Lt Col Chris “Cliff” Ridlon is the Deputy Chief of the Director’s Action Group, Office of the Director of the Air National Guard, Pentagon, Washington District of Columbia. In this capacity, he assists the Director in 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, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and Virgin Islands with an annual budget of $13.6 billion.
Lt Col Ridlon is from Issaquah, Washington and is a 1998 graduate of the US Air Force Academy. Following the Academy he completed Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training and F-15C Formal Training. Lt Col Ridlon was then assigned to the 27th Fighter Squadron at Langley Air Force Base, where he flew the initial sorties of Operation NOBLE EAGLE and in combat over Iraq in Operation NORTHERN WATCH. He then served as a Formal Training Unit Instructor Pilot at Tyndall Air Force Base, followed by an assignment at Gimhae International Airport, Korea as the Chief of Flight Operations and Government Flight supervising joint depot maintenance and flight test operations. Next, he served at Elmendorf Air Force Base as Assistant Director of Operations and Chief of Group Standardization/Evaluation. After US Army Command and General Staff College Lt Col Ridlon served as Chief of Targeting and Air Planner for Combined Forces Command and US Forces Korea planning the response to several North Korean provocations. He then served as Chief of Advanced Programs and Assistant Director of Operations at Kadena Air Base Japan. After joining the California Air National Guard, Lt Col Ridlon served as Director of Operations and Commander of the 194th Fighter Squadron, leading flying deployments to Europe, the Pacific, and Ukraine. He then served as the 144th Maintenance Group Commander and 144th Fighter Wing Chief of Integration. Lieutenant Colonel Ridlon joined the Oregon Air National Guard in 2022.
Prior to his current position the Lieutenant Colonel served on the National Guard Bureau staff as a Programmer, Acting Engine Room Branch Chief, and Strategy Branch Chief. His wife Anne is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force Reserve, and they have two daughters.
Lt Col Ridlon is a Command Pilot with 52 hours combat time and over 3,000 hours total in the F-15 Eagle.
EDUCATION
1998 Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering, US Air Force Academy, Colo.
2005 Squadron Officer School, Residence, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2009 Air Command and Staff College (ACSC), Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2010 Master of Arts, International Relations, American Military University, by correspondence
2011 US Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
2013 Air War College, Non-residence Air War College (AWC), Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS
- July 1998 - March 1999, Executive Officer, 412th Operations Group, Edwards Air Force Base (AFB), Calif.
- March 1999 - January 2001, Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Student, 80th Operations Support Squadron, Sheppard AFB, Texas
- January 2001 – July 2001, F-15 Student Pilot, 95th Fighter Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
- July 2001 – July 2003, MWR Officer, Imagery Officer, Scheduler, Chief of Training, F-15 Flight Lead, 27th Fighter Squadron, Langley AFB, Va.
- July 2003 – March 2004, Wing Electronic Combat Pilot, F-15 Instructor Pilot, 1st Operations Support Squadron, Langley AFB, Va.
- March 2004 – July 2006, F-15 Formal Training Unit Instructor Pilot, Assistant Chief, Chief of Weapons, Flight Commander, 95th Fighter Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
- July 2006 – June 2007, Chief Wing Weapons and Tactics, 325th Operations Support Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
- June 2007 – June 2008, Chief of Flight Operations, F-15 Instructor Pilot, Defense Contract Management Agency, Gimhae, Republic of Korea
- June 2008 – January 2009, Assistant Director of Operations, F-15 Instructor Pilot, 19th Fighter Squadron, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
- January 2009 – June 2010, Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, F-15 Evaluator Pilot, 3rd Operations Group, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
- June 2010 – June 2011, Student, US Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
- June 2011 – August 2013, Chief, Joint Targeting / Air Operations Plans, US Forces Korea/Combined Forces Command, Yongsan, Republic of Korea
- August 2013 – August 2014, Chief, Advanced Programs, F-15 Instructor Pilot, 18th Operations Group, Kadena Air Base (AB), Japan
- August 2014 – September 2015, Assistant Director of Operations, F-15 Instructor Pilot, 44th Fighter Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan
- September 2015 – September 2019, Assistant Director of Operations, Director of Operations, Commander, F-15 Evaluator Pilot, 194th Fighter Squadron, Fresno Air National Guard Base (ANGB), Calif.
- September 2019 – May 2020, Commander, F-15 Evaluator Pilot, 144th Maintenance Group, Fresno ANGB, Calif.
- May 2020 – January 2022, Chief of Integration, F-15 Evaluator Pilot, Fresno ANGB, Calif.
- January 2022 – December 2022, Programmer, Acting Engine Room Branch Chief, Chief of Strategy Branch, National Guard Bureau, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
- Jun 23 – Present, Deputy Chief, Director’s Action Group, Office of the Director of the Air National Guard, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight Hours: More than 3,000, including 52 combat hours
Aircraft Flown: T-37, T-38, AT-38B, F-15A/C/D
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Army Achievement Medal
(Current as of May 2024)