Lieutenant Colonel James Carfagno

Lt Col James Carfagno is the Commander of the 31st Combat Training Squadron, Nellis Test and Training Range, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. The 31st CTS operates the Joint Integrated Test and Training Center – Nellis (JITTC-N) virtual environment training facility.

Lt Col Carfagno is a 2008 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. He graduated from Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas. Following UPT, he volunteered for Remotely Piloted Aircraft and was assigned to Creech Air Force Base, where he flew the MQ-1B Predator as a member of the 15th Reconnaissance Squadron and later became dual-qualified in the MQ-1 and MQ-9 with the 867th Reconnaissance Squadron. Following his assignment at the 867th, he became a formal training unit instructor with the 9th Attack Squadron at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. Lt Col Carfagno graduated from the USAF Weapons School in 2016 and was selected to lead the weapons and tactics program at the 42nd Attack Squadron at Creech Air Force Base. Lt Col Carfagno then served as the 432nd Wing Weapons Officer, where he was the chief tactical advisor to 15 combat squadrons employing the MQ-1B and MQ-9 across the globe. Lt Col Carfagno subsequently served as the Director of Combat Operations and MQ-9 evaluator pilot for the 15th Attack Squadron.

As the Warfighter Integration Assistant Director of Operations at the 452d Flight Test Squadron, Edwards AFB, California, Lt Col Carfagno tailored Developmental Test campaigns to meet operational needs while maintaining dual platform qualifications. He then led the Test Management Flight for the 417th Test and Evaluation Squadron, involving the creation and reporting of operational readiness and tactics development tests for a classified DoD program.

Lt Col Carfagno is a senior pilot with more than 2,600 hours of flight time in the MQ-1B, RQ-4, MQ-9, RQ-170, and other RPA platforms. He has flown combat missions and combat support missions in support of multiple theaters and operations, in addition to leading Developmental Test and Operational Test projects and missions.