Our leaders

Dan Laguna, CW4, US Army (Retired) - Co-owner

Dan Laguna is one of the most experienced combat aviators in the world. He retired from the Army as a CW4 and a B Company Flight Lead and Instructor Pilot in the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. Previously he was a Special Forces Green Beret assigned to an A Team in the 7th Special Forces Group in Panama.

He was later assigned to a new unit called Charlie 3/7 (precursor unit to today's Delta Force) in Panama that performed special missions in Central and South America. Later he was assigned to the Special Operations Warfare School at Ft. Bragg, NC as a Survival Instructor at Camp McCall.

Dan's medals include the Air Medal in Desert Storm, Legion of Merit, Silver Star awarded by Poland, Master Parachutist, Combat Diver, Special Forces Tab, Drill Instructor Badge, Expert Infantry Badge, Master Aviator Wings, and numerous other awards.

Upon retiring from the United States Army he was awarded the Saint Michaels Bronze Award for Courage, Justice, Gallantry and Excellence in Aviation. While serving as Blackwater's Program Manager in Iraq, Dan is the only American to be awarded the Polish Silver Star - for bravery in action while saving the Polish Ambassador.

Dan has also served as the advisor to Jordan's King Abdullah as well as the primary advisor to Afghanistan's Special Special Mission Wing (SMW)--Afghanistan's Special Operations Aviation unit. He was also the military advisor to the television series VALOR.

Dan is an author and has written a book about his experiences. Read his book "You Have to Live Hard to Be Hard."

Stephen Schiller, Colonel, US Army (Retired) - Co-owner

Steve is one of the most combat experienced Army Special Operations leaders of the modern era. He has served in almost every conflict from the first gulf war to modern Iraq & Afghanistan. He understands people, what drives them and how to drive them as a team. He knows that a team of well-led and empowered people do far better than even the most accomplished individual manger and leader. Steve's dynamic leadership and unmatched understanding of creating organizational agility was key to his battlefield successes during the invasion of Iraq and multiple tours throughout the globe.

Raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Steve graduated from Missouri Western State University in 1986 where he was commissioned a second lieutenant in aviation. Since then, Stephen has served in various command and staff positions throughout the Army and Special Operations. He has served three tours in Iraq, and two tours in Afghanistan, including command of 2-17th Cavalry Regiment under General Petraeus during the initial invasion of Iraq. Stephen spent eleven years of his career in the renowned 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, where he culminated his Army career by commanding Task Force 1-160 from 2004 – 2006; leading countless classified missions under General McCrystal in the war on terror.

Since retiring from the Army, Stephen has worked as an Investment Advisor for a New York Investment firm; advised Jordan's King Abdullah II and the United Arab Emirates in forming and training their country's Special Operations Aviation units; and also served as a professor of Dynamic Leadership at Vanderbilt University.

Stephen holds a Masters in Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He was awarded the Silver Star for heroism, as well as two Distinguished Flying Crosses, two Bronze Stars, seven Air Medals, one w/ Valor, the Army Commendation Medal w/ Valor, and the Purple Heart. Stephen is also a Master Army Aviator.

Read about Steve and his leadership during the Iraq invasion in Jimmy Blackmon's book "Cowboys Over Iraq".

Chris Laguna - Co-owner

Certified Flight Instructor

Manny Diwa, Lieutenant Colonel, US Army (Retired) - Director, Aviation Logistics

“Manny” is a former US Army combat engineer non-commissioned officer and retired Special Operations Aviation qualified officer with over thirty years’ experience as an aviator, combat logistician, test pilot, program manager, and board director.

Having served in each of the three original battalions of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, USASOC’s Directorate of Special Operations Aviation, SOCKOR, forward deployed JSOACs, the only commander of a VCSA directed Aviation Foreign Internal Defense battalion, the first SOF Air Director for NATO Special Operations Headquarters, he is uniquely experienced in all aspects of building aviation enterprises of organizations and partner nation defense forces and law enforcement agencies.

With multiple tours to conflict areas of South and Central America, Afghanistan, Iraq, the African continent and Asia, he has performed various critical roles as task force commander; air and ground contingency logistics operations in support of SMUs; tactical and operational air-ground advisor; adjunct faculty at the Joint Special Operations University; strategic advisor to a Western African Air Force Chief of Staff; and forward deployed aviation program manager.

Apart from his work in government contracting, Manny served abroad in the international oil, gas and mining, security services and commercial fishing industries as Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Global Operations and as board director. He is also CEO of SKO AvFID Consulting Group Inc.

Manny hold a bachelor’s degree in law/legal studies from the University of California at Berkeley, a Master of Science degree in Defense Analysis with emphasis in Irregular Warfare from the Naval Postgraduate School. Manny is also uniquely qualified in non-standard fixed and rotary wing aircraft and sUAS. He is a certified PMP and CBCP in good standing and volunteers with the disaster response organization, Team Rubicon.

Hakeem Al Saleem - Colonel, Iraq Air Force (Retired) -Aviation Logistics Manager

Hakeem is one of the most experienced veterans in army contracting operations. He served as a colonel for the Iraqi Air force until 2003. He has vast experience in contracting and has experience in every phase of contract development to negotiating the terms to the printed and signed document. He collaborates and drafts documents and prepares Construction Contracts, Resolve Defects and Disputes, Secure Payment Enforcement. He also has extensive experience in Domestic and Global Contracts Management, including review, redlining, vetting, negotiation, general compliance, advisory and handling entire life contract life cycle. He understands people and the culture of each area that under his command, and works to drive them to work as a team.

Raised in Baghdad, Iraq, Hakeem graduated in 1987 from Queen Mary College, University of London, United Kingdom, with an upper-Class Honor Degree in Avionics and Aerospace Design. In addition, Hakeem has a BSC Honor Degree in English literature and Translation from the University of Mosul, College of Arts, Nineveh Province, Iraq. He also holds a JMB degree from Oxford University, UK.

After 2003, Hakeem worked with the 101st Brigade under 2-17th Cavalry Regiment under General Petraeus during the initial invasion of Iraq as translator for Colonel Stephen Schiller for few months before he took the command of the Base Security Iraqi Force as QWest Airfield manager for QWest Base in Qayyarah for the 101st Airborne Division. There, LTG Hodges assigned Hakeem to work with 101st team in Qayaara/ Iraq as the CMOC Manager/Coordinator which helped assign jobs for the local nationals in the area and established new work position for all the locals in that area south of Mosul.

Hakeem has served in various command and positions for 3-17 Cav, throughout the Army and Special Operations. Hakeem served as the Force protection manager for the security company EODT and conduct many security and training operations. He has served as the commander for department of public work, and conducted special contracting operation for General Petraeus in 2007. He also served as special contracting operations with LT. General Becker. He has vast experience in contracting with the US Government contracts, all United Nations Agencies, FAO, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNOPS, UNDP, UNIFIL, UNESCO, OSCE, UNRWA, WHO, UNMAS, ICAO and Many other NGO’s contracts. He was able to accomplish complex contracts in UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, North East part of Syria, Iraq and many other countries in the region.

Hakeem has many medals and recommendation from the US government for all the accomplishment that he has achieved with the US Army.