Lawrence M. Hoffman
Colonel, U.S. Air Force
Commandant, U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School
Edwards Air Force Base, CA.

Lawrence M. Hoffman is the Commandant, U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, Edwards Air Force Base, CA. As Commandant, he is responsible for the graduate level education of the Air Force's most highly skilled aviators as they earn the rating of experimental test pilots, flight test navigators, and flight test engineers.

Colonel Hoffman leads a 150-person organization and is responsible for the single biggest flying operation at the Air Force Test Center. Colonel Hoffman has served in a variety of flying assignments in combat, operational, and flight test, and two Pentagon staff assignments, on Headquarters US Air Force (Air Staff) and The Joint Staff.

Education

1988 - Bachelor of Science in Engineering Sciences, U.S. Air Force Academy, CO.
1993 - Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL.
1997 - Experimental Test Pilot, U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, Edwards AFB, CA.
1998 - Master of Science in Aeronautical Engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology, WPAFB, OH.
2003 - Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL.
2005 - Air War College, The Pentagon, Washington, DC.
2008 - Master of Science in National Resource Strategy, National Defense University, Washington, DC.
2010 - Fellow, Seminar XXI Program, Foreign Politics, International Relations & the National Interest, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA.

Assignments

1. June 1988 - September 1989, Student Pilot, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Williams AFB, AZ.
2. September 1989 - October 1993, E-3 AWACS Aircraft Commander, Sq Life Support Officer, Kadena AB, Okinawa
3. October 1993 - January 1994, Student, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL.
4. January 1994 - May 1995, U-2 and T-38 Aircraft Commander, Supervisor of Flying, Beale AFB, CA.
5. May 1995 - December 1996, Graduate Student, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH.
6. December 1996 - December 1997, Student Test Pilot, USAF Test Pilot School, Edwards AFB, CA.
7. December 1997 - April 2001, E-8 JOINT STARS Test/Instructor/Evaluator Pilot, Chief of Stan Eval, Melbourne, FL.
8. April 2001 - July 2002, Assistant Branch Chief, Flying Qualities, U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, Edwards AFB, CA.
9. January 2002 - July 2002, Executive Officer to the Commander, Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB, CA.
10. July 2002 - June 2003, Class Leader, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL.
11. June 2003 - May 2004 Branch Chief, Airborne C2 Requirements, Headquarters USAF, The Pentagon, Washington, DC.
12. May 2004 - August 2005, Assistant Executive Officer to the CSAF, HQ USAF, The Pentagon, Washington, DC.
13. August 2005 - June 2006, Director of Operations, 5th Reconnaissance Squadron, Osan AB, Republic of Korea
14. June 2006 - June 2007, Commander, 5th Reconnaissance Squadron, Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea
15. July 2007 - June 2008, Student, National Defense University, Ft. McNair, Washington, DC.
16. June 2008 - June 2010, Chief, Recon Operations Division, The Joint Staff, J-39, The Pentagon, Washington, DC.
17. June 2010 - July 2012, Commander, 9th Operations Group, Beale AFB, CA.
18. July 2012 - Present, Commandant, U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, Edwards AFB, CA.

Flight Information

Ratings/Qualifications: Command Pilot, Experimental Test Pilot
Flight Hours: More than 4,500
Aircraft Flown: U-2, RQ-4, MC-12, T-38, E-3, E-8, B707, C-23, F-16, F-15, A-10, & more than 30 others

Medals and Awards

Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal (3 Awards)
Aerial Achievement Medal (6 Awards)
Air Force Commendation Medal (2 Awards)
Air Force Achievement Medal
Combat Readiness Medal (2 Awards)
National Defense Service Medal (2 Awards)
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal (2 Awards)
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Korean Defense Service Medal

Other Awards and Distinctions

1992: 961 Airborne Warning and Control System Aircrew Member of the Year (#1/150+), Kadena Air Base, Okinawa.
1993: Top 7% (out of 500+), Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL.
2003: Secretary of the Air Force Leadership Award (#1/585) and Class Leader, ACSC, Maxwell AFB, AL.
2004: Action Officer of the Year, HQ USAF/XORI, The Pentagon, Washington, DC.
2005: "Top Lieutenant Colonel on Air Staff"--CSAF (#1/400+), HQ USAF, The Pentagon, Washington, DC.
2007: "Top Squadron Commander in 7th Air Force"--7 AF/CC, Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea
2008: Distinguished Graduate (#2/318) and National Defense University Foundation Excellence in Research and Writing Award, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Ft. McNair, Washington, DC.
2012: "Top Group Commander in 9th Reconnaissance Wing"--9 RW/CC, Beale AFB, CA.

Published Works

1998: "An Evaluation of Frequency Domain Ensemble Averaging to Improve Aircraft Stability Derivative Estimation," Thesis in support of Master of Aeronautical Engineering Degree, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright Patterson AFB, OH.
2008: "Turning Vision Into Reality: What the U.S. Government Should Do to Promote America's Commercial Human Space Flight Industry," Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Ft. McNair, Washington, DC.
2008: "Space Industry Study, Final Report," Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Ft. McNair, Washington, DC.
2008: "Turning D.i.M.E. into D.I.M.E.: How to Strengthen America's Information Instrument of National Power and Why We Must," Thesis in support of Master of Science in National Resource Strategy Degree, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Ft. McNair, Washington, DC.

Effective Dates of Promotion

Second Lieutenant: 1 June 1988
First Lieutenant: 1 June 1990
Captain: 1 June 1992
Major: 1 October 1998
Lieutenant Colonel: 1 March 2004
Colonel: 1 July 2009

(Data current as of August 2012)