Mark Hasara, a retired USAF Lt Col, is currently a Senior Systems Engineering Manager for Rockwell-Collins Inc in their Precision Strike Solutions division.
He received his commissioning into the USAF through the Reserve Officer Training Corps at Brigham Young University, graduating in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, majoring in National Security and War.
He received his Master of Arts degree from the Military Sciences department of American Military University in 1998, majoring in Air Warfare.
He began his military career by attending Undergraduate Pilot Training at Vance AFB, OK. He attended KC-135 Combat Crew Training Syllabus (CCTS) at Castle AFB in 1985. His first assignment location took him to Pease AFB, New Hampshire and the 509th Bomb Wing. As a Co-pilot and later Aircraft Commander in the 509h ARS, he won the 509th Bomb Wing Airmanship Competition, garnering awards for the best KC-135 Copilot and Best KC-135 Crew.
In 1989, he attended the Strategic Air Command Tactics Course at Nellis AFB. When Pease AFB closed, he was assigned to the 909th ARS at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan in August of 1990. He deployed to Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm in Oct of 1990. Selected as a tactics instructor and airwar planner for two provisional wings, his crew was chosen to lead the three-ship of KC-135s assigned to refuel the first F-4G/EF-111A package into Baghdad to take down the Integrated Air Defense System (IADS). After returning to Kadena in March of 1991, he attended KC-135R model conversion course and Combat Flight Instructor Course (CFIC) in April and June of 1991.
His assignment after CFIC was as the KC-135 air warfare planner and instructor in the newly formed 18th Wing, a combined wing of three F-15C, one E-3B AWACS, one KC-135, one MH-60, and a C-12 squadron. In April of 1991, he attended the Pacific Air Forces Air Campaign Executioners School (PAC ACES) at Clark Air Base, The Philippines.
In 1993, he was selected as the 5th Air Force and PACAF Intelligence Contributor of the Year and the PACAF Tactical Deception Officer of the Year. He was selected by 18th Wing leadership in 1994 to create the BEVERLY HIGH 94 Local Operational Readiness Exercise (LORE).
This exercise packaged a deploying force of 12 F-15Cs, 4 KC-135s and an E-3B AWACS to Misawa AB as Red Force for the 432nd Fighter Wing LORE. BEVERLY HIGH 94 included a Kadena AB local area downed airmen scenario with day/water and night/land pick ups, an air defense exercise against the combined forces of the USS INDEPENDENCE Battlegroup and 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force (3rd MEF) as Red Force, and a combined Command and Control/Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance exercise with 18th Wing, Carrier Airwing Five and 55th Reconnaissance Wing assets.
These events were combined in a five day, 16 hours a day exercise concluding with a large package live weapons drop on Iea Shima Island off the coast of Okinawa. In August of 1995, Lt Col Hasara was assigned to the Tanker Airlift Control Center (TACC) as a West Cell Duty officer. He was re-assigned to the AMC/DOK office in August of 1997 where he authored the package for standing up the KC-135 Weapons Instructor Course (WIC) at Fairchild AFB.
He was selected for the Initial Cadre of the KC-135 WIC in April of 1998 and served as the Cadre Leader until the squadron stood up. He was selected as the KC-135 WIC/DO and served in that position until July of 2001. He was assigned to the 92nd Air Refueling Wing in July of 2001 as the 92nd Refueling Wing Weapons Officer and tanker planner. During this time, he was twice selected by AMC senior leadership to be the Chief of the Air Refueling Control Team (ARCT) for Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) at the Combined Air Operation Center (CAOC) at Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Air Mobility Command chose Mark as the Mobility Air Forces Combat Tanker Tactician of the Year, 2002 for his work at the CAOC during these two deployments. While working as Chief of the ARCT during OEF, he began working on what would later become the Operation Iraqi Freedom air campaign plan.
After returning from his second OEF tour as ARCT Chief, he was selected by the 9th Air Force Commander to deploy to Shaw AFB and finalize air campaign planning with the CENTAF staff. He deployed in February of 2003 with the 9th Aerospace Expeditionary Task Force (AETF) to the CAOC at Prince Sultan Air Base, as Chief of the ARCT for Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Upon his return from Operation Iraqi Freedom, he became a faculty member of the Joint Forces Staff College in July of 2003 were he was a Curriculum Director until arriving at AFOTEC in July 2006. As Chief of Joint Weapons programs, he was involved with testing and evaluation of the AIM-9X air-to-air missile, the KC-X Next Generation Tanker, and the Joint Surface Warfare (JSuW) initiative.
Mark has experience aboard 12 Aircraft Carriers, 8 AEGIS Cruisers, 9 AEGIS Destroyers, an Air Operations Center (AOC) Afloat ship, 2 large deck Amphibious Assault Ships (LHA), Landing Assault Docks (LHD), 2 Fast Attack Submarines, and Logistical Stores ship. His flying experience includes time in KC-135s, KC-10s, F-15Cs, USAF and RAF E-3 AWACS, EC-130E ABCCC, C-130H, MH-60 helicopters and US Navy S-3B Viking.
He is married to the former Valerie Hill of Sandy, Utah and they are the parents of five children; Rachel, Ryan, Jeffrey, John and Travis.
