Mirko Duvnjak, CW5 (AV) – California Army National Guard

Mirko Duvnjak

Mirko Duvjak has served his country for over 41 years in the U.S. Army, Army Reserves, and the California Army National Guard, enlisting in June of 1975 as an E-1 Private. After serving as a Crew Chief on active duty he transferred to the USAR at Los Alamitos, where he was encouraged to apply for flight school. In 1983 he was commissioned as a Warrant Officer and currently has over 30 years of service as a Chief Warrant Officer, with over 3,800 accident-free flying hours in AH-1, AH-64, OH-58, UH-1, and UH-60 helicopters. Duvnjak is a school trained aviation safety officer (ASO). He is also currently work part-time as a maintenance test pilot on civilian UH-60 Black Hawks procured through the GSA auctions of former US Army UH-60s divested through the Black Hawk Exchange Sales Transaction (BEST) program.

    Mr. Duvnjak’s extensive flight experience includes:
  • Combat flights in Iraq and Afghanistan
  • Maintenance Test Pilot
  • Law enforcement reconnaissance
  • Bambi Bucket firefighting
  • Administrative flights
  • Instrument flights
  • Aircraft recovery
  • Aerial gunnery
  • Night vision goggles (NVG)
  • Lakebed perimeter security flights for space shuttle recovery
    Mr. Duvnjak’s extensive military training includes:
  • COMPLETED Basic Combat Training 1975
  • UH-1 Repairman Course 1975
  • Equal Opportunity Workshop 1978
  • Warrant Officer Candidate Military Development Course 1982
  • Initial Entry Rotary Wing Aviator Course (Commandant’s List) 1983
  • UH-1 Night Vision Goggle (NVG) Qualification Course 1985
  • Aviation Maintenance Officer Course 1985
  • OH-58A Aircraft Qualification Course 1986
  • UH-1M Aircraft Qualification Course 1986
  • Warrant Officer Senior Course, Phase I 1987
  • Aeroscout Course 1988
  • Rotary Wing Instrument Refresher Course 1988
  • OH-58 NVG Qualification Course 1988
  • Maintenance Manager/Maint. Test Pilot Course (Commandant’s List) 1990
  • UH-1 Bambi Bucket Qualification Course 1993
  • AH-1F Airframe Qualification Course 1994
  • AH-1F Weapons Qualification Course (Commandant’s List) 1995
  • OH-58A/C Maintenance Test Flight Evaluator Qualification 1995
  • Senior Warrant Officer Training Course 1997
  • AH-1F Maintenance Test Pilot Course 1999
  • Unit Environmental Compliance Officer Course 1999
  • OSHA Compliance Management Course 1999
  • Aviation Safety Officer Course (Honor Graduate) 2001
  • AH-64A Aviator Qualification Course 2003
  • AH-64A Maintenance Test Pilot Course 2003
  • UH-60A/L Aviator Qualification Course 2004
  • UH-60A/L Maintenance Test Pilot Course 2004
  • Warrant Officer Senior Staff Course 2006
  • Wheeled Vehicle Operator Course 2012
  • Combat Lifesaver Certification 2012

Mirko Duvnjak’s extraordinary awards include military recognitions such as: Air Medal (2005) Army Commendation Medal (1995) (1997) (2002) (2003) (2005) (2013) Army Achievement Medal (1989) (1992) Army Good Conduct Medal (1983) Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal (11th award as of April 2016) National Defense Service Medal (2nd award; DA 2-1 and DD 214) Afghanistan Campaign Medal (2013) Iraq Campaign Medal (2005) Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (2005) Global War on Terrorism Service Medal (2005) Humanitarian Service Medal (1995) Armed Forces Reserve Medal (3rd award as of April 2009) Army Service Ribbon (1983) Overseas Service Ribbon (2007) (2013) Reserve Component Overseas Training Ribbon (1989) NATO Medal, Non-Article 5 (2013) California Commendation Medal (1991) (1999) (2008) California Service Medal (5th award/30 years as of April 2014) California Federal Service Ribbon (2007) California State Service Ribbon (1988) (1992) (2008) California Counterdrug Service Ribbon (1990) (1993) (1994) California Drill Attendance Ribbon (10th award/30 years as of April 2014) Master Army Aviator Badge (1998) Aircraft Crewman Badge (1981)

Mirko graduated from the Commercial Diving Center (then College of Oceaneering, then National Polytechnic College of Science) with a Professional Diver diploma, and has worked both diving and tending commercially in the Los Angeles and Long Beach harbor areas. He received special training in Marine Explosives from J.S. Brower & Associates and was Special Projects Director on a recovery attempt of a sunken transport ship (S.S. Islander) carrying approximately ten tons of Yukon gold which sank in Alaskan waters in 1901. He occasionally performs light commercial, recovery and research diving along the West Coast.

Mirko Duvnjak received his Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from the California State University at Fullerton in 1988 and was a recipient of the Einstein House Scholarship for Chemistry from Cypress College. He privately tutors a wide variety of high school, junior college and university students. He speaks fluent Serbo-Croatian, able to read and write both the Latin (English) style and the Cyrillic (Slavic) style either printed or cursive. He has visited Bosnia and traveled throughout the country during Nov-Dec 1997. Visited Serbian, Moslem and Croatian territories. Have received foreign language proficiency pay (FLPP) based on Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT).

Mr. Duvnjak’s present assignment with the California Army National Guard is Quality Control Section Chief, B Co. 640th ASB, JFTB Los Alamitos, CA. His civilian occupation is Maintenance Test Pilot (National Guard Technician).

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