Col. Christopher T. Lay is currently assigned to Headquarters Air Force, Pentagon, as the Mobilization Assistant (MA) to Director, Concepts and Strategy, directorate of Air Force Futures (HAF A5/7S). As the MA, Col. Lay is responsible for developing future Air Force strategy by conducting net assessments and strategic and comparative analysis to inform concept, capability, and force design. Col. Lay helps manage and shape Headquarters Air Force policies and addresses Department of Defense, Joint Staff, fellow Services, Combatant Commands, and Air Force Major Commands posture requirements in accordance with strategic guidance.

Col. Lay graduated from the United States Air Force Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Military History and a Russian minor. After spending seven years on active duty, Col. Lay entered the Air Force Reserve in 2003 and joined the 302nd Airlift Wing, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. He has performed duties as an instructor navigator, weapons officer, flight safety officer, and deployed mission commander for aerial fire-fighting missions. He served as an Air Component Coordination Element and Air Force Liaison Officer directly supporting the commander of the United States and Republic of Korea Combined Forces Command's Air Component Command. Col Lay’s first Pentagon assignment was as the Director, Headquarters Air Force, Executive Secretariat, Pentagon, Washington D.C., working for the Assistant Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, providing strategic correspondence support for senior Air Force leaders. He last deployed as the Commander, 385th Air Expeditionary Group, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, where he commanded over 800 Airmen flying and maintaining Air Mobility Command’s forward-deployed C-130H, C-17, KC-135, and KC-10 operations in United States Central Command.

Col. Lay is a master navigator with more than 3,000 flight hours. In the civilian sector, Col. Lay taught university courses in American History and International Affairs as part of his PhD program at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo. Prior to his current assignment, Col. Lay was the Commander, 934th Airlift Wing, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, Air Reserve Station, Minn., where he was responsible for organizing, training, and equipping 1500 combat-ready Airmen and ten C-130H3 aircraft. As the installation host commander, Col Lay was also responsible for the daily operations of the Air Reserve Station and installation’s support of 5000 assigned Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines.

EDUCATION
1996 Bachelor of Science, History, Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1997 Distinguished Graduate, Joint Undergraduate Navigator Training, Randolph Air Force Base (AFB), Texas 1998 Distinguished Graduate, C-130 Navigator Qualification Training, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
2000 Distinguished Graduate, C-130 Instructor School, Little Rock AFB, Ark. 2001 Flight Safety Officer School, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
2001 Squadron Officer School, Air University (correspondence program) 2004 Top-third Graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 2006 Master of Arts, History, University of Central Arkansas, Conway, Ark.
2006 Air Command and Staff College, Air University (correspondence program)
2007 Outstanding Graduate and Academic Award, Weapons Instructor School, Little Rock AFB, Ark. 2013 Air War College, Air University (correspondence program)
2015 Master of Arts, Strategic Studies, Carlisle Scholars Program, U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.
2016 Reserve Component National Security Course, National Defense University, Ft. Lesley J. McNair, Washington D.C. 2019 Director of Mobility Forces Course, Air Force Expeditionary Operations School, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2019 Safety and Accident Investigation Board President Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 2019 Senior Officer Legal Orientation Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2022 Middle East and South Asia Regional Course, Alan L. Freed Associates, Washington D.C. 2023 Senior Leader Orientation Training, Andrews AFB, Md.
Presently, A.B.D. Ph.D. candidate, Diplomatic History, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 1996 – December 1997, Student, Joint Undergraduate Navigator Training, Pensacola Naval Air Station, Fla., and Randolph AFB, Texas.
2. December 1997 – May 1998, Student, C-130 Navigator, Qualification Training, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
3. May 1998 – June 2001, wing tactics officer and unit deployment monitor, 43rd Operations Support Squadron and 2nd Airlift Squadron, Pope AFB, N.C.
4. June 2001 – May 2003, C-130E instructor navigator, class commander and squadron flight safety officer, 62nd Airlift Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
5. May 2003 – June 2012, Weapons Officer, flight commander, and mission commander, 731st Airlift Squadron and 302nd Operations Support Squadron, Peterson AFB, Colo.
6. June 2012 – June 2014, Commander, 302nd Operations Support Squadron, Peterson AFB, Colo.
7. June 2014 – June 2015, Student, Carlisle Scholar Program, U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.
8. June 2015 – June 2017, Director, Headquarters Air Force, Executive Secretariat, Pentagon, Washington D.C.
9. June 2017 – July 2019, Commander, 913th Airlift Group, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
10. July 2019 – December 2019, Commander, 385th Air Expeditionary Group, Al Udeid AB, Qatar.
11. January 2020 – September 2022, Commander, 934th Airlift Wing, Minneapolis-St Paul IAP ARS, Minn.
12. September 2022 – Present, Mobilization Assistant to Concepts and Strategy, Air Force Futures, Headquarters Air Force, Pentagon, Washington D.C.

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Master Navigator
Flight hours: More than 3,000, including over 300 combat hours Aircraft Flown: C-130E, C-130H2 & C-130H3

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit with one oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters Air Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Aerial Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster Air Force Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with five oak leaf clusters Kosovo Campaign Medal with two service stars
Iraq Campaign Medal with one service star Humanitarian Service Medal with one service star

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1995 Research Internship, Marine Corps Historical Center, Washington, D.C. 2000 Instructor Navigator of the Year, 21st Air Force
2002 Language-Area Submersion and Immersion program, Saint Petersburg, Russia
2008-2009 International Affairs teaching assistant position, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo. 2009-2014 U.S. History teaching assistant position, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo.
2017-2020 U.S. representative, Defense and Security Issues Committee, Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers (CIOR), NATO

PUBLICATIONS
Co-author, From Cooperation to Competition - The Future of U.S.-Russian Relations, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.: Strategic Studies Institute,
U.S. Army War College, May 2015.
Co-author, Project 1704: A U.S. Army War College Analysis of Russian Strategy in Eastern Europe, an Appropriate U.S. Response, and the Implications for U.S. Landpower, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.: Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College, March 2015.

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 29, 1996
First Lieutenant May 29, 1998
Captain May 29, 2000
Major March 31, 2005
Lieutenant Colonel March 31, 2012
Colonel May 1, 2017

(Current as of June 2023)