Was 39 years at the time of selection. Lt.Col.., U.S. Air Force, hails from Waterloo, Iowa. He graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy with bachelor's degrees in astronautical engineering and engineering science. He continued on to earn a master's degree in aeronautics and astronautics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School. Chari has been serving as the commander of the 461^st Flight Test Squadron and the director of the F-35 Integrated Test Force at Edwards Air Force Base in California; unsuccessful application for NASA astronaut group 21.