Lt. Gen. Noel T. "Tom" Jones is the Vice Commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. As the air component to U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command, USAFE-AFAFRICA is responsible for providing full-spectrum warfighting capabilities to both combatant commanders throughout the entire area of responsibility, which encompasses 104 countries in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East, the Arctic and Atlantic oceans and possesses more than a quarter of the world's population and more than a quarter of the world's Gross Domestic Product.
General Jones was commissioned in 1980 following graduation from the U.S. Air Force Academy. He completed undergraduate pilot training in 1981, has served as an F-16 instructor pilot, evaluator pilot and has had numerous flying command positions. The general commanded a fighter squadron, operations group, the 332nd Expeditionary Wing in Southwest Asia during Operation Iraqi Freedom and the 56th Fighter Wing. The general was Director, Strategic Plans and Assessment, U.S. Forces-Iraq, U.S. Central Command, Baghdad, Iraq, and held staff assignments at North American Aerospace Defense Command, Air Combat Command and the National Security Agency. Prior to his current assignment, he was the Director, Operational Capability Requirements, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
General Jones is a command pilot with more than 3,500 flying hours, including combat sorties over Iraq in operations Southern Watch, Desert Fox and Iraqi Freedom.
EDUCATION
1980 Bachelor of Science degree in political science, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1986 Distinguished graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1988 Master's degree of aeronautical science technology, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
1992 Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
2000 Master's degree in national security and strategic studies, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
2008 Intelligence Community Senior Leadership Program, National Security Agency, Washington, D.C.
2008 Fellow, Seminar XXI, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
2009 Combined/Joint Forces Air Component Commander Course, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2011 Leadership Decision Making Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1980 - June 1981, Student, undergraduate pilot training, Columbus AFB, Miss.
2. April 1982 - November 1984, Life Support Officer, training officer and Chief of Scheduling, 84th Fighter Interceptor Training Squadron, Castle AFB, Calif.
3. December 1984 - January 1985, Student, lead-in fighter training, Holloman AFB, N.M.
4. February 1985 - September 1985, Pilot, F-16 Replacement Training Unit, MacDill AFB, Fla.
5. October 1985 - November 1988, Flight Safety Officer, instructor pilot and flight commander, 613th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Torrejon Air Base, Spain
6. December 1988 - May 1991, Instructor Pilot, Training Officer and Wing Executive Officer, 62nd Tactical Fighter Training Squadron, MacDill, AFB, Fla.
7. June 1991 - June 1992, Student, Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
8. July 1992 - November 1994, Chief, War and Mobilization Branch; Executive Officer and Chief of Staff for the Director of Operations, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
9. December 1994 - December 1995, Assistant Operations Officer, later, Operations Officer, 35th Fighter Squadron, Kunsan Air Base, South Korea
10. January 1996 - October 1997, Operations Officer, 523rd Fighter Squadron, Cannon AFB, N.M.
11. November 1997 - June 1999, Commander, 522nd Fighter Squadron, Cannon AFB, N.M.
12. July 1999 - June 2000, Student, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
13. July 2000 - July 2001, Deputy Commander, 20th Operations Group, Shaw AFB, S.C.
14. August 2001 - January 2003, Commander, 20th Operations Group, Shaw AFB, S.C.
15. February 2003 - June 2003, Commander, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, Southwest Asia
16. July 2003 - October 2004, Commander, Squadron Officer College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
17. November 2004 - May 2006, Inspector General, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va.
18. June 2006 - July 2008, Commander, 56th Fighter Wing, Luke AFB, Ariz.
19. July 2008 - May 2010, Deputy Chief, Central Security Service, National Security Agency, Fort George G. Meade, Md.
20. June 2010 - May 2011, Director, Strategic Plans and Assessment (J5), U.S. Forces-Iraq, U.S. Central Command, Baghdad, Iraq
21. May 2011 - June 2012, Director, Operational Capability Requirements, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
22. June 2012 - present, Vice Commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1992 - November 1994, Chief, War and Mobilization Branch; executive officer and Chief of Staff for the Director of Operations, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Peterson AFB, Colo., as a major
2. July 2008 - May 2010, Deputy Chief, Central Security Service, National Security Agency, Fort George G. Meade, Md., as a brigadier general and major general
3. June 2010 - May 2011, Director, Strategic Plans and Assessment (J5), U.S. Forces-Iraq, U.S. Central Command, Baghdad, Iraq, as a major general
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 3,500
Aircraft flown: primarily T-33, T-37, T-38 and F-16
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Combat Readiness Medal with three oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with bronze star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Korea Defense Service Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 28, 1980
First Lieutenant May 28, 1982
Captain May 28, 1984
Major Oct. 1, 1991
Lieutenant Colonel Nov. 1, 1996
Colonel March 1, 2001
Brigadier General Oct. 2, 2006
Major General Nov. 20, 2009
Lieutenant General Aug. 3, 2012
(Current as of June 2015)