PORTLAND, Ore. -- On February 3, 2026, President Trump officially proclaimed the month as National Black History Month. View the proclamation here.
Black Americans have served in Oregon military aviation since the World War II era, helping to build a rich aviation history in the state which reflects dedication to service in community, state and nation.
This year, 2026, also marks the 25th anniversary of 9/11. On that tragic day, the 142nd Fighter Wing, today’s 142nd Wing, mustered a rapid response to the sudden crisis thrust upon the United States. And the commander of the wing was then-Colonel Garry C. Dean, the first black American to become an Oregon Air National Guard fighter pilot, to be promoted to Colonel and to command Oregon’s largest military aviation unit. Colonel Dean eventually became Oregon’s first black Major General and completed a long and distinguished military career lasting over 30 years.
We should note that Oregon’s first black fighter pilot was Portland-native Robert W. Deiz, who served in World War II and the Cold War. He flew 93 combat missions with the 99th Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group (Red Tails) 1943-1944 and achieved two aerial victories; his story is worth its own telling.
Active Duty
Maj. Gen. Garry C. Dean is a 1978 Air Force Academy graduate who majored in Computer Science, and earned his wings flying the T-37 and T-38 in Undergraduate Pilot Training at Reese AFB, Texas in December, 1979. After a stint as T-38 Instructor Pilot at Reese, he transitioned into the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle at Luke AFB, Arizona.
By March, 1984 then-Captain Dean began operational service overseas in the F-15C with the 12th Tactical Fighter Squadron (12th TFS) at Kadena Air Base, Japan. He then served with the 94th TFS at Langley AFB, Virginia from September 1985 to August 1987.
Air National Guard
Later that year, he left active duty and joined the Georgia ANG’s 128th TFS at Dobbins AFB where he continued to fly the F-15. In early 1990, Capt. Dean headed west for duty with the Oregon Air National Guard.
Oregon ANG
Here in Oregon, Maj. Gen. Dean served at squadron, and wing level and was promoted to increasing levels of responsibility through the 1990s and much of the 2000s. He served as a traditional Guardsman, flew commercial airline aircraft such as the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 for Delta Airlines on Pacific routes. His career progression in Oregon can be seen in this recap of his duty positions at Portland and then at Salem:
March 1990 - March 1992, F-15 Instructor Pilot, 123rd Fighter Interceptor Squadron
March 1992 - September 1994, Quality Assurance Officer and Chief Functional Check Pilot, 142nd Aircraft Generation Squadron
May 1992 - Promoted to Major
September 1994 - October 1995, Flight Commander, 123rd Fighter Squadron
October 1995 - October 1997, Chief of Safety, Headquarters 142nd Fighter Wing
July 1996 - Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel
October 1997 - October 1998, Commander, 142nd Aircraft Generation Squadron
October 1998 - January 2000, Commander, 123rd Fighter Squadron
January 2000 - January 2001, Vice Commander, 142nd Fighter Wing
October 2000 - Promoted to Colonel
January 2001 - June 2003, Commander, 142nd Fighter Wing
At his assumption of command, Col. Dean stated in his message to the wing that “Our mission and goal is to provide vision, leadership and direction to fulfill our unit’s mission to maintain the readiness needed to sustain air superiority and peacetime tasking any time, any place, in our service to our nation, this state and our communities.”
The “any time, any place” came all too soon and Col. Dean fulfilled his duty precisely this way less than seven months later when 9/11 took place. He directed the 1,000-member wing’s rapid and effective response to the crisis situation with its 18 F-15s, assuring aerospace control of the northwestern continental United States in an uncertain security environment. The wing generated the most combat-loaded jets into alert status within the first 24 hours after the terrorist attacks of all stateside fighter units. Read more about the wing’s response that day in “The 142nd Fighter Wing Remembers 9/11” here.
Challenges persisted in the aftermath of 9/11, with 24/7 combat air patrols defending key western cities and facilities as Operation Noble Eagle commenced. Some 500 of the wing’s Airmen were mobilized in support of this operation and ongoing Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom in Southwest Asia. During his tenure, the wing became the first ANG F-15 wing to achieve 60,000 major accident-free flying hours in the Eagle.
In his farewell remarks after he completed his wing command tour, Col. Dean said “My role was simple in aiming the unit forward with our priorities of MISSION, PEOPLE, COMMUNICATION, and RESPECT. I give my personal thanks to my strong group and squadron leadership, who ensured we’re all going in the same direction. But it was you, the dedicated warriors of the 142d FW that I salute for your professionalism, teamwork, and spirit of excellence that resulted in us meeting and succeeding every challenge we faced.”
Above Wing-Level
Following his service in the 142nd Fighter Wing, Col. Dean moved up to Oregon National Guard headquarters, and soon became a general officer. The following recaps his post-wing service:
June 2003 - July 2006, State Director of Operations, Joint Force Headquarters - Air, Salem, Oregon
May 2006 - Promoted to Brigadier General
July 2006 - January 2008, Assistant Adjutant General - Air, Joint Force Headquarters, Salem, Oregon; dual-hatted, June 2006 - January 2008, Air National Guard Assistant to the Commander, First Air Force, Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida
In February 2008 Brig. Gen. Dean became the Deputy Inspector General of the Air Force. He was promoted to Major General on December 5, 2008. In November 2009 he assumed command of First Air Force, responsible for the aerospace control and air defense of the continental United States, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Maj. Gen. Dean served overseas again, from October 2011 to October 2013, this time over in Europe in a joint assignment as Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, for Allied Joint Forces Command in Naples, Italy.
In his last duty assignment, from October 2013 to December 2015, Maj. Gen. Dean served as the Special Assistant to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau and Acting Director of the National Guard Bureau Joint Staff, at the Pentagon in Washington, District of Columbia. There he oversaw and directed Army and Air National Guard policy, missions and operations in 54 states, territories, and the District of Columbia.
Maj. Gen. Dean retired from military service at Portland ANG Base in a ceremony held on December 6, 2015. As a command pilot, he accrued over 4,000 flight hours, mostly in the F-15. His distinguished service is an American success story, and reflects his hard work and dedication to duty in a military career spanning over three decades.
During this National Black History Month observation, we salute Maj. Gen. Garry C. Dean and thank him for his long service to community, state and nation. May Americans of every color, race and creed be inspired by his example and contributions to our freedom and way of life.