LIEUTENANT GENERAL CRAIG A. FRANKLIN Lt. Gen. Craig A. Franklin is Commander, 3rd Air Force and 17th Expeditionary Air Force, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Third Air Force is U.S. Air Forces in Europe's and 17th Expeditionary Air Force is U.S. Air Forces in Africa's numbered air force for U.S. European and U.S. Africa Command. Third AF and 17th EAF plans, deploys, employs, sustains and redeploys Air Force forces supporting the combatant commanders during contingency and wartime operations. Third AF and 17th EAF includes a headquarters staff, the 603rd Air and Space Operations Center, 10 USAFE wings and multiple stand-alone groups across AFAFRICA. General Franklin was commissioned in 1981 from the U.S. Air Force Academy. His past assignments include flying duties as an instructor pilot and later Commander of the U.S. Air Force Weapons School F-16 Division. General Franklin also commanded a test and evaluation group and three wings, including command of the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, Joint Base Balad, Iraq. His staff assignments include a tour as a project officer for the F-22 Raptor program and executive assistant to the Commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command, Naval Station Norfolk, Va. and as the executive assistant to the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon. Prior to assuming his current position, he was the Vice Director, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. General Franklin is a command pilot with more than 3,900 flying hours in the F-16A/B/C/D, B-52, B-1B, AT-38A, T-38A and T-37B. EDUCATION 1981 Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. 1988 U.S. Air Force Weapons School, F-16 Course, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. 1995 Master of Aeronautical Science degree, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Ariz. 1996 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 2001 Master's degree in national resource strategy, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. ASSIGNMENTS 1. June 1981 - June 1982, student, undergraduate pilot training, Vance AFB, Okla. 2. June 1982 - July 1983, student, fighter lead-in and F-16 initial qualification training, Holloman AFB, N.M., and MacDill AFB, Fla. 3. July 1983 - July 1986, F-16 electronic combat pilot, Hahn AB, West Germany 4. August 1986 - August 1989, F-16 pilot, wing standardization and evaluation officer, and weapons officer for the 307th and 309th Tactical Fighter Squadrons, Homestead AFB, Fla. 5. August 1989 - July 1993, instructor pilot, flight commander and assistant operations officer, F-16 Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev. 6. July 1993 - July 1995, F-22 project officer, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va. 7. July 1995 - June 1996, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 8. July 1996 - June 1997, operations officer, F-16 Division, U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev. 9. July 1997 - June 1999, Commander, F-16 Division, U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev. 10. July 1999 - July 2000, Deputy Operations Group Commander, 8th Operations Group, Kunsan AB, South Korea 11. August 2000 - July 2001, student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. 12. July 2001 - June 2003, Commander, 53rd Test and Evaluation Group, Nellis AFB, Nev. 13. June 2003 - June 2004, Commander, 53rd Wing, Eglin AFB, Fla. 14. June 2004 - August 2005, executive assistant to the Commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command, Naval Station Norfolk, Va. 15. August 2005 - May 2007, executive assistant to the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. 16. June 2007 - July 2009, Commander, 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano AB, Italy 17. July 2009 - November 2010, Commander, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, Joint Base Balad, Iraq 18. November 2010 - March 2012, Vice Director, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. 19. March 2012- present, Commander, 3rd Air Force, Ramstein AB, Germany SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS 1. June 2004 - August 2005, executive assistant to the Commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command, Naval Station Norfolk, Va., as a colonel 2. August 2005 - May 2007, executive assistant to the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon, as a colonel 3. July 2009 - November 2010, Commander, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, Joint Base Balad, Iraq, as a brigadier general and major general 4. November 2010 - March 2012, Vice Director, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a major general FLIGHT INFORMATION Rating: Command pilot Flight hours: More than 3,900 Aircraft: F-16A/B/C/D, B-52, B-1B, AT-38A, T-38A and T-37B MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster Meritorious Service Medal with silver oak leaf cluster Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters Joint Service Commendation Medal Air Force Commendation Medal Air Force Achievement Medal EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION Second Lieutenant May 27, 1981 First Lieutenant May 27, 1983 Captain May 27, 1985 Major Oct. 1, 1993 Lieutenant Colonel Jan. 1, 1998 Colonel April 1, 2001 Brigadier General Sept. 21, 2007 Major General June 18, 2010 Lieutenant General March 30, 2012 (Current as of February 2013)