KINGSLEY FIELD, Ore. - The 173rd Fighter Wing, home of the F-15C Eagle training school, produces new pilots as part of its mission, but it is also home to experienced pilots who require requalification in the Eagle. Pilots from around the country come to Kingsley to attend school — even Maj. Gen. Duke Pirak, the acting director, Air National Guard.
Pirak, a Portland native, grew up with a father who served in the Army. His love for aviation grew as his father fed his passion.
“I was fascinated with aviation as a kid, I mean just absolutely infatuated with it,” said Pirak. “My dad would take me to air shows and I would just sit there and drool watching them fly by.”
A boyhood dream turned to reality when he joined the Air National Guard and became a pilot, making his way through a myriad of aircraft and eventually landing in the F-15C Eagle.
“That is what is really wonderful about all this for me because, truly, it was a boyhood dream that I was able to fully realize,” said Pirak. “Not a lot of people get to do that; I feel really lucky in that regard. The idea of being part of something that was so much more important than the individual, I had to be a fighter pilot.”
Flying in an operational unit provided Pirak with a variety of leadership and mentorship experiences, which led him to more varied positions in Washington.
“I had some great mentorship, great leaders, that suggested that I seek other things like higher levels of leadership,” said Pirak. “While it was hard to step away from operational (flying), I realized how important it was to have passion, to take care of us as an Air Force and as a Guard.”
Transferring to the Pentagon, Pirak is now acting director of the Air National Guard, placing him far from the cockpit of an F-15. Although he’s moved out of the flying world, he doesn’t forget how he got to the position he is in today.
“I am in the Pentagon, and I have pictures and paintings all over my office to remind me of this time,” said Pirak. “It truly reminds me of what is important and grounds me. I look at those pictures and I think about the time, and I think about those relationships, and I realize, the job is a grind, but it is about the people. It is about you, the people out here at Kingsley, the people in the field. That is my purpose, that is my cause and that is what inspires me.”
Pirak said his desire to connect with the people he supports drove him to seek the opportunity to requalify in the F-15C Eagle.
“It is a unique opportunity in my position to connect with the field in a positive way,” said Pirak. “I specifically wanted to be with the units that are going through a lot of the stress from changes. It is good for me to have boots on the ground.”
Kingsley Field is one of several bases experiencing a transition to a new airframe.
Pirak says he chose to come to Kingsley Field for requalification training in the F-15C because Oregon is home for him and Team Kingsley prides itself on a long history of excellence training fighter pilots.
“This place is incredible; there is a sense that you get about excellence, and it starts at the gate,” said Pirak. “Day 1 coming here, the interaction with the gate guard, the facilities, how well the lawn is kept, every interaction with every Airman, it just starts to build up.”
Team Kingsley has forged a reputation of excellence producing fighter pilots for the operational Air Force and Air National Guard.
The F-15C Eagle is nearing its sunset and a future mission is in the works to replace the iconic bird.
“Be mindful of the fact that you are literally standing on the shoulders of giants who have invested in this, who have built this for you, and what you do counts,” said Pirak. “Do not take a step back and rest easy. Continue on that journey, continue that drive to invest in excellence. It will bring good things.”