Progress, Potential, and Possibilities Podcast / Show Colonel Nathan Diller - AFWERX - US Air Force - Dual Use Innovation For The Service & Private Sector
Colonel Nathan P. Diller (https://www.afrl.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/2856964/nathan-p-diller/) is the Director of AFWERX (https://www.afwerx.af.mil/), a United States Air Force program with the goal of fostering a culture of innovation within the service, and developing effective solutions to the challenges facing the service through partnerships with private sector business entities, with particular emphasis being placed on collaboration with technology startups. Colonel Diller received his commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2000. After simultaneous Masters’ at Harvard (in International Security Policy) and MIT (in Aerospace Engineering), he attended Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training and flew F-16s for two Combat Air Force assignments, becoming an instructor pilot. He was selected for the French Test Pilot school and then completed his first test tour at Edwards AFB, supporting B-1, B-2, F-16, F-22 and F-35 flight test and instructing at the Test Pilot School. He served as an Executive Officer to the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board and as a Defense Advanced Research Project Agency Service Chiefs Fellow. Upon completing a program management tour at the Space and Missile Center, Colonel Diller took command of the 586th Flight Test Squadron, supervising classified flight test for joint, interagency and international clients. After graduating from the National Defense University, Eisenhower School Senior Acquisition Course, Colonel Diller served as the Chief of the Air and Space Branch, Force Application Division, then Chief of the Joint Force Integration Cell, Joint Staff J8. Following that assignment, he was the Air Force Advisor to Office of the Secretary of Defense Strategic Capabilities and Rapid Capabilities Office. Additionally, he was detailed as the Assistant Director of Aeronautics at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Colonel Diller is a member of the Acquisition Corps and is certified as a Level III Program Manager and Test professional. He is a senior pilot with over 2,700 hours in more than 60 aircraft.