Maj. Gen. Duke A. Pirak serves as the Acting Director, Air National Guard, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. He is responsible for formulating, developing, and coordinating all policies, plans and programs affecting 108,400 Air National Guard Airmen and civilians across 90 wings and 180 installations in 159 communities throughout the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.
A graduate of the University of Washington, Maj. Gen. Pirak was commissioned from Officer Training School in 1996. He has served in multiple worldwide combat and contingency deployments as an F-15C Mission Commander, Instructor Pilot, and Weapons Officer. Prior to his current position, Gen Pirak served as the Deputy Director, Air National Guard.
Maj. Gen. Pirak is a Top Academic Graduate of the U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Distinguished Graduate of the National War College, and a joint qualified officer. He has commanded at the squadron, group, and wing level in both the Pacific Air Forces and Air Combat Command. Maj. Gen. Pirak has also led a variety of headquarters staff positions, including as the Deputy Director, Politico-Military Affairs (Africa), Strategy, Plans, and Policy Directorate, on the Joint Staff, Deputy Director for Strategy, Plans, and Policy at U.S. Central Command, Senior Military Adviser in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy, and Director of Operations for the Combined Joint Operations Center and Army Forces in Jordan. He is a command pilot with more than 2,700 flying hours.
EDUCATION
1994 Bachelor of Arts, Business Administration, University of Washington, Seattle 2002 U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.
2004 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2009 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence 2011 Aircraft Maintenance and Munitions Officer Course, Sheppard AFB, Texas 2012 Master of Science, National Security Strategy, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2017 U.S. Air Force Safety and Accident Investigation Board President Course, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
2019 Defense Institute of Security Cooperation Executive Course, Arlington, Va. 2020 National Security Management Course, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, N.Y.
2020 Regional Seminar-Transnational Issues, Alan L. Freed Associates, Washington, D.C.
2021 National and International Security Leadership Seminar, Alan L. Freed
Associates, Washington, D.C.
2021 Regional Seminar-Middle East/Southwest Asia, Alan L. Freed Associates, Washington, D.C.
2021 Senior Executives in National and International Security Course, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. 2021 U.S. Air Force Senior Leader Orientation Course, Arlington, Va.
2021 U.S. Air Force Advanced Senior Leader Development Seminar, Arlie Center, Warrenton, Va.
2021 Regional Seminar-Africa, Alan L. Freed Associates, Washington, D.C.
2022 Combined Forces Air Component Commander (CFACC) Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2022 General and Flag Officer Homeland Security Executive Seminar, Harvard University,
Cambridge, Mass.
2023 CAPSTONE General and Flag Officer Course, National Defense University,
Washington, D.C
2024 Joint Flag Officer Warfighting Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. November 1996–December 1997, Student, Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training, 80th Flying Training Wing, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas
2. January 1998–March 1998, Student, Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals, 49th Flying Training Wing, Columbus AFB, Miss.
3. April 1998–November 1998, Student, F-15 Training, 1st Fighter Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
4. December 1998–December 2001, F-15 Flight Lead, Mission Commander, Instructor Pilot, 123rd Fighter Squadron, Oregon Air National Guard, Portland, Ore.
5. January 2002–June 2002, Student, U.S. Air Force Weapons Instructor Course, 433rd Weapons Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
6. July 2002–February 2005, Weapons Officer, 123rd Fighter Squadron, Oregon ANG, Portland, Ore.
7. March 2005–April 2007, Squadron and Wing Training Officer, 123rd Fighter Squadron, Oregon ANG, Portland, Ore.
8. May 2007–December 2007, Wing Project Officer, 142nd Fighter Wing, Oregon ANG, Portland, Ore.
9. January 2008–November 2008, Branch Chief, Combat Forces and Strategic Planning, National Guard Bureau, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
10. December 2008–September 2009, Chief, Air National Guard Strategic Studies Group, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
11. October 2009–March 2011, Commander, 142nd Maintenance Squadron, Oregon ANG, Portland, Ore.
12. April 2011–July 2011, Director of Strategic Plans and Programs (A8), Oregon ANG, Salem, Ore.
13. August 2011–June 2012, Student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
14. July 2012–June 2013, Senior Military Adviser to Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Development, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
15. July 2013–December 2014, Commander, 154th Operations Group, Hawaii ANG, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
16. January 2015–May 2015, Vice Commander, 154th Wing, Hawaii ANG, JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
17. June 2015–January 2016, Director of Logistics (A4), Air National Guard Readiness Center, JB Andrews, Md.
18. February 2016–July 2016, Director of Operations (J3), Combined Joint Operations Center, King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center, Amman, Jordan
19. August 2016–October 2016, Special Assistant to the Commander, Air National Guard Readiness Center, JB Andrews, Md.
20. November 2016–August 2018, Commander, 142nd Fighter Wing, Oregon ANG, Portland, Ore.
21. September 2018–May 2019, Director, Chief of the National Guard Bureau Action Group, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
22. May 2019–June 2019, Special Assistant to the Chief, National Guard Bureau, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
23. July 2019–June 2021, Deputy Director, Strategy, Plans, and Policy Directorate (J5), U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.
24. July 2021–February 2022, Deputy Director, Politico-Military Affairs (Africa), Strategy, Plans, and Policy Directorate (J5), the Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
25. February 2022–May 2024, Deputy Director, Air National Guard, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
26. June 2024-present, Acting Director, Air National Guard, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2012–June 2013, Senior Military Adviser to Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Development, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a colonel
2. February 2016–July 2016, Director of Operations (J3), Combined Joint Operations Center, King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center, Amman, Jordan, as a colonel
3. September 2018–May 2019, Director, Chief of the National Guard Bureau Action Group, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a colonel
4. July 2019–June 2021, Deputy Director, Strategy, Plans, and Policy Directorate (J5), U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Fla., as a brigadier general
5. July 2021–February 2022, Deputy Director, Politico-Military Affairs (Africa), Strategy, Plans, and Policy Directorate (J5), the Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a brigadier general
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 2,700
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-38, AT-38B, F-15 A/B/C/D, KC-135R and F-22A
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with valor and three oak leaf clusters Combat Readiness Medal with five oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with bronze service star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Sept. 19, 1996
First Lieutenant Sept. 19, 1998
Captain Sept. 28, 2000
Major Oct. 25, 2004
Lieutenant Colonel Jan. 29, 2009
Colonel Jan. 1, 2013
Brigadier General May 15, 2019
Major General Feb. 1, 2022
(Current as of November 2024)