Sami Dia Said (born 1964) is a retired lieutenant general in the United States Air Force, who last served as the Inspector General of the Air Force.[1] In this capacity, he reports to the Secretary of the Air Force, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and Chief of Space Operations on matters concerning Department of the Air Force readiness, efficiency and the military discipline of active duty, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard forces. He also provides inspection policy and oversees the inspection and evaluation system for all Department of the Air Force nuclear and conventional forces; oversees Department of the Air Force counterintelligence operations; investigates fraud, waste and abuse; oversees criminal investigations; and provides oversight of complaints resolution programs. Said is responsible for three field operating agencies: the Air Force Inspection Agency, the Office of Special Investigations, and the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center.

Sami D. Said
Born1964 (age 6162)
AllegianceUnited States
Branch
United States Air Force
Service years
1991–2022
Rank
Lieutenant General
Commands144th Fighter Wing
125th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
Conflicts
War in Afghanistan
AwardsAir Force Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal (2)
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal

Said is a command pilot with more than 2,200 hours in both the F-15 Eagle and the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Said's combat flying experience includes operations Northern Watch and Southern Watch. Said has commanded at the wing and squadron level. His staff and joint experience include assignments at Headquarters United States Air Force; the Office of the Secretary of Defense; Headquarters, International Security Assistance Force, Kabul, Afghanistan; Department of State, Washington, D.C. and U.S. Embassy, Kabul, Afghanistan. Prior to this assignment, Said was the Deputy Inspector General of the Air Force, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Arlington, Virginia.

Said is a 1986 graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.[1][2] Said also received his Master of Business Administration from the Western Governors University.[3]

As Air Force Inspector General, Lieutenant General Sami Said determined that the military’s domestic use of reconnaissance aircraft (RC-26 planes) during the summer 2020 protests was legal and not aimed at protestors.[4]

Said did not prosecute anyone for the U.S. military’s August 2021 drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan, that killed 10 civilians, including an aid worker and his children.[5]

Retirement

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Sami Said joined Raytheon Technologies’ Intelligence & Space business as vice president of global security in April 2022.[6]

Awards and decorations

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Effective dates of promotions

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Rank[1]Date
Second LieutenantFebruary 14, 1991
First LieutenantFebruary 28, 1993
CaptainMay 20, 1995
MajorMay 29, 1999
Lieutenant ColonelMay 29, 2003
ColonelJune 27, 2008
Brigadier GeneralJanuary 4, 2013
Major GeneralMarch 27, 2015
Lieutenant GeneralJanuary 31, 2019


References

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  1. 1 2 3 "Lieutenant General Sami D. Said (USAF)". United States Air Force. August 6, 2021. Archived from the original on August 6, 2021. Retrieved September 27, 2021. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. "Sami Dia Said". Military Times Hall of Valor. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  3. Official US Air Force Bio for Sami Said
  4. Schmitt, Eric (2020-08-22). "Military Surveillance Planes Didn't Spy on Protesters, Pentagon Report Finds". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
  5. Beynon, Steve (2021-11-03). "DoD Says Botched Afghanistan Airstrike in Final Days of War Was Due to Rushed, Poor Planning". Military.com. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
  6. "Raytheon Intelligence & Space names new Vice President of Global Security". Raytheon Intelligence & Space. April 4, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2023.