BRIGADIER GENERAL ROGER H. WATKINS

Brig. Gen. Roger Watkins is Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff, Joint Warfare Centre, Supreme Allied Command for Transformation, NATO, Stavanger, Norway. The Joint Warfare Centre comprises representatives of 16 NATO and Partnership for Peace member countries, and conducts joint and combined capability integration, concept and doctrine development, and operational-level training to improve NATO's operational readiness and interoperability. Key responsibilities include battle staff training and certification for the operational headquarters of the NATO Response Forces.

General Watkins graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1985 with a degree in mathematics. He was commissioned through Officer Training School and has seen duty in a variety of flying and staff assignments including air refueling and undergraduate pilot training, and service in the Joint Chiefs of Staff J-5 Directorate. He has commanded five times, including two wings and a center. Prior to his current assignment, General Watkins served as Commander, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar.

EDUCATION
1985 Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics, University of Texas at Austin, Texas
1993 Distinguished graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 
1997 Master of Aerospace Science degree, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
1998 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 
2002 Air War College (correspondence)
2004 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 
2008 Senior Leader Development Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, N.C.
2010 Joint and Combined Warfighting School, Norfolk, Va.
2010 Senior Executive Fellows Program, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Mass.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. December 1986 - December 1987, Student, undergraduate pilot training, Vance AFB, Okla. 
2. January 1988 - May 1988, Student, KC-135 Combat Crew Training School, Castle AFB, Calif. 
3. June 1988 - June 1991, Pilot and Standardization and Evaluation Pilot, 905th Air Refueling Squadron, Grand Forks AFB, N.D.
4. July 1991 - September 1992, T-37 Instructor Pilot and Assistant Flight Commander, 35th Flying Training Squadron, Reese AFB, Texas
5. October 1992 - May 1995, T-1A Instructor and Evaluator Pilot; Squadron Safety Officer; and Flight Commander, 52nd Flying Training Squadron, Reese AFB, Texas
6. June 1995 - June 1997, KC-135 Instructor Pilot; Assistant Operations Officer; and Executive Officer to the Operations Group Commander, Fairchild AFB, Wash.
7. July 1997 - June 1998, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
8. June 1998 - June 2000, Special Action Officer, commander's action group, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Randolph AFB, Texas
9. June 2000 - June 2001, Chief of Safety, MacDill AFB, Fla.
10. June 2001 - June 2003, Commander, 91st Air Refueling Squadron, MacDill AFB, Fla.
11. July 2003 - June 2004, Student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
12. June 2004 - June 2006, Politico-Military Planner and Deputy Chief, Iraq Division, Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate (J5), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
13. July 2006 - November 2006, Deputy Commander, 92nd Operations Group, Fairchild AFB, Wash. 
14. December 2006 - June 2008, Vice Commander, 92nd Air Refueling Wing, Fairchild AFB, Wash. 
15. June 2008 - July 2010, Commander, 14th Flying Training Wing, Columbus AFB, Miss.
16. August 2010 - October 2010, Commandant, Squadron Officer College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
17. October 2010 - May 2012, Commander, Jeanne M. Holm Center for Officer Accessions and Citizen Development, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
18. June 2012 – June 2014, Commander, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar
19. July 2014 – present, Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff, Joint Warfare Centre, Stavanger, Norway

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS 
June 2004 - June 2006, Politico-Military Planner and Deputy Chief, Iraq Division, Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate (J5), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a lieutenant colonel
June 2014 – present, Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff, Joint Warfare Centre, NATO, Stavanger, Norway, as a brigadier general

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: 3,780
Aircraft flown: T-1, T-6, T-37, T-38, B-1, RC-135 and KC-135R/T

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with oak leaf cluster
Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster 
Joint Service Commendation Medal 
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster 
Air Force Achievement Medal

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Dec. 12, 1986 
First Lieutenant Dec. 12, 1988
Captain Dec. 12, 1990 
Major Sept. 1, 1997
Lieutenant Colonel May 1, 2001 
Colonel Nov. 1, 2006 
Brigadier General Nov. 2, 2011 

(Current as of August 2014)