Honorable Michael B. Donley
Secretary of the Air Force
Mr. Michael B. Donley was sworn in as Secretary of the Air Force on Oct. 17, 2008. He is responsible for the affairs of the Department of the Air Force, including the organizing, training, equipping and providing for the welfare of its more than 300,000 men and women on active duty, 180,000 members of the Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve, 160,000 civilians, and their families. Prior to assuming his current position, Mr. Donley served as the Director of Administration and Management in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Mr. Donley was Senior Fellow at the Institute for Defense Analyses where he was a Senior Consultant to the Commission on Roles and Missions of the Armed Forces and participated in two studies on the organization of the Joint Staff and the Office of the Chairman, JCS. Prior to this position, he served as the Acting Secretary of the Air Force for seven months. Mr. Donley supported two Presidents and five National Security Advisers during his service at the National Security Council. He was also a Professional Staff Member on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Mr. Donley earned both Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in international relations from the University of Southern California.
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General Norton A. Schwartz
Air Force Chief of Staff
General Norton A. Schwartz is the 19th Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, Washington, District of Columbia. As Chief, he serves as the senior uniformed Air Force officer responsible for organizing, training and equipping nearly 700,000 Regular, Guard, Reserve and civilian personnel serving in the United States and overseas. As a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the general and other service chiefs function as military advisers to the Secretary of Defense, National Security Council and the President.
Prior to assuming his position as the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General Schwartz served as Commander, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. USTRANSCOM is the single manager for global air, land and sea transportation for the entire Department of Defense. During his tenure, General Schwartz led TRANSCOM’s efforts in support of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom and the Global War on Terror.
General Schwartz graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1973. He is an alumnus of the National War College, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a 1994 Fellow of Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Seminar XXI. He has served as commander of multiple organizations including the Special Operations Command-Pacific, Alaskan Command, Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command Region, and the 11th Air Force.
General Schwartz is a command pilot with more than 4,400 flying hours in a variety of aircraft. He participated as a crewmember in the 1975 airlift evacuation of Saigon, and in 1991 served as Chief of Staff of the Joint Special Operations Task Force for Northern Iraq in operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. In 1997, he led the Joint Task Force that prepared for the noncombatant evacuation of U.S. citizens in Cambodia.
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Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force
Rodney J. McKinley
Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force
Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Rodney J. McKinley represents the highest enlisted level of leadership, and as such, provides direction for the enlisted corps and represents their interests, as appropriate, to the American public, and to those in all levels of government. He serves as the personal adviser to the Chief of Staff and the Secretary of the Air Force on all issues regarding the welfare, readiness, morale, and proper utilization and progress of the enlisted force. Chief McKinley is the 15th chief master sergeant appointed to the highest noncommissioned officer position. Chief McKinley originally entered the Air Force in 1974, took a break in service in 1977, and re-entered the Air Force in 1982. His background includes various duties in medical and aircraft maintenance, and as a first sergeant and command chief master sergeant at wing, numbered air force and major command levels. The chief served overseas in the Philippines, Italy and Germany, and deployed to Southwest Asia in support of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Before assuming his current position, he served as Command Chief Master Sergeant, Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. He was appointed to the position of Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force on June 30, 2006.
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General Roger A. Brady
Commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe
Gen. Roger A. Brady is Commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe; Commander, NATO Allied Air Component Command, Ramstein; and Director, Joint Air Power Competence Centre, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. He has responsibility for Air Force activities in a theater spanning three continents, covering more than 20 million square miles, 92 countries and territories, and possessing one-fourth of the world's population and about one-third of the world's Gross Domestic Product. General Brady entered the Air Force in 1969 through the University of Oklahoma ROTC program. He has commanded a support group and flying training wing, and he was vice commander of an air logistics center. The general has served as a director of personnel, logistics, plans and programs, and operations at three major commands. His involvement in deployed operations includes service in Vietnam, deployment of NATO forces in support of Operation Desert Storm, securing coalition support for the stand-up of expeditionary wings during Operation Allied Force, and providing Total Force and Civil Reserve Air Fleet air mobility support to operations Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Prior to his current position, General Brady was the Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower and Personnel, Headquarters U.S. Air Force. General Brady is a command pilot with more than 3,000 hours in T-37, T-38, T-1, KC-135, C-21 and C-5.
