8 primary, 4 alternate officers tagged for DARPA program Published July 16, 2012 By Debbie Gildea Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas -- A dozen officers - eight primary and four alternate - have been selected for the fiscal 2013 Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Service Chiefs Program, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced. The program, which begins in September, exposes rising military officers to a unique organization which rapidly develops imaginative, innovative, and often high-risk research ideas, said Lt. Col. Cotina Jenkins-Sellers, AFPC officer developmental education branch chief. "Officers selected are highly motivated operational leaders who have exhibited clear potential to move into senior operational leadership positions," she said. As program participants, they provide valuable input into technology development efforts and continue to serve as liaisons between DARPA and their service after completion of their term, she explained. Primary participants include Lt. Col. Thomas Aranda, Air Force Global Strike Command; Lt. Col. Robert McMurry and Maj. Ryan Eddy, Air Combat Command; Maj. Joseph Beal, Pacific Air Forces; Maj. Paul Calhoun, Air Mobility Command; Maj. Nathan Diller and Maj. Timothy Spaulding, Air Force Materiel Command; and Maj. Christopher Raines, Air Force Space Command. Alternates, who will participate in the program if a primary is unable to do so, are Lt. Col. Jeffrey Carter, Strategic Command; Maj. Jeffrey LaFleur, Air Education and Training Command; Capt. Paul Hendrickson, AFGSC; and Capt Craig Van Beusekom, AETC. For more information about developmental opportunities and other personnel issues, go to myPers at https://mypers.af.mil.