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Air Marshal Paul Dike hails from Issele-Uku in
Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta
State. He had his primary education at St
Barnabas Primary School,
Ilorin
and then went to Ogbomosho Grammar School, Oyo
state. Paul joined the Nigerian Defence Academy
on 22 January 1973 as an officer cadet. He was
granted a regular combatant commission into the
Nigerian Air Force as Pilot Officer on 21 June
1975.
PROMOTION LADDER
Pilot Officer Paul Dike was promoted
Flying Officer on 22 January 19 77
and became Flight Lieutenant on 22
January 1981. By 22 July 1985, Paul
Dike was promoted to the rank of
Squadron Leader. Six year later, on
22 January 1991, he became a Wing
Commander. He was promoted to the
rank of Group Captain on 22 January
1996. Thereafter, he attained the
rank of Air Commodore on 22 January
2001, the rank he held until 22
January 2004 when he was elevated to
the rank of Air Vice Marshal.
The 15th Chief of the Air
Staff (CAS) was promoted to Air
Marshal on 30 May 2006, the same day
he was appointed CAS.
COURSES ATTENDED
Air Marshal Dike attended several
courses at home and abroad. Some of
these include, Primary Flying
Training at 301 Flying Training
School, Kaduna on the Piaggio and
Bulldog Aircraft and thereafter
proceeded to Vance Air Force Base,
Oklahoma in the United States for
the Undergraduate Pilot Training.
Subsequently, he went back for the
Instructor Pilot Training at
Randolph Air Force Base, San
Antonio, Texas. He is a graduate of
the Air Command and Staff College,
Alabama, USA. The Chief of the Air
Staff also attended the MB -339
Tactical Conversion Course and the
L-39 Tactical Recurrency Training in
Italy and Czechoslovakia
respectively. Thereafter, he
proceeded to National War College,
Abuja. Air Marshal Dike has flown
several combat aircraft in the
Nigerian Air Force inventory and
abroad. Some of these include,
Piaggio, Bulldog, Cessna, T-37 Jet
Trainer, T-38 Super Sonic, Mig 15,
Mig 17, Mig 21, L-29, L-39, MB-339,
and the Alpha Jet.
APPOINTMENTS HELD
Air Marshal Paul Dike has held
several appointments. He was the
Staff Officer (1) Operations,
Headquarters, Tactical Air Command.
Later, he became an Instructor Pilot
at the Operational Conversion Unit
of Mig 21, a position which enabled
him to be involved in so many
Armed Recce Operations in
sustenance of our National Defence
Objectives, Subsequently, he moved
to 303 Flying Training School, Kano
as the Chief Flying Instructor.
Thereafter, he was appointed
Commander, NAF station Yola and
later deployed as Commander ECOMOG
Air Detachment in Freetown, Sierra
Leone. On completion of his tour of
duty, he moved to Armed Forces
Command and Staff College, Jaji as a
Directing Staff.
Air Marshal Dike was also the
Commander, National Air Defence
Corps and Airport Commandant,
Murtala Mohammed International
Airport, Lagos. He was later
appointed Deputy Director, Plans at
Headquarters, Nigerian Air
Force. Thereafter, he was posted to
303 Flying Training School, Kano as
Commander. Subsequently, he was
appointed Commander, Presidential
Air Fleet. He was the Director of
Operations at Headquarters, Nigerian
Air Force and later moved to
Headquarters, Training Command,
Kaduna as the Air Officer
Commanding. From Kaduna, Air
Marshal Paul Dike was posted to
Tactical Air Command, Makurdi as the
Air Officer Commanding, a position
he held until 30 May 2006 when he
was appointed the 15th Chief of the
Air Staff.
HONOURS AND DECORATIONS
Air Marshal Paul Dike is the
recipient of the National Honour of
the Commander of the Federal Republic
(CFR). He was given the most
outstanding Air Force Officer award
for 1996 and the Chief of the Air
Staff award for excellence at the
National War College, Abuja. Some
other medals and decorations
received by the Air Marshal Paul
Dike include: FSS, MSS DSS psc (+)
fwc. He also holds a Masters Degree
(Msc) in Strategic Studies from the
University of Ibadan.
HOBBY
He is a keen Tennis player.
MARITAL STATUS
The CAS is happily married.
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