Mr. James Bieryla is the Chief of the AFWERX Prime Division. He leads the acceleration of emerging dual-use technology markets by leveraging government resources for rapid and affordable fielding. Mr. Bieryla was commissioned in 1994 following graduation from the United States Air Force Academy. During his Active Duty career, he was a command pilot with almost 3000 flying hours, including two combat tours over Iraq. He served as an operational fighter pilot and an experimental test pilot, primarily in the F-15, F-117, F-22, and F-16.

Following his retirement from the Air Force in 2014 as a Lieutenant Colonel, Mr. Bieryla transitioned to the Air Force Research Laboratory where he led classified technology development efforts for five years. James and his family reside near Dayton, Ohio.