Chad Cheat Fager

About Chad Cheat Fager

The teams I lead ensure engineering prowess translates into tangible results for critical defense programs. My leadership in technical and program management leverages a strategic approach to problem-solving and customer relationship management, with interactions that consistently resonate with team members, stakeholders and defense community leaders.Throughout my career in leadership, I have been at the forefront of high-profile programs and initiatives, leading teams of 30 – 800+, managing multimillion dollar budgets and billion dollar assets within challenging environments. In addition to those accomplishments, I am passionate about building teams and relationships.As an L-code leader at Lockheed Martin, Senior Program Manager at Raytheon, and Air Force Squadron Commander, I sought to improve the organizations and help people improve themselves. At Raytheon I won a campus wide award for “Engaging and Empowering the Team”. In my active-duty Air Force career, I won awards as “Volunteer of the Year” for efforts in supporting youth programs. • Developing People – 5 NCOs into Officer Training School while Sq/CC, 5 Interns to permanent jobs while at LM and 3 while at Raytheon. I helped achieve promotions for many of my team members; for example on the Raytheon GGA team, we got 7 of 30 team members promoted. Over the years, I coached dozens of hard-working, deserving personnel awarded degrees, certifications, and promotions!• Compassionate Mentor; I currently formally mentor almost a dozen people at my current company, former company, the US Air Force and other walks of life. The group is a varied group, from new folks starting their careers to senior workers trying to improve their lives.• Passionate about technology advancement and data leveraging. From Aviator-Operator to designing and building complex integrated systems, I have led teams by infusing them with this same desire to make an impactful difference through technology. Solving big problems using intellect.

Experience

1. Principal Software Engineer

   Lockheed Martin

   Oct 2025 — Present · Littleton, CO, US

   Program; Space Protection Programs (SPP)

Education

• DoD- Executive Leadership Development Program

  Certificate, Leadership

  2009 — 2010

• Flight Safety Officer Course (FSO)

  Flight Safety Officer Certificate, Flight Safety

  2000 — 2000

• Naval and Marine Aviation Electronic Warfare Officer Course

  Certificate of Graduation, Cyber/Electronic Operations and Warfare

  1996 — 1997

• USAF Air Command and Staff College

  Master's Degree, Political and Military Studies

  2006 — 2007

• USAF Undergraduate Navigator Training

  Certificate of Aeronautical Rating, Navigator

  1996 — 1996

• Loveland High School

  High School Diploma, General

  1988 — 1991

• Central Michigan University

  Master's degree, Management Information Systems

  1998 — 2001

• USAF Weapons School

  Patch, B-52 Employment

  2001 — 2001

• United States Air Force Academy

  Bachelor of Science - BS, Mechanical Engineering

  1991 — 1995

• USAF Air War College

  Certificate, Political Military Relations

  2009 — 2010