Performance and Team Building in High Stress Environments

Meeting location at Embassy Club West:

Address (click for driving directions):
Des Moines Embassy Club - West
520 Market St. in West Des Moines, Iowa

Lt Col (Retired) Chad “Bubba” Lewis was born and raised in Des Moines, growing up across the street from the airport, watching jets fly overhead every day.  It was at a very early age he developed a passion for aviation and decided to pursue a career flying jets.  He attended the United States Air Force Academy and graduated in 1998 with a degree in Operation Research.  While at the Academy, Chad also played on the intercollegiate baseball team and began his flying training in gliders and single-engine aircraft. After graduation, Chad moved to Enid, OK and attended pilot training at Vance Air Force base, where he earned one of five fighter slots and was selected to fly the F-16, or “Viper”, as it is known in flying circles.  Chad served 12 years in the active duty Air Force with assignments in Germany, New Mexico, Las Vegas, South Korea and Phoenix.  He was deployed multiple times in support of Operation Northern Watch and Operation Iraqi Freedom wear he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions in Iraq.  He was also selected to attend the Air Force’s Fighter Weapons School in 2006, where he learned the latest fighter tactics and earned the equivalent of a master’s degree in fighter aviation.  In 2009, Chad was selected as one of the first 10 pilots in the Air Force to fly the F-35, the newest fighter in the inventory, as the initial cadre developing the syllabus and academics to teach others how to fly this new jet. When the time came to move to Florida and start the F-35 assignment, he decided to decline the assignment and move back home to fly F-16’s in Des Moines with the Iowa Air National Guard. In 2012, Chad was deployed with the 124th Fighter Squadron, “Hawkis”, to Kandahar Air Base, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. After only three and a half years in Des Moines, the Iowa Air National Guard was selected for a remission to fly MQ-9 Reaper drones.  Again, Chad was forced to make the tough decision to stay home and learn to fly a new aircraft or move to continue flying F-16s.  He and his family decided to move to the nation’s capital and fly with the District of Columbia Air Nation Guard. Chad flew alert missions and deployed three more times in the six years he flew in DC.  Chad retired in 2019 as the 113th Operations Support Squadron Commander.  Lt Col Lewis resides in Urbandale, IA with his wife of 23 years, Kelly, and 18 year old daughter, Riley.

This meeting will be available on Zoom.