Before entering academia at Purdue University, Professor Strickland accumulated over 41 years of Military and Airline Flight experience. Currently, a 32-year veteran American Airlines Captain and First Officer who flies presently as an Airline Transport Pilot with type ratings in the B-787, B-777, B-767, B-757, B-737, and FK-100. As an American Airlines Pilot, he has flight experience in the United States / Canada / Mexico, and various international locations like China, Japan, Australia, South America, India, Europe, and Africa, and recent overwater flight experience in POLAR, PACOTS, NOPAC, WATRS, and NATS airspace. Professor Strickland is a graduate of the USDOT National Aircraft Accident Investigation School as an Air Safety Investigator and a graduate of the Military Aviation Safety Officer and Accident Investigation Courses.

Retiring as a U.S. Army Joint Qualified Officer (JQO) at the rank of Colonel (O-6), Professor Strickland's 34-year military career spanned the areas of flight operations, aviation safety management, aviation mission planning, tactical satellite integration, and the United States Intelligence Community (IC). He has held multiple commands, with various leadership and supervisory staff positions in several countries worldwide. His capstone military assignment was as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans & Training (G-3/5/7), where he was responsible for developing and managing training concepts, policies, and requirements while continuing to direct current and future operations for an organization with 6,000 personnel and a multi-million dollar budget. Professor Strickland is a United States Air Force's National Security Space Institute, National Defense University (Joint Forces Staff College), and Air War College graduate.

His previous teaching experience has been as a Military Instructor Pilot, a Graduate-Level Military Academic Instructor (Command and General Staff College), and adjunct faculty at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Austin Peay State University, and Central Texas College.