Maj. Gen. Kenneth R. Council Jr. is the Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. AMC’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. The men and women of AMC, consisting of active duty, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and civilians, provide airlift, aerial refueling, special air mission, aeromedical evacuation and mobility support. As the air component for U.S. Transportation Command, AMC directs global air mobility operations in support of national objectives.
Maj. Gen. Council entered the Air Force in 1989 as a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and earned his pilot wings in 1990. His operational assignments include duty as a C-141 Aircraft Commander, C-17 Instructor Pilot and C-17 Evaluator. Maj. Gen. Council has served as the operations officer of an airlift squadron and commanded an operations group. His staff duties include Deputy Chief, Tactics and Training Division, Intelligence, Air, Space and Information Operations Directorate, Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, where he was responsible for tactics and training oversight for the Air Force Reserve Command’s 62 aviation units. Prior to his current assignment, Maj. Gen. Council served as the Commander, Joint Transportation Reserve Unit, Mobilization Assistant to the Commander for U.S Transportation Command, and as Director of the Joint Reserve Component Directorate, Scott AFB, Ill. Here, he served as the principal staff advisor to USTRANSCOM on mobilization, planning, training and legislative issues concerning more than 88,000 Guard and Reserve personnel.
Maj. Gen. Council is a command pilot with more than 5,000 military flying hours and 3,000 civilian flying hours. He is one of the initial cadre pilots selected to stand up the C-17A Globemaster III program. He has participated in almost every major military operation since 1990 including Operation Desert Storm, Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.
EDUCATION
1989 Bachelor of Science, Aeronautical Science, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla.
1996 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2006 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2007 Air Force Reserve Command Leadership Today and Tomorrow Seminar, Washington, D.C.
2008 Master of Science, Aeronautical Science, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla.
2009 Naval War College, Reserve Officer Strategy and Policy Course, Newport, R.I.
2009 Reserve Component National Securities Course, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2011 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2011 Master of Strategic Studies, Air University, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2012 NATO Reserve Senior Officer Policy Course, NATO School, Oberammergau, Germany
2016 Air Force Forces Senior Staff Course, Air Force Expeditionary Operations School, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2017 Director of Mobility Forces Course, Air Force Expeditionary Operations School, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2018 Air Force Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Kenan-Flagler Business School, Raleigh, N.C.
2018 Europe and Middle East Update Seminar, Alan L. Freed Associates, Washington, D.C.
2019 Transnational Issues, Alan L. Freed Associates, Washington, D.C.
2019 Continuous Process Improvement for Executives, University of North Carolina, Raleigh
2020 National and International Security Leadership Seminar, Alan L. Freed Associates, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. November 1989–November 1990, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Vance Air Force Base, Okla.
2. March 1991–June 1994, Aircraft Commander, Tactics Officer,18th Airlift Squadron, McGuire AFB, N.J.
3. June 1994–October 1996, Instructor Pilot, C-17A Initial Cadre, Chief of Safety, 17th and 14th AS, Charleston AFB, S.C.
4. October 1996–November 1998, C-17A Combat Crew Training System Evaluator Pilot, C-17A Schoolhouse, Pilot Scheduler, Executive Officer, 58th AS, Altus AFB, Okla.
5. November 1998–August 2005, Instructor Aircraft Commander, 701st Airlift Squadron, Charleston AFB, S.C.
6. June 2004–February 2005, Executive Officer, Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command Crisis Action Team, Robins AFB, Ga.
7. February 2005–August 2005, Executive Officer, Headquarters AFRC/A3, Robins AFB, Ga.
8. August 2005–November 2007, Chief, Simulation Operations and Integration, Headquarters AFRC, Robins AFB, Ga.
9. November 2007–February 2009, Chief, Airlift Tactics and Training Branch, Headquarters AFRC, Robins AFB, Ga.
10. February 2009–June 2010, Deputy Chief, Tactics and Training Division, Headquarters AFRC, Robins AFB, Ga.
11. June 2010–July 2011, Student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
12. July 2011–July 2012, Operations Officer, 89th AS, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
13. August 2012–May 2013, Commander, 445th Operations Group, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
14. May 2013–June 2015, Director, Joint Exercise Control Group, U.S. Pacific Command/J7 Directorate, Camp Smith, Hawaii
15. June 2015–August 2017, Individual Mobilization Augmentee to the Commander, 18th Air Force, Scott AFB, Ill.
16. August 2017–June 2019, Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, 618th Air Operations Center, Scott AFB, Ill.
17. June 2019–July 2021, Commander, Joint Transportation Reserve Unit, Scott AFB, Ill.
18. July 2021–present, Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 2013–June 2015, Director, Joint Exercise Control Group, U.S. Pacific Command/J7 Directorate, Camp Smith, Hawaii, as a colonel
2. March 2014–October 2014, Chief of Operations, Joint Operations Center, U.S. Central Command/J3 Directorate, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., as a colonel
3. June 2019–present, Commander, Joint Transportation Reserve Unit, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill., as a brigadier general and major general
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight Hours: more than 5,000
Aircraft Flown: T-37, T-38, C-17A and C-141B
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit Defense
Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with four bronze oak leaf clusters
Air Medal Aerial Achievement Medal
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster
Joint Meritorious Unit Award with three bronze oak leaf clusters
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with two bronze and two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award
Combat Readiness Medal with silver oak leaf cluster
National Defense Service Medal with bronze star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with two bronze stars
Southwest Asia Service Medal with bronze star
Kosovo Campaign Medal with bronze star
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal with two bronze stars
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon
Air Force Longevity Service Ribbon with silver and bronze oak leaf cluster
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with “M” device
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon (Rifle)
Air Force Training Ribbon
Kuwait Liberation Medal, Government of Kuwait
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
Reserve Officers Association Airlift/Tanker Association
Air Line Pilots Association
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Oct. 6, 1989
First Lieutenant Oct. 6, 1991
Captain Oct. 6, 1993
Major Oct. 1, 2001
Lieutenant Colonel Aug. 2, 2007
Colonel Aug. 17, 2012
Brigadier General Dec. 12, 2018
Major General April 29, 2021
(Current as of August 2021)