John I. Pray
{{short description|United States Air Force general}}
{{for|the Scottish footballer|Jack Pray}}
{{Infobox military person
|honorific_prefix =
|name = John Irving Pray
|honorific_suffix =
|image = John I. Pray, Jr.jpg
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|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|03|27}}
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|allegiance = {{Flag|United States}}
|branch = {{Air force|United States}}
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|rank = Brigadier General
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|commands = 89th Airlift Wing
436th Airlift Wing
305th Operations Group
8th Airlift Squadron
United States Special Operations Command
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|alma_mater = United States Air Force Academy
Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University
School of Advanced Air and Space Studies
Air War College
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John Irving Pray Jr.,{{cite book |url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/usafayearbooks/1980.pdf |title=Polaris |volume=22 |date=1980 |page=189 |publisher=U.S. Air Force Academy |access-date=2021-04-14}} Brig Gen, USAF (Ret) is the Chief Executive Officer and President of Operation Homefront. He was appointed to the position on May 18, 2015.[http://www.operationhomefront.net/pressrelease?id=4309 Unknown]{{Dead link|date=November 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{Cite web|url=http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/benefits/2015/05/14/retired-af-general-to-pilot-operation-homefront/27300417/|title = Retired Air Force general to pilot Operation Homefront|date = 14 May 2015}} Prior to joining Operation Homefront, he was the Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff for the USO.
Career
Pray served in the United States Air Force for 27 years. While in the USAF, he served in a number of key staff and command positions that included: the Director of the White House Situation Room;White House Press Release, January 3, 2008 Commander of the 89th Airlift Wing at Andrews AFB, MD; Commander of the 436th Airlift Wing at Dover AFB, MD;{{cite web |url=http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=9832 |title=Factsheets : Unknown Fact Sheet |website=www.afhra.af.mil |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322152101/http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=9832 |archive-date=2012-03-22}} the Deputy Executive Secretary of the U.S. National Security Council; Commander of the 305th Operations Group at McGuire AFB, NJ; Commander of the 8th Airlift Squadron at McChord AFB, WA and Executive Officer to the Commander, United States Special Operations Command at MacDill AFB, FL,.{{Cite web|url=https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/107918/brigadier-general-john-i-pray-jr/|title = Brigadier General John I. Pray Jr}} Pray is a Command Pilot with over 6,000 flying hours in numerous mobility and special operations aircraft. He retired from the Air Force in 2007.{{Cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/john-i-pray-jr|title=John I. Pray, Jr. | HuffPost|website=HuffPost}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.themreport.com/print-features/08-16-2016/homeward-bound-operation-homefront-helps-military-families|title = Homeward Bound: Operation Homefront Helps Military Families|date = 16 August 2016}}
After retiring from the United States Air Force (USAF), Pray served as the Executive Secretary of the National Security Council until January 2009 and then as Executive Vice President for the Systems Proposal and Engineering Company until joining the USO in July 2009.
While at the USO from July 2009 to April 2015, Pray led a broad range of initiatives in operations, marketing, communications, information technology, entertainment and strategy.
Education
John Pray holds a Bachelor's of Science degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy and master's degrees from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the School of Advanced Airpower Studies and the Air War College. He has also completed senior executive programs at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business, Harvard Business School and Wharton.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.operationhomefront.org www.operationhomefront.org]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pray, John I.}}
Category:People from Clearwater, Florida
Category:United States Air Force Academy alumni
Category:Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University alumni
Category:School of Advanced Air and Space Studies alumni
Category:Air War College alumni
Category:United States Air Force generals
Category:United Service Organizations