Colonel Zachary C. Gray is the Deputy Program Executive Officer for Business and Enterprise Systems (BES) and Deputy Director for Air Force Business and Enterprise Systems Directorate. In this role, he leads a 2,500-member cross-functional team of military, civil service, and contractor support personnel across three geographic locations. The BES team develops, operates, and supports over 140 information technology programs with an annual budget exceeding one billion dollars.
Colonel Gray entered the Air Force in 2002, receiving his commission from the Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida. He has served in a variety of program management, developmental engineering, and staff roles at the Headquarters United States Air Force, Air Force Research Laboratory, Missile Defense Agency, Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Air Force Program Executive Office for Strategic Systems, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, and the Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office. He has also held positions as an Executive Officer, Commander’s Action Group Chief, and Political-Military Affairs Strategist.
EDUCATION
2002 Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
2002 Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
2007 Squadron Officers School (correspondence).
2008 Squadron Officers School (residence).
2009 Master of Science in Computer Engineering – Artificial Intelligence, Air Force Institute of
Technology, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
2012 Air Command and Staff College (correspondence). .
2015 Air Command and Staff College (residence).
2017 DAU Program Manager’s Course, Fort Belvoir, Virginia (residence).
2019 Boeing Program Manager’s Workshop, Boeing Leadership Center, Florissant, Missouri.
2020 Air War College (correspondence).
2021 Senior Air Force Technical Fellowship, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois.
ASSIGNMENTS
Aug 2002 – Aug 2004 Student, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
Aug 2004 – Dec 2005 Advance Robotics Research Engineer, Air Force Research Laboratory,
Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida.
U N I T E D S T A T E S A I R F O R C E
Dec 2005 – May 2007 Military Assistant to the Commander, Detachment 2, Air Force Research
Laboratory, Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida.
May 2007 – Aug 2008 Deputy Chief, Force Protection Branch, Air Force Research Laboratory,
Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida.
Aug 2008 – Mar 2009 Chief, Airborne Laser Aircraft Integrated Product Team, Airborne Laser Program
Office, Missile Defense Agency, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.
Mar 2009 – Mar 2010 Chief, Airborne Laser Aircraft and Laser Systems, Airborne Laser Program
Office, Missile Defense Agency, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.
Mar 2010 – May 2011 Chief, Commander’s Action Group, Airborne Laser Program
Office, Missile Defense Agency, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.
May 2011 – Feb 2012 Executive Officer, Air Force Program Executive Office for Strategic Systems,
Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.
Mar 2012 – Sep 2012 Executive Officer, Combined Joint Special Operations Air Component Central.
Sep 2012 – Dec 2012 Executive Officer, Air Force Program Executive Office for Strategic Systems,
Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.
Dec 2012 – Jul 2014 Chief, Program Protection and Special Projects, Global Hawk Division, Air Force Life
Cycle Management Center, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
Jul 2014 – Jun 2015 Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.
Jun 2015 – Jun 2017 Country Director, United Arab Emirates, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air
Force, International Affairs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington,
District of Columbia.
Jun 2017 – Jul 2020 Materiel Leader, Presidential Aircraft Recapitalization, Air Force Life Cycle
Management Center, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
Jul 2020 – Jul 2021 Senior Technical Fellow, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois.
Jul 2021 – Jun 2023 Acting Senior Materiel Leader, Advanced All-Domain Capabilities Group, Department
of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington,
District of Columbia.
Jun 2023 – Jul 2024 Deputy Director, Air Force Global Power Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of
the Air Force, Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, Headquarters U.S. Air Force,
Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia.
Jul 2024 – Present Deputy Director and Deputy Program Executive Officer, Air Force Business and Enterprise Systems, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion Of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal
Joint Service Achievement Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant 26 Jun 2002
First Lieutenant 26 Jun 2004
Captain 26 Jun 2006
Major 1 Aug 2012
Lieutenant Colonel 1 Jun 2017
Colonel 1 Apr 2023
(Current as of Jul 24)