WRIGHT PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- Col. Christopher Rondeau assumed command of Air University Detachment 1 at the Air Force Institute of Technology on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, during a ceremony on July 31, 2024.
As AFIT’s senior military leader, he is responsible for maintaining good order and discipline among approximately 1,800 active-duty faculty, staff and students.
In addition to his commander duties, Rondeau serves as the AFIT director of staff, where he leads the strategic vision and tactical decisions of the Institute.
“As the Air Force re-optimizes for Great Power Competition, AFIT’s advanced academic education and professional continuing education will be a critical enabler of generating readiness, projecting power, and developing future capabilities,” said Maj. Gen. Parker Wright, commander, Curtis E. LeMay Center for Doctrine Development and Education, and deputy commander of Air University. “Detachment 1 enables the AFIT mission by providing fully integrated and ready Airmen to serve throughout the AFIT team.”
Wright urged Rondeau to follow AFIT leadership’s lead, align the detachment to meet their requirements, build on the previous commander’s accomplishments, invest in his Airmen, and set the standard while holding others accountable.
“Pace yourself,” said Wright. “You can’t run a marathon at a sprinter’s pace. But don’t dawdle, there is too much important work to be done.”
In his remarks, Rondeau expressed his gratitude to AFIT leadership and Wright.
“Thank you for the charge from Air University,” said Rondeau. “I will take those words very seriously and look forward to serving with you and this great Institute.”
Rondeau is no stranger to AFIT. Prior to his current assignment, he served as the associate dean of students in AFIT’s Graduate School of Engineering and Management, where he led more than 1,000 joint, international and civilian students enrolled in graduate engineering and management programs. He was responsible for all graduate student matters and supervised personnel supporting student services, registrar and admissions functions.
Rondeau brings a unique perspective to the role as a two-time graduate of AFIT, earning his master’s and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering in 2010 and 2020 respectively. During his PhD program, he also served as the senior student representing the student body to AFIT leadership.
Rondeau began his career at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, as a sustainment electronics engineer on common support equipment. He later transferred to Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, where he served as an inertial system test manager working on programs that included various airframe navigation systems and the gyros on the Hubble Space Telescope. Rondeau also served as the 46th Test Group executive officer, continuing his role as an airborne test conductor. He was selected to attend AFIT and later the Air Force Test Pilot School. Upon graduation, Rondeau served as a flight commander, the chief flight test engineer, and an assistant director of operations for the 419th Flight Test Squadron, performing flight tests on the B-1, B-2 and B-52. While at Edwards Air Force Base, California, he trained and qualified as a member of the Joint Combat Assessment Team, providing combat forensic analysis to deployed forces worldwide. He was later assigned to the Special Programs Division, Fighter/Bomber Directorate, serving as the chief of test and program manager. Subsequently, Rondeau commanded a test squadron, leading a unit of 130 people and managing a $350 million portfolio of ground, air, space and cyber threat weapon systems.
Throughout his assignments, Rondeau has accumulated over 300 flight hours as a flight test engineer in 34 different aircraft with qualifications in B-1B, B-52H, C-12J, HH-60U and F-16D.
In his current role, he is also appointed an assistant professor of electrical engineering. He is the author of 13 technical publications and holds a patent on Passive Physical Layer Distinct Native Cyber Security Monitor.