MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- Maj. Gen. Claire Lee Chennault was a pioneering U.S. Army Air Corps officer and leader of the legendary “Flying Tigers” during WWII. In the 1930s, Chennault served as an instructor at the Air Corps Tactical School at Maxwell Field, now known as Maxwell Air Force Base, advocating for fighter aircraft tactics and defense that became instrumental in the Second World War.
As the great-great-nephew of the famed WWII aviator, Staff Sgt. James A. Chennault, 773rd Logistics Readiness Squadron deployment operations noncommissioned officer in charge, recently attended the Contingency Wartime Planning Course at Maxwell, learning about the fundamentals of joint and Air Force operational planning to prepare for crisis and wartime mission execution.
“What I enjoy most about my career is the ability to network across all career fields,” Chennault said. “Being a logistics planner, we have the opportunity to work with every entity on an installation, other major commands, and other countries to successfully deploy personnel and cargo. CWPC was very informative and eye-opening, and answered all the questions I had coming in.”
Chennault is responsible for planning contingency and standard deployments and redeployment operations for multiple joint operations for two higher headquarters, three wings, 15 tenant units, and the 11th Airborne Division. Coordinating the movement of troops and cargo across the globe is not just managing logistics — Chennault is honoring a legacy.
“The following excerpt from my great-great-uncle’s book, Way of a Fighter, best reflects what he believed in most: ‘I never run from a fight,’” said Chennault. “One of the most important things to Claire was defending people who couldn’t defend themselves.”
Chennault cherishes his family connection to military service and takes pride in the work he does supporting the U.S. Air Force mission.
Chennault grew up in Natchitoches, Louisiana, where he graduated from Natchitoches Central High School in December 2017. He enlisted in the Air Force August 2018, and upon graduating technical training, Chennault began serving in the deployments flight and plans and programs flight at Beale AFB, California, from 2018 to 2023. During his time at Beale, Chennault deployed as a logistics planner to Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Inherent Resolve. In 2023, he was diverted from Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, to Daegu Air Base, Republic of Korea, where he filled a senior NCO billet as a senior airman.
Chennault hopes to continue his Air Force career by commissioning, currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in transportation and logistics management at the American Military University.