LIEUTENANT GENERAL EDWIN E. TENOSO

Lieutenant General Edwin E. Tenoso is commander, Twenty-First Air Force, with headquarters at McGuire Air Force Base, N.J. Twenty-First Air Force commands and assesses the combat readiness of assigned air mobility forces over the Atlantic half of the globe in support of Global Reach. These forces are at more than 70 locations in 15 countries and are composed of more than 54,000 active-duty, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and civilian force personnel operating more than 530 aircraft. General Tenoso ensures implementation of command decisions and policies for 11 active-duty wings and enroute support groups, and provides liaison to eight Air Reserve component wings.

The general entered the Air Force in 1963 as an aviation cadet. He has commanded at squadron, wing and division level, and was most recently the vice commander, Air Mobility Command. He is a navigator and command pilot with more than 7,800 flying hours. During Vietnam, he flew more than 550 combat missions as an O-1 forward air controller. As commander of airlift forces during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, he commanded 149 C-130s and was responsible for the execution of all theater airlift, fixed and mobile aerial ports, combat control teams and theater medical evacuation.

EDUCATION
1967 Bachelor of arts degree, Florida Southern College
1970 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1977 Master of science degree, Troy State University
1978 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1983 Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
1984 Master of business administration degree, Marymount College of Virginia

ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 1963 - January 1964, aviation cadet, navigator training, James T. Connally Air Force Base, Texas
2. March 1964 - April 1967, 966th Airborne Early Warning and Control Squadron, McCoy Air Force Base, Fla.
3. May 1967 - May 1968, student, pilot training, Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas
4. September 1968 - September 1969, pilot, O-1 forward air controller, 3rd Mobile Strike Force, 5th Special Forces, South Vietnam
5. September 1969 - August 1972, C-141 pilot, 44th Military Airlift Squadron, and aide to the commander, 22nd Air Force, Travis Air Force Base, Calif.
6. August 1972 - September 1974, aide to the commander, 13th Air Force, and programs officer, 13th Air Force, Clark Air Base, Philippines
7. September 1974 - December 1977, faculty member, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
8. January 1978 - June 1978, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
9. July 1978 - February 1981, officer controller, operations control division; chief, reports briefing division; later chief, tactical operations division, Headquarters 21st Air Force, McGuire Air Force Base, N.J.
10. February 1981 - April 1982, commander, 18th Military Airlift Squadron, McGuire Air Force Base, N.J.
11. August 1982 - June 1983, student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
12. June 1983 - June 1985, chief of operations, readiness and plans division, Office of Air Force Reserve, Washington, D.C.
13. June 1985 - May 1986, vice commander, 62nd Military Airlift Wing, McChord Air Force Base, Wash.
14. May 1986 - August 1989, commander, 62nd Military Airlift Wing, McChord Air Force Base, Wash.
15. August 1989 - July 1991, vice commander, 22nd Air Force, Travis Air Force Base, Calif.
16. October 1990 - May 1991, commander of airlift forces (COMALF), and commander, 1610th Airlift Division (Provisional), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
17. July 1991 - July 1993, director of operations and logistics (J3/J4), U.S. Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill.
18. July 1993 - September 1994, director of operations, deputy chief of staff, plans and operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
19. October 1994 - June 1995, vice commander, Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill.
20. June 1995 - present, commander, 21st Air Force, McGuire Air Force Base, N.J.

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot and navigator
Flight hours: More than 7,800
Aircraft flown: EC-121, O-1, T-39, C-141 and C-130

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal
Silver Star
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with 14 oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Combat Readiness Medal
Good Conduct Medal
National Defense Service Medal with bronze star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Vietnam Service Medal with four service stars
Southwest Asia Service Medal with two service stars
Humanitarian Service Medal
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm (Unit)
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm (Individual)
Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Kuwait Liberation Medal

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Jan 13, 1964
First Lieutenant Jul 13, 1965
Captain Jul 13, 1967
Major May 1, 1975
Lieutenant Colonel Nov 1, 1979
Colonel Dec 1, 1983
Brigadier General Oct 1, 1989
Major General Jul 1, 1992
Lieutenant General Sep 26, 1994

(Current as of February 2021)