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General Howie Chandler
Commander, Pacific Air Forces;
Air Component Commander for U.S. Pacific Command; and
Executive Director, Pacific Air Combat Operations Staff
Gen. "Howie" Chandler is Commander, Pacific Air Forces; Air Component Commander for U.S. Pacific Command; and Executive Director, Pacific Air Combat Operations Staff. General Chandler entered the Air Force in 1974 after graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy. He has commanded a numbered air force, two fighter wings, a support group and a fighter squadron. His staff assignments include tours at Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, the Pentagon, Headquarters U.S. Pacific Command, Headquarters U.S. Military Training Mission in Saudi Arabia and Headquarters Allied Air Forces Southern Europe. Prior to assuming his current position, he was Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force. The general is a command pilot with more than 3,900 flying hours in the T-38, F-15 and F-16.
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General Kevin P. Chilton
Commander, U.S. Strategic Command
Gen. Kevin P. Chilton is Commander, U.S. Strategic Command. He is responsible for the global command and control of U.S. strategic forces to meet decisive national security objectives. USSTRATCOM provides a broad range of strategic capabilities and options for the President and Secretary of Defense. Command mission areas include full-spectrum global strike; space operations; computer network operations; Department of Defense information operations; strategic warning; integrated missile defense; global command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; combating weapons of mass destruction; and specialized expertise to the joint warfighter. General Chilton is a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. A Guggenheim Fellow, he completed a Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering at Columbia University. He flew operational assignments in the RF-4C and F-15 and is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School. General Chilton conducted weapons testing in various models of the F-4 and F-15 prior to joining the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in 1987. At NASA he flew on three space shuttle missions and served as the Deputy Program Manager for Operations for the International Space Station Program. The general has served on the Air Force Space Command staff, the Air Staff and the Joint Staff, and he has commanded the 9th Reconnaissance Wing, 8th Air Force, Joint Functional Component Command for Space and Global Strike, and Air Force Space Command.
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General John D.W. Corley
Commander, Air Combat Command and Air Component Commander for U.S. Joint Forces Command
Gen. John D.W. Corley is Commander, Air Combat Command and Air Component Commander for U.S. Joint Forces Command. As the Commander, he is responsible for organizing, training, equipping, and maintaining combat-ready forces for rapid deployment and employment while ensuring strategic air defense forces are ready to meet the challenges of peacetime air sovereignty and wartime defense. ACC operates more than 1,200 aircraft, 27 wings, 17 bases, and more than 200 operating locations worldwide with 105,000 active-duty and civilian personnel. When mobilized, the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve contribute more than 900 aircraft and 56,000 people to Air Combat Command. ACC can also be called upon to assist national agencies with intelligence, surveillance and crisis response capabilities. General Corley entered the Air Force after graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy. His aviation career includes more than 3,000 flying hours with combat experience. He has commanded at the squadron, group and wing levels. His staff positions comprise a mix of operational and joint duties in Tactical Air Command, Headquarters U.S. Air Force and the Joint Staff. General Corley has significant experience in intense combat, most recently during Operation Enduring Freedom. As Combined Air Operations Center Director, he orchestrated more than 11,000 combat missions striking more than 4,700 targets, including 250 attacks against the Al Qaida and Taliban leadership. He directed the safe recovery of isolated personnel during the largest combat search and rescue mission in 50 years and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal.
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General Donald J. Hoffman
Commander, Air Force Materiel Command
Gen. Donald J. Hoffman serves as Commander, Air Force Materiel Command. The command's 74,000 people manage $59 billion annually in research, development, test and evaluation while providing the acquisition management services and logistics support required to develop, procure and sustain Air Force weapon systems.General Hoffman is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. He was commissioned in 1974 and has served in various operational and staff assignments in Europe, the Middle East and United States. He has commanded at the flight, squadron, group and wing levels, and has served on the staffs of U.S. Central Command, U.S. European Command, Air Education and Training Command, Air Combat Command and Headquarters U.S. Air Force. General Hoffman is a command pilot with more than 3,400 flying hours in fighter, trainer and transport aircraft.
