Advisor overview
Brigadier General Fred P. Lewis, Ret., advises Apache-3 Inc. at the board level. His experience spans Air Force headquarters, joint-command operations, weather and information-management leadership, and three decades of service from his 1972 commission through his retirement in 2000.
Air Force Weather leadership
As Director of Weather, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., Brig. Gen. Lewis was responsible for doctrine, policy, requirements, and standards for weather support to the Air Force, Army, designated specified commands, and national programs. He led a wall-to-wall, total-force re-engineering of the Air Force's weather functional area to significantly improve weather support for operators worldwide.
Joint Transportation Corporate Information Management Center
As Director of the Joint Transportation Corporate Information Management Center at U.S. Transportation Command, he led work to improve defense transportation system efficiency and effectiveness through process-improvement techniques and enhanced automated systems capabilities.
Command experience
Commanded the 26th Weather Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana (1987-1989) and the 1500th Computer Systems Group at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois (1990-1992). Earlier roles included automated program designer at Air Force Global Weather Central (Offutt AFB), officer-in-charge assignments in numerical forecasting, and tours in South Korea, Nebraska, and Illinois.
Space shuttle selection
In December 1985, Brig. Gen. Lewis became the first Air Force weather officer selected for space shuttle duty. He never flew due to the Challenger disaster in January 1986 and the subsequent restructuring of the shuttle program.
Education
Bachelor of Science in Physics, University of Arizona (1972). Basic Meteorology Program, University of Utah (1973). Ph.D. in Meteorology, University of Utah (1979). Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama (1980). Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Virginia (1984). Air War College, Maxwell AFB (1990).
Major military awards and decorations
Defense Superior Service Medal. Legion of Merit. Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters. Air Force Commendation Medal.
Promotion timeline
Second Lieutenant — 26 January 1972. First Lieutenant — 26 July 1974. Captain — 26 July 1976. Major — 1 October 1983. Lieutenant Colonel — 1 March 1986. Colonel — 1 October 1989. Brigadier General — 1 September 1996. Retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2000.