recently as Deputy Director, now Acting Director of the Air National Guard, placing him far from the cockpit of an F-15. Although he’s moved out of the flying world, he doesn’t forget how he got to the position he is in today. His office serves as a reminder of the relationships and the people from his past.
“I am in the Pentagon, and I have pictures and paintings all over my office to remind me of this time,” said Pirak. “It truly reminds me of what is important and grounds me. I look at those pictures and I think about the time, and I think about those relationships, and I realize, the job is a grind, but it is about the people. It is about you, the people out here at Kingsley, the people in the field. That is my purpose, that is my cause and that is what inspires me.”
Pirak said that his desire to connect with the people he supports drove him to seek the opportunity to requalify in the F-15C Eagle.
“It is a unique opportunity in my position to connect with the field in a positive way,” said Pirak. “I specifically wanted to be with the units that are going through a lot of the stress from changes. It is good for me to have boots on the ground.”
Kingsley Field is one of several bases experiencing a transition to a new air frame and getting on the ground level and seeing what Team Kingsley members go through daily was something he felt was necessary.
Pirak says he chose to come to Kingsley Field for requalification training in the F-15C because not only is Oregon home for him, but Team Kingsley prides itself on a long history of excellence of training premiere fighter pilots.
“This place is incredible; there is a sense that you get about excellence, and it starts at the gate,” said Pirak. “Day one coming here, the interaction with the gate guard, the facilities, how well the lawn is kept, every interaction with every Airman, it just starts to build up.”
Team Kingsley has forged a reputation of excellence decade after decade producing fighter pilots for the operational Air Force and Air National Guard. Pilots leave here fully operational and ready to serve wherever they land.
“Excellence is something that is hard earned over time and this place invested itself for decades, this is decades long history of excellence,” said Pirak.
The F-15C Eagle is nearing its sunset and a future mission is in the works to replace the iconic bird. Pirak says that no matter what airframe or mission is given to Team Kingsley, their reputation speaks volumes, and they must remain mindful of those that paved the way for success.
“Be mindful of the fact that you are literally standing on the shoulders of giants who have invested in this, who have built this for you, and what you do counts,” said Pirak. “Do not take a step back and rest easy, continue on that journey, continue that drive to invest in excellence. It will bring good things.”
As discussions of mission transition and change circulate, one thing remains--Kingsley Field will continue its reputation of excellence and press forward as the premiere F-15C Eagle training schoolhouse until the deadliest aircraft in history is set free.
“Kingsley Field is flying high; this place is outstanding, and I am so proud of it,” said Pirak. “I will step away from this job eventually, feeling so privileged to be able to come back here and fly.”
| Date Taken: | 09.23.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 09.23.2024 13:41 |
| Story ID: | 481531 |
| Location: | KLAMATH FALLS, OREGON, US |
| Web Views: | 44 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Deputy Director of the ANG Returns to the Eagle, by TSgt Daniel Reed, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