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General C. Robert "Bob" Kehler
Commander, Air Force Space Command
Gen. C. Robert "Bob" Kehler is Commander, Air Force Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. He is responsible for the development, acquisition and operation of the Air Force's space and missile systems.. He leads more than 39,700 space professionals who provide combat forces and capabilities to North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Strategic Command. General Kehler entered the Air Force in 1975 as a distinguished graduate of the Air Force ROTC program. He has commanded at the squadron, group and wing levels, and has a broad range of operational and command tours in ICBM operations, space launch, space operations, missile warning and space control. . As Director of the National Security Space Office, he integrated the activities of a number of space organizations on behalf of the Under Secretary of the Air Force and Director, National Reconnaissance Office. Most recently, as Deputy Commander, U.S. Strategic Command, he helped provide the President and Secretary of Defense with a broad range of strategic capabilities and options for the joint warfighter through several diverse mission areas, including space operations, integrated missile defense, computer network operations and global strike.
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General Arthur J. Lichte
Commander, Air Mobility Command
Gen. Arthur J. Lichte is Commander, Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill. Air Mobility Command's mission is to provide rapid, global mobility and sustainment for America's armed forces. The command also plays a crucial role in providing humanitarian support at home and around the world. General Lichte hails from The Bronx, N.Y., where he graduated from Cardinal Spellman High School and entered the Air Force in 1971 as a distinguished graduate of Manhattan College's ROTC program. During his Air Force career, General Lichte has held command positions at squadron, group and wing levels. He is a command pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours in various aircraft. Prior to assuming his current position, General Lichte served as Assistant Vice Chief of Staff and Director, Air Force Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., where he was responsible for Air Staff organization and administration, served as Deputy Chairman of the Air Force Council, and was the Air Force accreditation official for the Corps of Air Attachés.
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General Stephen R. Lorenz
Commander, Air Education and Training Command
Gen. Stephen R. Lorenz is Commander, Air Education and Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base. He is responsible for the recruiting, training and education of Air Force personnel. His command includes the Air Force Recruiting Service, two numbered air forces and Air University. AETC trains more than 340,000 students per year and consists of 13 bases, more than 88,000 active-duty, Reserve, Guard, civilians and contractors, and 1,485 trainer, fighter and mobility aircraft. General Lorenz graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy, and then attended undergraduate pilot training at Craig AFB, Ala. He has commanded at every level, including an air refueling wing that won the 1994 Riverside Trophy for Best Wing in 15th Air Force, and an air mobility wing that won the 1995 Armstrong Trophy for Best Wing in 21st Air Force. He commanded the training wing at the U.S. Air Force Academy as the Commandant of Cadets. He also served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Budget, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. Prior to his current assignment, the general was Commander, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala. He is a command pilot with 3,400 hours in ten aircraft.
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General Victor E. Renuart Jr.
Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command
Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr. is the Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command. The general entered the Air Force in 1971 following graduation from Indiana University. He was commissioned through the Officer Training School in 1972. He has commanded a NATO support group and two fighter wings. He served as Commander of the 76th Fighter Squadron during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and supported Operation Deny Flight as Director of Plans for the NATO Combined Air Operations Center at Headquarters 5th Allied Tactical Air Force. In addition, he commanded Joint Task Force-Southwest Asia and 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force-Southwest Asia, responsible for control of Operation Southern Watch. The general has served as the U.S. Central Command Director of Operations, wherein he oversaw the planning and execution of all joint and allied combat, humanitarian assistance and reconstruction operations for operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. He also served as Vice Commander, Pacific Air Forces, where he was responsible for Air Force and Air Component Command activities for the Commander, U.S. Pacific Command. The general has flown combat missions in operations Desert Storm, Deny Flight, Northern Watch and Southern Watch. Prior to assuming his current position, General Renuart was the Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense. He served as the principal immediate office adviser to the Secretary in all matters pertaining to the department.
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Lieutenant General Gary L. North
Commander, 9th Air Force and U.S. Air Forces Central
Lt. Gen. Gary L. North is Commander, 9th Air Force and U.S. Air Forces Central. The command comprises five wings in the eastern United States and three direct reporting units, with more than 350 aircraft and 24,000 active-duty and civilian personnel. He is also responsible for the operational readiness of 18 9th Air Force-gained National Guard and Air Force Reserve units comprising the Air Reserve Component. As the Air Component Commander for U.S. Central Command, the general is responsible for developing contingency plans and conducting air operations in a 27-nation area of responsibility covering Central and Southwest Asia and the Horn of Africa. General North was commissioned in 1976 after completing East Carolina University's ROTC program as a distinguished graduate. His last assignment was the Director for Operations at U.S. Pacific Command. The general has served two tours on the Joint Staff, including executive assistant to the Joint Staff Director, and Director of Politico-Military Affairs for Asia-Pacific. He also served as Deputy Director of Joint Matters at Headquarters U.S. Air Force. General North has commanded the 33rd Fighter Squadron at Shaw AFB, S.C.; 35th Operations Group at Misawa Air Base, Japan; 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan AB, South Korea; and the 18th Wing at Kadena AB, Japan. He is a command pilot with more than 4,100 flying hours, primarily in the F-4, F-15 and F-16. He flew 54 combat missions during operations Desert Storm and Southern Watch.
