Colonel (Ret) Gary L. Copsey

Colonel Gary L. Copsey retired from the Air Force on 30 Nov 2004, and was elected to the Board of Trustees at the 2005 National Conclave. His last assignment was as Commander, AFROTC Detachment 930 at Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. While there, he also served as the AAS squadron advisor, and helped establish a Silver Wings organization on campus. He entered the USAF through AFROTC Det 470, University of Nebraska at Omaha, where he was a member of the Earl S. Hoag Squadron, AAS. Colonel Copsey is a Command Pilot with over 4,000 flying hours in a diverse assortment of aircraft and missions including the UH-1N, C-141B and HH-60G. He has a varied command and staff background that includes work on the Military Airlift Command (MAC) staff as a programming officer, branch chief and director of protocol for CINCTRANS, joint staff experience on a sub-unified staff, deputy operations group commander, and flying squadron commander. He has also served in Air Mobility Command’s (AMC) Tanker Airlift Control Center as Deputy Director of Command and Control, and as Director of Operations Management, where he was responsible for organizing and operating AMC’s Crisis Support Staff. Prior to AFROTC, he served as Chief of Staff of the Inter-American Defense Board, located in Washington DC. He is married to the former Teresita Atienza of Mexico City, Mexico. They currently reside in Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas.

EDUCATION:

• 1974, Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, University of Nebraska at Omaha
• 1977, Master of Arts, Public Administration, Ball State University
• 1980, Squadron Officer School (Residence and Correspondence)
• 1980, Marine Corps Command and Staff College (Correspondence)
• 1987, Air Command and Staff College (Residence and Seminar)
• 1990, Air War College (Seminar)
• 1991, Airlift Operations School
• 1993, Joint PME Phase II (Residence)

ASSIGNMENTS:

1. Nov 74-Sep 75, Undergraduate Pilot Training-Helicopter, Class 75-24, Fort Rucker, AL
2. Jan 76-Jan 79, UH-1N Instructor Pilot, Chief of Training, Det 9, 67 ARRS (MAC) Zaragoza AB, Spain
3. Feb-Oct 79, UH-1N Instructor Pilot, 1550th Flying Training Squadron (MAC), Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque, NM
4. Oct 79-Jul 81, UH-1N Academic Instructor, 1550th Technical Training Squadron (MAC), Kirtland AFB, NM
5. Jul 81-Mar 82, H-1 Program Manager, 1550th Aircrew Training and Test Wing (MAC), Kirtland AFB, NM
6. Mar 82-Mar 83, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Class 83-04, Williams AFB, AZ
7. Jul 83-Jun 86, C-141 Instructor Pilot, Asst Ch Pilot, 4th Military Airlift Squadron (MAC), McChord AFB, WA
8. Aug 86-Jun 87, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL
9. Jul 87-Sep 88, Operational Programming Officer, Directorate of Plans/Programs, HQ MAC, Scott AFB, IL
10. Sep 88-May 90, Chief, Special Operations/Rescue Branch, Operational Programs Division, HQ MAC, Scott AFB, IL
11. May 90-Mar 91, Director, CINCMAC/CINCTRANS Protocol, Scott AFB, IL
12. Mar 91-Apr 93, Asst Chief of Staff, Operations, Plans and SAR, U.S. Forces Azores (USCINCLANT), Lajes Field, Azores, Portugal
13. Apr-Sep 93, HH-60G advanced pilot training, Kirtland AFB, NM
14. Sep 93-Jun 94, Deputy Commander, 35th Operations Group (ACC), NAS Keflavik, Iceland
15. Jun 94-Jul 95, Commander, 56th Rescue Squadron (ACC), NAS Keflavik, Iceland
16. Aug 95-Jul 98, Deputy Director, Command and Control and Director, Operations Management, HQ AMC TACC, Scott AFB, IL
17. Jul 98-Jun 01, Chief of Staff, Inter-American Defense Board and College, Washington D.C.
18. Jul 01-Jul 04, Commander, AFROTC Detachment 930, and Chair, Department of Aerospace Studies, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI

FLIGHT INFORMATION:

• Rating: Command Pilot
• Flight Hours: 4,017
• Aircraft Flown: TH-55, UH-1H, UH-1N, T-37B, T-38A, C-141B, UH-60L, MH-60G, HH-60G

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:

• Mackay Trophy, Most Meritorious Flight of the Year in an Air Force Aircraft, 1994
• General Ira C. Eaker Award for Outstanding Airmanship, 1994
• Honor Graduate, Undergraduate Pilot Training-Helicopter
• Defense Superior Service Medal
• Legion of Merit
• Defense Meritorious Service Medal
• Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
• Air Medal
• Joint Service Commendation Medal
• Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
• Air Force Achievement Medal
• Combat Readiness Medal with one oak leaf cluster
• Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal
• Air Force Recognition Ribbon (Mackay Trophy)
• National Defense Service Medal with device

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:

• Second Lieutenant 7 Nov 1974
• First Lieutenant 7 Nov 1976
• Captain 7 Nov 1978
• Major 1 Mar 1986
• Lieutenant Colonel 1 May 1991
• Colonel 1 Jul 1997

(Current as of September 2005)