Combat Forensics: Aircraft Crash Investigations in a War Zone

Gary Chavez was an Aerospace Engineer in the Air Force for 20 years, retiring as a Major in 2016. He deployed to Iraq in 2005 as a member of the Joint Combat Assessment Team (JCAT). This team investigated downed aircraft, using engineering and forensic analysis to determine if the incident was caused by adversary actions and, if so, what weapons and tactics were used. Gary’s presentation includes highlights of several crash investigations, the science behind combat forensics, and an overview of daily life in a war zone.