Craig Collins is a retired USAF officer and also a retired pilot of Continental Airlines. He came from a military family, his father retiring after 28 years of active USAF service. Craig attended the US Air Force Academy, graduated and was commissioned in June 1969. He completed pilot training in July 1970 and follow-on F-4 training in July 1971. His first operational assignment was at Da Nang Air Base, Republic of Viet Nam, where he flew 222 combat missions and amassed 379 combat flying hours in the F-4 from Jul 1971-July 1972. His post Viet Nam assignments were at Homestead AFB, FL and Nellis AFB, NV. He separated from active duty in Oct 1978 and began flying commercially for Continental Airlines. He was furloughed in October 1980 and re-entered the military as an F-4 pilot in the Air Force Reserve and later as an F-16 pilot with the same unit in Austin, TX. In 1985 he was recalled from his furlough with Continental and continued his airline career until his mandatory age 60 retirement in 2006. He simultaneously continued his Air Force Reserve career until his retirement in June 2007, having served in the military for 36 years.