Kira Coffey

Lieutenant Colonel Kira Coffey is an Air Force National Defense Fellow and a research fellow at the Belfer Center’s International Security Program at Harvard Kennedy School. Her research focuses on whole-of-nation organization and action to effectively compete in Great Power Competition.  

Kira is an 18-year Air Force officer and combat pilot with over 2,700 hours in operational flying and extensive engagement across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific in C-130J and KC-10 aircraft. She speaks Mandarin Chinese and German.  She holds master’s degrees in International Relations, Military Operations – Joint Warfare Concentration, and an MBA.

Kira has spent half her career gaining broad and in-depth military experience in the Indo-Pacific. She is a graduate of the DOD’s Olmsted Scholar Program where she immersed for 2 years in Guangzhou, China and traveled the region extensively while earning an MBA from a top-tier Chinese university.  After a year as a strategic planner at headquarters, Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), she was selected to be the Aide-de-Camp to the Commander of INDOPACOM, the highest-ranking military member in charge of the Indo-Pacific region, where she directly supported and advised him on national security policy and strategy for another 2 years. Most recently, Kira was the commander of U.S. Pacific Air Force’s sole tactical airlift squadron—located near Tokyo, Japan—where she was responsible for the readiness and employment of 160 aircrew and over $1 billion in aircraft assets to effect tactical-level execution of INDOPACOM’s Campaign Plan and OPLANs.  She is a respected voice in the Air Force on Great Power Competition.