Experience

412th Test Wing, Edwards Air Force Base

• United States
• Aviation and Aerospace Component Manufacturing
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Commander, 412th Test Wing

  • Aug 2023 - Present

  Col Douglas P. Wickert is the Commander of the 412th Test Wing, Edwards Air Force Base, California. He leads a wing of nearly 8,000 personnel in the developmental test and evaluation of the KC-46, KC-135, KC-10, C-17, C-5, F-35, F-22, F-16, B-21, B-1, B-2, B-52, eT-7A, RQ-4 and emerging technologies. Additionally, Col Wickert is the Installation Commander responsible for base operations support for more than 19,500 active duty, reserve, civil service and defense industrial base contractors at Edwards, the second largest base in the U.S. Air Force, and Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California. Show less



United States Air Force Academy

• Armed Forces
• 700 & Above Employee

• Permanent Professor and Head, Department of Aeronautics

  • 2019 - Aug 2023

  Permanent Professor and Head of the Department of Aeronautics, US Air Force Academy, the #1 ranked undergraduate Aeronautics program in the country. Col Wickert served as the Chair of the Engineering Division overseeing six Engineering Departments while leading the largest engineering department at the Academy with more than 60 faculty and researchers supporting education and research in aerodynamics, flight mechanics, propulsion, hypersonic, aircraft structures, and experimental methods. The Department of Aeronautics hosts three Department of Defense Research Centers and the world-renowned Aeronautics Laboratory. Cadets from the Class of 2022 selected Col Wickert for the Heiser Award, the USAF Academy's highest teaching honor. Show less



United States Air Force

• United States
• Defense and Space Manufacturing
• 700 & Above Employee

• Division Chief, Policy, Programs and Resources (Air Force Test and Evaluation)

  • Aug 2018 - Jun 2019

  Responsible for policy, resources, and oversight of all Air Force Developmental and Operational testing. Oversaw more than $4 billion in Air Force test infrastructure and the programming and execution of the Air Force test portfolio. Responsible for policy, resources, and oversight of all Air Force Developmental and Operational testing. Oversaw more than $4 billion in Air Force test infrastructure and the programming and execution of the Air Force test portfolio.



Air Force Test Center

• United States
• Aviation and Aerospace Component Manufacturing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Operations Group Commander

  • Jul 2016 - Jul 2018



National Defense University

• Higher Education
• 500 - 600 Employee

• Student, Eisenhower School

  • Jul 2015 - Jun 2016



United States Air Force

• United States
• Defense and Space Manufacturing
• 700 & Above Employee

• Deputy Operations Group Commander

  • Aug 2014 - Jun 2015

• Squadron Commander

  • Jul 2012 - Aug 2014

• Special Programs Test & Integration Lead

  • May 2010 - Jul 2012

  Led, coordinated, and directed multiple agencies and DoD organizations in development, test, and validation of new technology. Managed cost, schedule, technical performance, and the science and engineering support of an advanced program.



Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)

• United States
• Defense and Space Manufacturing
• 300 - 400 Employee

• Service Chiefs Program Fellow

  • Sep 2009 - Dec 2009

  Conducted the DARPA Network Challenge, a large-scale, social network mobilization experiment. Conducted the DARPA Network Challenge, a large-scale, social network mobilization experiment.



U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology

• United States
• Armed Forces
• 300 - 400 Employee

• PhD Candidate

  • Aug 2006 - Sep 2009

  Conducted research to develop efficient computational methods for large-scale, fluid-structure interaction optimization problems. Course work included finite element and structural analysis, computational fluid dynamics, aeroelasticity, optimization, and functional analysis. Awards: AIAA Best Paper (2008), AIAA Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Technical Committee 2008 Student Field Grade Officer of the Year 33rd Dayton Cincinnati Aerospace Sciences Symposium Best Paper (2008) Show less



Eglin Air Force Base

• United States
• Armed Forces
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Asst Director of Operations (40 FLTS)

  • Jun 2004 - Aug 2006

  Asst Director of Operations, Flight Commander, and F-16 Chief Experimental Test Pilot. Supervised daily flight operations of the Air Force’s most diverse flight test squadron. Responsible for the planning and conduct of developmental test and evaluation missions of highly modified F-16, F-15, A-10, and UH-1 aircraft including weapons development, aircraft hardware and software upgrades, and classical airframe testing. Asst Director of Operations, Flight Commander, and F-16 Chief Experimental Test Pilot. Supervised daily flight operations of the Air Force’s most diverse flight test squadron. Responsible for the planning and conduct of developmental test and evaluation missions of highly modified F-16, F-15, A-10, and UH-1 aircraft including weapons development, aircraft hardware and software upgrades, and classical airframe testing.



United States Naval Test Pilot School

• United States
• Armed Forces
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Student

  • Aug 2003 - Jun 2004

  Distinguished Graduate. Recipient of the Outstanding Graduate award and the Empire Test Pilot school award. #1 of 35. Distinguished Graduate. Recipient of the Outstanding Graduate award and the Empire Test Pilot school award. #1 of 35.



51 FW, Osan AB, ROK

• Osan, Gyeonggi-do, Korea

• Asst Chief of Wing Weapons & Tactics

  • Nov 2001 - May 2003

  F-16 Instructor Pilot, Wing Electronic Combat Pilot, and Asst Chief F-16 Weapons and Tactics. 51 FW expert for all Electronic Warfare systems. Led the F-16 Mission Planning Cell for all Korean Theatre Wartime taskings. Wing technical expert during critical fielding and initial operating capability of the Joint Direct Attack Munition. F-16 Instructor Pilot, Wing Electronic Combat Pilot, and Asst Chief F-16 Weapons and Tactics. 51 FW expert for all Electronic Warfare systems. Led the F-16 Mission Planning Cell for all Korean Theatre Wartime taskings. Wing technical expert during critical fielding and initial operating capability of the Joint Direct Attack Munition.



4 FS, Hill AFB, Utah

• F-16 Pilot

  • Oct 1999 - Nov 2001

  Flew combat missions over Iraq (Operation SOUTHERN WATCH) and Operation CORONET NIGHTHAWK (Caribbean drug interdiction). Flew Operation NOBLE EAGLE (Homeland Defense) missions including the first combat air patrol mission over LAX following 9/11 terrorist attacks. Chief of Squadron Programming. 388 FW Wingman of the Year. Flew combat missions over Iraq (Operation SOUTHERN WATCH) and Operation CORONET NIGHTHAWK (Caribbean drug interdiction). Flew Operation NOBLE EAGLE (Homeland Defense) missions including the first combat air patrol mission over LAX following 9/11 terrorist attacks. Chief of Squadron Programming. 388 FW Wingman of the Year.



63 FS, Luke AFB, AZ

• F-16 RTU Student

  • Jan 1999 - Aug 1999

  Distinguished Graduate. Air-to-Ground Top Gun. Distinguished Graduate. Air-to-Ground Top Gun.



Vance AFB, OK

• JSUPT Student

  • Jun 1997 - Jul 1998

  Distinguished Graduate. Recipient of the Orville Wright Achievement Award, the AETC Commander’s Trophy, the Flying Training Award, and the Leadership Award. Distinguished Graduate. Recipient of the Orville Wright Achievement Award, the AETC Commander’s Trophy, the Flying Training Award, and the Leadership Award.