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Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Michael Samson- Oje, the incoming Chief of Air Staff was commissioned into Air Branch of the Ghana Air Force on 16th June 1978. He started as a Squadron Pilot with the Number two Squadron at the Air Force Station in Tamale in June 1978. He held various appointments during the course of his progression including the Communication Squadron Commander, Officer Commanding the Flying Wing at the Air Force Base in Accra, Director of Air Intelligence and Air Secretary with additional responsibilities for Air Operations. He also served with the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) in former Yugoslavia as a Military Observer/Air Field Monitor from December 1992 to December 1993. He was a member of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) board from July 31, 2007 to January31, 2009. AVM Samson-Oje is currently the Chief of Air Staff of the Ghana Air Force where he is responsible to the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Force for all administrative and operational matters with regards to Ghana Air Force. Prior to this appointment, AVM Samson-Oje also served as the Station Commander, Air Force Station, Takoradi. AVM Samson-Oje, who is a senior Air Force Pilot, has flown various aircraft types including Gulf Stream 111, Fokker 27, Cessna Citation 500, Saab Safir, and Cessna 150 and lodged over 10,000 flying hours. The new Chief of Air Staff is a graduate of the Air University/Air War College in Montgomery Alabama, USA, the National Defence University, Washington D.C, and the Command and staff College, Jaji, Nigeria. He currently holds a Masters Degree in National Security and Strategic Studies, a Diploma in Counter-Terrorism and an Air Transport Pilot Licence. Among his outstanding academic and professional performances, he was awarded the Distinguished Graduate Award during the Counterterrorism course in 2004. AVM Samson-Oje is married to Margret Monney and both have been blessed with four children, two girls and two boys. His hobbies are keeping abreast with contemporary issues, watching the English Premier League, the Discovery and History Channels and exercising in the gym. He had his General Certificate Education (GCE), Ordinary Level education in Tamale Secondary School from 1967 to 1972 and proceeded to Navrongo Secondary School to pursue GCE, Advance Level from 1972 to 1974. AVM Samson-Oje attended Flying Training School in Takoradi from February 1972 to August 1976, subsequently went to Royal Netherlands Civil Flying School (RLS), Eelde, Holland, in August 1976 and completed in June 1978. He further pursued Fokker 27 Ground Course for Pilots at Fokker Services, Amsterdam, Holland, from October to November 1979, and went ahead to undergo Fokker 27 Pilot Conversion Course at Air Force Station in Takoradi from February to March 1980. AVM Samson-Oje again went for Fokker 28 Pilot Conversion Training Course, Fokker Services, Amsterdam, Holland, in October to November 1986 as well as Fokker 28 Pilot Conversion Training at Air Force Station, Accra, from March to April 1987. He was also enrolled into the Ghana Armed Forces Staff College, Junior Division, from August to December 1987 and later attended Command and Staff College, Senior Division, at Jaji in Nigeria from August 1991 to August 1992. The new Chief of Air Staff also attended a course in Gulf Stream 111 Ground and Simulator at Flight Safety Savannah in USA in 1999 and in July 2000 went for Air Transport Pilots License (ATPL), Flight Safety International at Vero Beach, USA. AVM Samson-Oje also attended the School of National Security Education at National Defence University in Washington D.C from December 2003 to August 2004 and subsequently, went to Air War College, Air University, Montgomery, USA from June 2005 to June 2006. AVM Samson-Oje professional qualifications are as follows: Military: awc (USA 2005), PSC (Nigeria 1993, JSC (1987) and Masters Degree in National Security and Strategic studies; Counterterrorism Fellowship-Certificate Diploma, ATPL; Type rating on the G111, Fokker 27, Fokker 28 Aircraft; Flying experience- over 10,000 hours on various aircraft types. He has received major awards and honours which includes Long Service and Efficiency Medal; Unprofor Medal; 1979 Revolution Medal and December 1981 Revolution Medal.