Colonel Ley is the Commander, 51st Fighter Wing, Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea. As commander, he is responsible for ensuring the wing is ready to defend Osan Air Base, execute combat operations, and sustain follow-on forces. He is entrusted with the operational readiness, training, morale, welfare, installation support, and quality of life of more than 5,500 active duty personnel assigned to the 51st Fighter Wing, Headquarters Seventh Air Force, and other U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps units. Additionally, Colonel Ley serves as the United States Forces Korea Area Five Commander.
Colonel Ley received his commission from the Air Force Officer Training School as a distinguished graduate in 2002. He began his career as an F-15E Weapons System Officer, serving operationally in the 90th Fighter Squadron at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. In 2006 he transitioned to pilot and has since served as an F-16 instructor pilot and evaluator in support of operations worldwide. He has flown sorties supporting the defense of the Republic of Korea and combat missions in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn. Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Noble Eagle. He has worked in multiple jobs at the squadron, group, and wing level.
Colonel Ley is a Command Pilot with over 2,500 combined flying hours including 433 combat hours in the F-16. He served as Director of Operations, 14th Fighter Squadron, Misawa AB, Japan before serving as Commander, 367th Fighter Squadron, Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida, where he led over 190 pilots, maintainers, and support personnel in the active association squadron supporting the 482nd Fighter Wing. Colonel Ley has served as the F-16 Branch Chief, Weapons Division, Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs where he supported national defense strategy to deliver combat relevant air and space capability to US allies and partners.
EDUCATION
1999 Bachelor of Science, Chemical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo. Summa Cum Laude
2002 Officer Training School, Maxwell AFB, Ala. Distinguished Graduate
2004 Undergraduate Navigator Training, NAS Pensacola, Fla. Distinguished Graduate
2005 F-15E Formal Training Unit, Seymour-Johnson AFB, N.C. Distinguished Graduate
2007 Undergraduate Pilot Training, Columbus AFB, Miss. Distinguished Graduate
2009 F-16 Formal Training Unit, Luke AFB, Ariz. Distinguished Graduate
2010 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2012 Master of Science, Aeronautical Science, Embry Riddle University, Daytona Beach, Fla.
2013 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. by correspondence
2016 Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. Distinguished Graduate
2021 USAF Senior Fellow, George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
2024 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2002 – May 2004: Student, Undergraduate Navigator Training, Pensacola Naval Air Station, Fla.
2. June 2004 – March 2005: Student, F-15E Weapons Systems Officer, Seymour-Johnson AFB, N.C.
3. April 2005 – July 2006: F-15E Weapons Systems Officer, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
4. August 2006 – February 2008: Student, Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Columbus AFB, Miss.
5. March 2008 – February 2009: F-16 Initial Qualification Training, Luke AFB, Ariz.
6. March 2009 – April 2012: Chief of Wing Scheduling and Flight Commander, Aviano Air Base, Italy
7. May 2012 – February 2013: Assistant Director of Operations, Kunsan AB, Republic of Korea
8. March 2013 – June 2015: Chief of Operations Group Standardization and Evaluations, Luke AFB, Ariz.
9. July 2015 – June 2016: Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
10. August 2016 – April 2018: Chief of Wing Safety, 35th FW and Director of Operations, 14th FS, Misawa AB, Japan
11. June 2018 – June 2020: Commander, 367th FS, Homestead ARB, Fla.
12. July 2020 – July 2021: U.S. Senior Fellow, George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
13. July 2021 – June 2022: Chief, F-16 and Air-to-Ground Weapons Branch, Weapons Division, Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs, the Pentagon, Arlington, VA
14. July 2022 – June 2023: Chief, Combat Air Forces Division, Directorate of Training and Readiness, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, VA
15. June 2023 – June 2025: Deputy Commander, 52nd Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany
16. June 2025 – Present, Commander, 51st Fighter Wing, Osan AB, Republic of Korea
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: More than 2,000, including 433 combat hours
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-38, F-16
Rating: Navigator
Flight Hours: More than 500
Aircraft flown: T-34, T-1, T-39, T-38, F-15E
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Combat Readiness Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Korean Defense Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
NATO Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant, June 28, 2002
First Lieutenant, June 28, 2004
Captain, June 28, 2006
Major, September 1, 2012
Lieutenant Colonel, December 1, 2016
Colonel, July 1, 2022
(Current as of June 2025)