Doug Leja is a candidate
for the San Bernardino County Board of Education.
Doug Leja graduated from Yucaipa High School and was appointed to the United States
Air Force Academy (USAFA) by Congressman Jerry Pettis. While at the Academy, he
played Division 1 Intercollegiate Baseball and sang in the Cadet Chorale.
Leja graduated USAFA with a Bachelor of Science degree,
and attended USAF Pilot training in Texas. He was selected to fly the
McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom and attended Fighter Pilot Upgrade in Florida.
Also, Leja completed Basic Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE)
training, USAF Water Survival training, and UF Arctic Survival training.
Lieutenant Colonel Doug Leja led numerous combat alert missions, intercepted his first Russian aircraft off the
coast of Alaska at the age of 25, and was a Thunderbird finalist.
The Lieutenant Colonel served in the United States Air Force for 28 years as a
Fighter Pilot, Aircraft Weapons Officer, Fighter Lead-In Instructor Pilot, Chief
of Flight Test and Quality Assurance, USAF Admissions Liaison Officer, and Director
of the Inland Empire Admissions Liaison Officer Program.
Lt .Colonel Leja left active duty in 1986 and continued military service in the Air Force
Reserve. He was instrumental in bringing the Junior AFROTC program to Yucaipa
High School, and is proud to have personally helped dozens of students obtain Appointments to the Air Force Academy.
Doug Leja has flown the last 28 years for American Airlines, and currently flies
the Boeing 777 with regular routes to China, Japan, Europe, and South America. Doug
and wife Jan Leja have two adult children and one grandchild. They are members of the San Bernardino
Central Committee and ardent conservatives.
Doug Leja also flew Civil Reserve Air Fleet missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and received
recognition for successfully diverting his aircraft during the Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan. Ref:
NBC Interview “Pilot gets birdseye view of quake, tsunami.”