Lt. Col. Charles LeDeatte, USAF Director, AFCENT Battle Lab, Chief Technology and Data Officer, Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central)

Lieutenant Colonel Charles “Chaz” LeDeatte is the Director of the AFCENT Battle Lab and Chief Technology Officer, Headquarters Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central), Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. In these roles, he serves as the principal lead and advisor to the Commander for operational science and technology, research and development, technology integration, innovation, and digital transformation across the command, partnering with academia, industry, and government labs to achieve these efforts. Colonel LeDeatte drives strategic efforts to expedite technology adoption, achieve decision superiority for warfighters, and convert science and technology investments into disruptive capabilities. His leadership directly supports 12K personnel conducting air operations across the 21-nation United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) area of responsibility, fostering regional security and cooperation. Colonel LeDeatte received his commission from the East Carolina University AFROTC program in 2004. He is a Senior Air Battle Manager (ABM) with more than 2,000 flight hours, including 1,280 combat flight hours. Colonel LeDeatte has commanded combat missions supporting multinational security efforts and stability operations, including Operations INHERENT RESOLVE, FREEDOM’S SENTINAL, NATO RESOLUTE SUPPORT, and POTUS-directed missions.