Lieutenant Colonel Alexander “GUNSHOW” Chesney is an F-15E Weapon Systems Officer with over 1,000 flight hours—including more than 400 in combat supporting Operation INHERENT RESOLVE. He currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Economics and Director of Research for the Office of Labor and Economic Analysis (OLEA) at the United States Air Force Academy. His research spans public, labor, and education economics, with a focus on human capital investment and employee retention.

Lieutenant Colonel Chesney previously served as a Senior Economist on detail to the White House Council of Economic Advisers, where he contributed to the Economic Report of the President and provided policy analysis on various national security topics. Prior to that, he was a student at the U.S. Marine Corps School of Advanced Warfighting and was trained as a joint planner.

2025 School of Advanced Warfighting, Marine Corps University, Quantico, Va.

2023 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala, by correspondence

2022 Ph.D., Economics, University of California, Davis, Calif.

2015 Distinguished Graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.

2012 M.A., Economics, San Diego State University, Calif.

2011 Distinguished Graduate, Bachelor of Science, Operations Research, U. S. Air Force Academy, Colo.

Assistant Professor of Economics and Director of Research, Office of Labor and Economic Analysis (OLEA), Department of Economics & Geosciences, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. (September 2025 – Present)

Senior Economist, Council of Economic Advisers, Executive Office of the President, Washington, DC (June 2025 – September 2025)

Student, School of Advanced Warfighting, Marine Corps University, Quantico, Va. (June 2024 – June 2025)

Director of Staff and F-15E Instructor, 366th Operations Group, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho (June 2023 – May 2024)

Assistant Director of Operations and Deployment Project Officer, 391st Fighter Squadron, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho (September 2022 – June 2023)

Student, Chief of Staff of the Air Force Strategic Ph.D. Program, University of California, Davis, Calif. (September 2019 – September 2022)

Flight Commander and F-15E Instructor and Mission Commander, 492d Fighter Squadron, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, United Kingdom (June 2018 – August 2019)

Executive Officer, 366th Operations Support Squadron, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho (September 2017 – June 2018)

Chief of Mobility, 389th Fighter Squadron, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho (September 2016 – September 2017)

Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf clusters

Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters

Aerial Achievement Medal

Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters

Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal

Combat Readiness Medal

National Defense Service Medal

Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon

Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal

Global War on Terrorism Service Medal