Col. Christopher B. Sigler is the Commander of the 167th Wing of the West Virginia Air National Guard, Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport-Shepherd Field, Martinsburg. He leads an ANG Airlift Wing with 1,000 full-time and part-time military and civilian members as both military commander and Dual-Status Technician Air Commander. The wing’s four groups are tasked with the support and flying of global strategic airlift missions utilizing the C-17A Globemaster III.
Col. Sigler enlisted in the West Virginia Air National Guard on June 7, 1992. He served as an Air Transportation Specialist for the 167th Aerial Port Squadron and advanced to the rank of Staff Sergeant prior to being commissioned through the Air Force ROTC program at West Virginia University. He was commissioned directly into the West Virginia Air National Guard in December 1995. He graduated from Flight Screening at Hondo, Texas in 1996 and then graduated from Pilot Training at Columbus AFB, Miss., in 1997. He is a command pilot with over 6,300 hours in the C-130E/H3, C-5A/B, and C-17A aircraft. He also has type ratings in the Airbus 319/320 and the Boeing 757/767. He has several combat deployments and has flown over 200 combat sorties and 60 combat support sorties in support of Operations SHINING HOPE, SOUTHERN WATCH, JOINT FORGE, ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM, NEW DAWN, INHERENT RESOLVE, FREEDOM SENTINEL and ALLIES REFUGE.
Col. Sigler has served the 167th Airlift Wing in various statuses to include twelve years as a drill status guardsman, eight years as a technician and twelve years as an Active Guard Reserve member. He has served the 167th Airlift Wing as the Chief of Current Operations, Chief of Training, Chief of Tactics, Chief of Safety and the 167th Airlift Squadron Commander. Prior to his current position as, he was the 167th Operations Group Commander.
EDUCATION
1995 Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering, West Virginia University, Morgantown, W.Va.
2001 C-130 Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Course, St. Joseph, Mo.
2003 Squadron Officer School, by correspondence
2006 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2012 Mobility Electronic Combat Officer Course, St. Joseph, Mo.
2013 Air War College, by correspondence
2015 Air Reserve Component Chief of Safety Course, McGee Tyson ANGB, Tenn.
2015 Aircraft Mishap Investigation Course, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 1993 – March 1993, USAF Basic Military Training, Lackland AFB, Texas
2. March 1993 – April 1993, Air Transportation Specialist Technical School, Sheppard AFB, Texas
ASSIGNMENTS cont’d
3. June 1993 – July 1993, USAF ROTC Field Training, Lackland AFB, Texas
4. April 1996 – May 1996, Enhanced Flight Screening Program, T-3A, Hondo, Texas
5. July 1996 – July 1997, Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Columbus AFB, Miss.
6. August 1997 – December 1997, C-130 Copilot Mission Qualification, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
7. January 1998 – January 1998, Water Survival Training, Fairchild AFB, Wash.
8. January 1998 – February 1998, Combat Survival Training, Fairchild AFB, Wash.
9. September 1999 – November 1999, C-130 Aircraft Commander Initial Qualification, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
10. January 2002 – March 2006, Chief of Current Operations, 167th Operations Support Flight, Martinsburg, W.Va.
11. February 2005 – April 2005, C-130 Pilot Instructor Course, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
12. March 2006 – February 2012, Chief of Aircrew Training, 167th Operations Support Flight, Martinsburg, W.Va.
13. January 2007 – April 2007, C-5 Aircraft Commander Initial Qualification, Altus AFB, Okla.
14. May 2007 – May 2007, C-5 Aircraft Commander Air Refueling, Altus AFB, Okla.
15. September 2008 – September 2008, C-5 Instructor Pilot Course, Lackland AFB, Texas
16. February 2012 – June 2015, Chief of Tactics, 167th Operations Support Flight, Martinsburg, W.Va.
17. August 2014 – December 2014, C-17 Aircraft Commander Initial Qualification, Altus AFB, Okla.
18. June 2015 – July 2016, Chief of Safety, 167th Airlift Wing, Martinsburg, W.Va.
19. July2016 – March 2019, Squadron Commander, 167th Airlift Squadron, Martinsburg, W.Va.
20. March 2019 – February 2020, Commander, 167th Mission Support Group, Martinsburg, W.Va.
21. February 2020 – January 2025, Commander, 167th Operations Group, Martinsburg, W.Va. (May 2021 – August 2021, Commander, 385th Air Expeditionary Group, Al Udeid AB, Qatar)
22. January 2025 – present, Commander, 167th Airlift Wing, Martinsburg, W.Va
FLIGHT INFORMATION:
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: More than 6300
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-1A, C-130E, C-130H3, C-5A/B, C-17A
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters
Air Medal with Combat Device and three Oak Leaf Clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
Air and Space Achievement Medal
Gallant Unit Citation
Meritorious Unit Award
Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award with two Oak Leaf Clusters and Valor Device
Combat Readiness Medal
Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster
National Defense Service Medal with Service Star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Kosovo Campaign Medal with Service Star
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS)
National Guard Association of West Virginia (NGAWV)
EFFECTIVE DATE OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant December 21, 1995
First Lieutenant December 21, 1997
Captain March 10, 2000
Major February 09, 2005
Lieutenant Colonel March 14, 2012
Colonel May 01, 2019
(Current as of January 2025)