Col. Cameron Dadgar is the commander of the Nevada Test and Training Range, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. He oversees a 2.9 million acre range and 12,000 square miles of airspace that makes up the NTTR complex. He is responsible for the planning and oversight of the largest and most sophisticated instrumented battlespace used to test and train U.S. military and coalition air forces. The NTTR supports advanced composite force training, tactics development and electronic combat testing for the
Department of Defense.
Col. Dadgar was commissioned through Air Force ROTC following graduation from Purdue University in 1994. He spent his early years as an Astronautical Engineer launching Titan II and Titan IV Space Launch Vehicles. Following tours through initial pilot training, he flew operationally in the F-16 Fighting Falcon during Operations
NORTHERN and SOUTHERN WATCH, and Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, culminating in multiple command tours at Nellis AFB overseeing Advanced Warfighter Training and Premier Joint Exercises for the U.S. Air Force. During his tour in the Air Force Intern Program, he served on Joint Staff Operations Directorate and was on the Secretary of Defense’s speechwriting team. Col. Dadgar has served in two combatant commands through the U.S. Embassy-Turkey, leading U.S. European Command priority Theater Security Cooperation initiatives and later as the U.S. Northern Command Director for the Joint Fires and Reconnaissance Center guiding all of the command’s targeting and effects in support of Homeland Defense as well as the strategy and allocation of all assigned Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance
platforms.
Prior to assuming his current position, Col. Dadgar was the Commander, United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa’s Warfare Center, The Warrior Preparation Center. There he oversaw seven squadrons and a MAJCOM staff division responsible for preparing joint, NATO and partner nations’ warfighters to conduct innovative full-spectrum operations against a peer threat.
EDUCATION
1994 Bachelor of Science Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind.
1996 Master of Science Engineering Management, West Coast University, Los Angeles, Calif.
2001 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2003 National Security Studies Program, Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
2003 Master of International Policy and Practice, George Washington University, Washington D.C.
2005 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2011 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. April 1995 - March 1997, Space Launch Officer, 4th Space Launch Squadron, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
2. April 1997 - October 1998, Student, pilot training, 8th/25th Fighter Squadrons, Vance AFB, Okla.
3. November 1998 - August 1999, Student, F-16 Initial Qualification Course, 61st Fighter Squadron, Luke AFB, Ariz.
4. September 1999 - May 2001, Chief, Life Support/F-16 Pilot, 77th Fighter Squadron, Shaw AFB, S.C.
5. June 2001 - May 2002, Wing Electronic Combat Officer/F-16 Pilot, 20th Operations Support Squadron, Shaw AFB,
S.C.
6. June 2002 - July 2003, U.S. Air Force Intern Program (Tours: Joint Staff/Joint Operations Directorate-CENTCOM; SECDEF Public Affairs/Speechwriting team; Air Force Personnel Policy/Rated Personnel), Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
7. August 2003 - May 2004, Assistant Chief, Wing Scheduling/F-16 Instructor Pilot, 27th Operations Support Squadron, Cannon AFB, N.M.
8. June 2004 - June 2005, Flight Commander/F-16 Instructor Pilot, 522nd Fighter Squadron, Cannon AFB, N.M.
9. July 2005 - July 2007, Chief, Bilateral Engagements/C-12 Pilot, Office of Defense Cooperation- Turkey, U.S. European Command, Ankara, Turkey
10. October 2007 - December 2008, Assistant Director of Operations/Current Ops Flight Commander/ F-16
Instructor Pilot, 52nd Operations Support Squadron, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany
11. January 2009 - June 2010, Chief, Standardization and Evaluations/F-16 Instructor and Flight
Evaluator/NATO Tactical Evaluator, 52nd Operations Group, Spangdahlem AB, Germany
12. July 2010 - October 2010, Director Weapons and Tactics/F-16 Instructor and Flight Evaluator, 64th
Aggressor Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
13. November 2010 - July 2011, Chief, Commander's Action Group/ F-16 Instructor and Flight Evaluator,
U.S. Air Force Warfare Center, Nellis AFB, Nev.
14. August 2011 - November 2013, Deputy Commander/F-16 Instructor and Aggressor Pilot, 414th Combat
Training Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
15. December 2013 - December 2015, Commander/F-16 Instructor and Aggressor Pilot, 549th Combat
Training Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
16. December 2015 - July 2016, Deputy Commander/F-16 Instructor and Aggressor Pilot, 57th Operations
Group, Nellis AFB, Nev.
17. July 2016 – June 2018, Director, Joint Fires and Reconnaissance Center, J32 Division Chief, U.S. Northern Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
18. July 2018 – September 2019, Commander, Warrior Preparation Center, Einsiedlerhof Air Station, Germany
19. October 2019 – June 2020, Commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa Warfare Center, Einsiedlerhof AS, Germany
20. July 2020 - present, Commander/F-16 Pilot, Nevada Test and Training Range, Nellis AFB, Nev.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 2,500
Aircraft flown: F-16, C-12, F/A-18, MH-60, Gripen, Tornado, F-15, AT-38, T-37, T-38, and T-3
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Medal with oak leaf cluster
Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Combat Readiness Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Iraq Campaign Medal with bronze star
(Current as of February 2021)