Lippert, to Central New York this semester. Born in Illinois, Lippert grew up in Colorado and has adopted Mandeville, Louisiana, as his unofficial hometown. Lippert is an identical twin. His brother is also a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force. Joining him in Syracuse is his wife, a prior service pilot, and their three children, two boys and a girl, 10, eight, and six.
Lippert was previously stationed at Royal Air Force (RAF) Lakenheath, an air base near the village of Lakenheath in Suffolk, England. In addition to flying the F-15E Strike Eagle, he served in numerous positions with the most recent being the 48th Operations Support Squadron commander. In that role, he was responsible for over 230 airmen, civilians and contractors that kept the airfield open and supported members of the three fighter squadrons.
For Lippert, flying the F-15E Strike Eagle was fulfilling a dream he has had since the seventh grade. After graduating high school Lippert attended the US Air Force Academy and was lucky enough to be selected for pilot training. He learned to fly at Columbus Air Force base in Mississippi. And after a year of training, he was selected to remain as an instructor pilot. Over the course of his career, he has taught hundreds of airmen how to fly.
Lippert says the best pilots embrace the role of a lifelong learner. “As we get into education, we start finding that we never stop learning,” says Lippert. “I think successful Air Force officers and enlisted leaders are lifelong learners because they realize that they don’t have all the answers.”