About Mark Hasara
Mark Hasara, a retired USAF Lt Col, is currently a Senior Systems Engineering Manager for Rockwell-Collins Inc in their Precision Strike Solutions division.
He received his commissioning into the USAF through the Reserve Officer Training Corps at Brigham Young University, graduating in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, majoring in National Security and War.
He received his Master of Arts degree from the Military Sciences department of American Military University in 1998, majoring in Air Warfare.
He began his military career by attending Undergraduate Pilot Training at Vance AFB, OK. He attended KC-135 Combat Crew Training Syllabus (CCTS) at Castle AFB in 1985. His first assignment location took him to Pease AFB, New Hampshire and the 509th Bomb Wing. As a Co-pilot and later Aircraft Commander in the 509h ARS, he won the 509th Bomb Wing Airmanship Competition, garnering awards for the best KC-135 Copilot and Best KC-135 Crew.
In 1989, he attended the Strategic Air Command Tactics Course at Nellis AFB. When Pease AFB closed, he was assigned to the 909th ARS at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan in August of 1990. He deployed to Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm in Oct of 1990. Selected as a tactics instructor and airwar planner for two provisional wings, his crew was chosen to lead the three-ship of KC-135s assigned to refuel the first F-4G/EF-111A package into Baghdad to take down the Integrated Air Defense System (IADS). After returning to Kadena in March of 1991, he attended KC-135R model conversion course and Combat Flight Instructor Course (CFIC) in April and June of 1991.
His assignment after CFIC was as the KC-135 air warfare planner and instructor in the newly formed 18th Wing, a combined wing of three F-15C, one E-3B AWACS, one KC-135, one MH-60, and a C-12 squadron. In April of 1991, he attended the Pacific Air Forces Air Campaign Executioners School (PAC ACES) at Clark Air Base, The Philippines.
In 1993, he was selected as the 5th Air Force and PACAF Intelligence Contributor of the Year and the PACAF Tactical Deception Officer of the Year. He was selected by 18th Wing leadership in 1994 to create the BEVERLY HIGH 94 Local Operational Readiness Exercise (LORE).
This exercise packaged a deploying force of 12 F-15Cs, 4 KC-135s and an E-3B AWACS to Misawa AB as Red Force for the 432nd Fighter Wing LORE. BEVERLY HIGH 94 included a Kadena AB local area downed airmen scenario with day/water and night/land pick ups, an air defense exercise against the combined forces of the USS INDEPENDENCE Battlegroup and 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force (3rd MEF) as Red Force, and a combined Command and Control/Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance exercise with 18th Wing, Carrier Airwing Five and 55th Reconnaissance Wing assets.
These events were combined in a five day, 16 hours a day exercise concluding with a large package live weapons drop on Iea Shima Island off the coast of Okinawa. In August of 1995, Lt Col Hasara was assigned to the Tanker Airlift Control Center (TACC) as a West Cell Duty officer. He was re-assigned to the AMC/DOK office in August of 1997 where he authored the package for standing up the KC-135 Weapons Instructor Course (WIC) at Fairchild AFB.
He was selected for the Initial Cadre of the KC-135 WIC in April of 1998 and served as the Cadre Leader until the squadron stood up. He was selected as the KC-135 WIC/DO and served in that position until July of 2001. He was assigned to the 92nd Air Refueling Wing in July of 2001 as the 92nd Refueling Wing Weapons Officer and tanker planner. During this time, he was twice selected by AMC senior leadership to be the Chief of the Air Refueling Control Team (ARCT) for Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) at the Combined Air Operation Center (CAOC) at Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Air Mobility Command chose Mark as the Mobility Air Forces Combat Tanker Tactician of the Year, 2002 for his work at the CAOC during these two deployments. While working as Chief of the ARCT during OEF, he began working on what would later become the Operation Iraqi Freedom air campaign plan.
After returning from his second OEF tour as ARCT Chief, he was selected by the 9th Air Force Commander to deploy to Shaw AFB and finalize air campaign planning with the CENTAF staff. He deployed in February of 2003 with the 9th Aerospace Expeditionary Task Force (AETF) to the CAOC at Prince Sultan Air Base, as Chief of the ARCT for Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Upon his return from Operation Iraqi Freedom, he became a faculty member of the Joint Forces Staff College in July of 2003 were he was a Curriculum Director until arriving at AFOTEC in July 2006. As Chief of Joint Weapons programs, he was involved with testing and evaluation of the AIM-9X air-to-air missile, the KC-X Next Generation Tanker, and the Joint Surface Warfare (JSuW) initiative.
Mark has experience aboard 12 Aircraft Carriers, 8 AEGIS Cruisers, 9 AEGIS Destroyers, an Air Operations Center (AOC) Afloat ship, 2 large deck Amphibious Assault Ships (LHA), Landing Assault Docks (LHD), 2 Fast Attack Submarines, and Logistical Stores ship. His flying experience includes time in KC-135s, KC-10s, F-15Cs, USAF and RAF E-3 AWACS, EC-130E ABCCC, C-130H, MH-60 helicopters and US Navy S-3B Viking.
He is married to the former Valerie Hill of Sandy, Utah and they are the parents of five children; Rachel, Ryan, Jeffrey, John and Travis.