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Lieutenant General Charles E. Stenner Jr
Chief of Air Force Reserve and Commander of Air Force Reserve Command
Lt. Gen. Charles E. Stenner Jr. is Chief of Air Force Reserve, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., and Commander, Air Force Reserve Command, Robins Air Force Base, Ga. As Chief of Air Force Reserve, he serves as principal adviser on Reserve matters to the Air Force Chief of Staff. As Commander of Air Force Reserve Command, he has full responsibility for the supervision of all U.S. Air Force Reserve units around the world. General Stenner was commissioned a second lieutenant upon completing Officer Training School in 1973. He has served in various operational and staff assignments, including duty as an F-4C/D pilot, an F-16C pilot and an A-10 instructor pilot and operations officer. He has commanded four operations groups and two fighter wings. The general is a command pilot with more than 3,500 flying hours in the F-4, A-10 and F-16.
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Lieutenant General Donald C. Wurster
Commander, Air Force Special Operations Command
Lt. Gen. Donald C. Wurster is Commander, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla. The command is a major command of the U.S. Air Force and the Air Force component of U.S. Special Operations Command. AFSOC provides Air Force Special Operations Forces for worldwide deployment and assignment to unified combatant commanders. Born in Washington, D.C., General Wurster was commissioned in 1973 upon graduation from the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. He has commanded special operations forces at the squadron, group, wing and subunified command level, and he served as commander of all U.S. forces assigned to Joint Task Force-510 during Operation Enduring Freedom - Philippines. Prior to his current assignment, the general was Vice Commander, Air Force Special Operations Command. General Wurster is a command pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours, including assignments in both rescue and special operations.
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Major General James W. Graves
Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for Reserve Matters
Maj. Gen. James W. Graves is the Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for Reserve Matters. In this capacity he serves as the principal adviser to the Chairman on all matters affecting the Reserve components of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and, where appropriate, the Coast Guard. He also acts as the personal liaison with the service on Reserve matters and participates in defense forums such as the Reserve Forces Policy Board, the Joint Capabilities Board and the Joint Requirements Oversight Council. General Graves received his commission from Officer Training School after graduating from the College of William and Mary in Virginia. Following pilot training and active service overseas, he entered the Air Force Reserve unit program and continued his education, attaining a Juris Doctorate degree from the Louisiana State University Law Center. His duties in the Reserve program have included weapons officer, instructor pilot, flight examiner, flight commander and assistant operations officer. General Graves has commanded a combat deployment detachment; operations support squadron; the 47th Fighter Squadron, leading the conversion from operations to training missions; an expeditionary operations group; and served as Vice Commander of the 917th Wing. He has held mobilization assistant assignments at Air Combat Command, Air University and Pacific Air Forces.
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Dr. Rebecca Grant
Director of the Mitchell Institute for Airpower Studies for the Air Force Association
Dr. Rebecca Grant is one of the nation’s foremost airpower analysts, with nearly 20 years of experience in Washington, D.C. In the early 1990s, Dr. Grant worked in the operations group of the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, for the Secretary of the Air Force, and for RAND Corp. In 1995, she founded IRIS Independent Research and served as its president, in which capacity she authored The First 600 Days, (2004) The B-2 Goes to War (2001), and The Radar Game (1999), among other titles. Dr. Grant since 1996 has written extensively for AIR FORCE Magazine and in 2002 was named a contributing editor. She is a Senior Fellow of the Lexington Institute in Arlington, Va. Dr. Grant is the first Director of the new Gen. Billy Mitchell Institute for Airpower Studies, the public policy and research arm of the Air Force Association. Her current research interests include cyberspace, airpower in joint operations, and future defense planning.
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