Maj. Gen. Duke A. Pirak serves as the Deputy Director, Air National Guard, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. In this capacity, he assists the Air National Guard Director in formulating, developing and coordinating all policies, plans and programs affecting more than 108,300 Air National Guard members and civilians in more than 90 wings and 175 geographically-separated units across 213 locations throughout the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
A graduate of the University of Washington, Maj. Gen. Pirak was commissioned at the Academy of Military Science 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, he was Deputy Director, Politico-Military Affairs (Africa), Strategy, Plans, and Policy Directorate (J5), on the Joint Staff.
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 Senior Military Adviser in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy, Director of Operations for the Combined Joint Operations Center and Army Forces in Jordan, and Director, Chief of the National Guard Bureau Action Group. 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.