Lt. Gen. Sami D. Said is the Inspector General of the Department of the Air Force, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Arlington, Virginia. In this capacity, he reports to the Secretary of the Air Force, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and Chief of Space Operations on matters concerning Department of the Air Force readiness, efficiency and the military discipline of active duty, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard forces. He also provides inspection policy and oversees the inspection and evaluation system for all Department of the Air Force nuclear and conventional forces; oversees Department of the Air Force counterintelligence operations; investigates fraud, waste and abuse; oversees criminal investigations; and provides oversight of complaints resolution programs. General Said is responsible for three field operating agencies: the Air Force Inspection Agency, the Office of Special Investigations, and the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center.
General Said is a command pilot with more than 2,200 hours in both the F-15 Eagle and the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Lt Gen Said’s combat flying experience includes operations Northern Watch and Southern Watch. He has commanded at the wing and squadron level. His staff and joint experience include assignments at Headquarters U.S. Air Force; the Office of the Secretary of Defense; Headquarters, International Security Assistance Force, Kabul, Afghanistan; Department of State, Washington, D.C. and U.S. Embassy, Kabul, Afghanistan. Prior to this assignment, Lt Gen Said was the Deputy Inspector General of the Air Force, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Arlington, Virginia.
EDUCATION
1986 Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, University of Alabama at Birmingham
1998 Outstanding graduate, U.S. Air Force Weapons School, F-15 Division, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.
1999 Squadron Officer School, by correspondence
2002 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2005 Air War College, by correspondence
2006 Masters of Business Administration, Western Governors University, Salt Lake City, Utah
2008 National Security Fellow, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
2011 Joint Combined Warfare School, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
2014 Capstone, General/Flag Joint Officer Course, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 1991 - February 1991, Officer Training School, Academy of Military Science, Tenn.
2. March 1991 - March 1992, student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Columbus Air Force Base (AFB), Miss.
3. April 1992 - May 1992, student, Fighter Lead-in Training, Holloman AFB, N.M.
4. August 1992 - February 1993, student, F-16 Training, Klamath Falls, Ore.
5. February 1993 - March 1995, F-16 Pilot, 159th Fighter Squadron, Fla.
6. April 1995 - May 1995, F-15 Transition Course, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
7. June 1995 - January 1997, Standardization and Evaluation Pilot, Instructor Pilot, 125th Fighter Wing (FW), Fla.
8. February 1997 - December 1997, Wing Standardization and Evaluation, Instructor Pilot, 125th FW, Fla.
9. January 1998 - June 1998, U.S. Air Force Weapons School, F-15 Division, 57th FW, Nellis AFB, Nev.
10. August 1998 - August 2002, Chief of Wing Weapons and Tactics, Flight Examiner, 125th FW, Fla.
11. September 2002 - May 2003, Operations Officer, 159th Fighter Squadron, 125th FW, Fla.
12. June 2003 - May 2004, Commander, 125th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 125th FW, Fla.
13. June 2004 - May 2005, Wing Special Projects Officer, 125th FW, Fla.
14. June 2005 - June 2007, Chief of Wing Operations, 125th FW, Fla.
15. July 2007 - May 2008, National Security Fellow, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
16. June 2008 - November 2008, Division Chief, Chief of Staff U.S. Air Force Strategic Studies Group - “Checkmate,” Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
17. December 2008 - April 2009, Military Assistant - Department of Defense Transition Task Force, Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
18. May 2009 - April 2011, Chief of Staff and Senior Military Assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense, Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
20. April 2011 - January 2013, Commander, 144th FW, Calif.
21. January 2013 - July 2013, Deputy Coordinating Director, Rule of Law and Law Enforcement, U.S. Embassy, Kabul, Afghanistan
22. August 2013 - January 2014, Chief Combined Joint Staff, Operations (CJ-3), Headquarters International Security Assistance Force, Afghanistan
23. January 2014 - May 2015, Military Deputy, to The Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Department of State, Washington, D.C.
24. June 2015 – January 2019, Air Force Deputy Inspector General, Headquarters Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
25. February 2019 – present, Inspector General, Department of the Air Force, Headquarters Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 2009 - April 2011, Chief of Staff and Senior Military Assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense,
Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a colonel
2. January 2013 - July 2013, Deputy Director, Rule of Law and Law Enforcement, U.S. Embassy, Kabul, Afghanistan, as a brigadier general
3. August 2013 - January 2014, Chief Combined Joint Staff, Operations, (CJ-3), Headquarters International Security Assistance Force, Afghanistan, as a brigadier general
4. January 2014 - May 2015, Military Deputy, to The Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Department of State, Washington, D.C., as a brigadier general and major general
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: 2,200
Aircraft flown: F-15, F-16
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1991 Distinguished Graduate, the Academy of Military Science
1992 Distinguished Graduate, Undergraduate Pilot Training
1992 Air Training Command Commander's Trophy, Undergraduate Pilot Training
1992 Flying Training Award and Academic Award, Undergraduate Pilot Training
1992 Distinguished Graduate, F-16 Pilot Training
1992 Top Gun Award, F-16 Pilot Training
1992 Academic Award, F-16 Pilot Training
1993 Orville Wright Achievement Award, Order of Daedalians
1998 Outstanding Graduate, U.S. Air Force Weapons School, F-15 Division
1998 Academic Award, U.S. Air Force Weapons School, F-15 Division
2008 "Strategic Studies Quarterly" paper award, Air University
2015 Superior Honor Award, U.S. Department of State
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Feb. 14, 1991
First Lieutenant Feb. 28, 1993
Captain May 20, 1995
Major May 29, 1999
Lieutenant Colonel May 29, 2003
Colonel June 27, 2008
Brigadier General Jan. 4, 2013
Major General March 27, 2015
Lieutenant General Jan. 30, 2019
(Current as of February 2021)