Chaplain (Brig. Gen.) Ronald M. Harvell is the Deputy Chief of Chaplains, Headquarters, Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. As a member of the special staff of the Chief of Staff, Chaplain Harvell assists the Chief of Chaplains in establishing guidance on all matters pertaining to the religious and moral welfare of Air Force personnel and their dependents. Chaplain Harvell helps direct and maintain a trained, equipped and professional Chaplain Corps of approximately 2,000 chaplains and religious affairs Airmen from the active duty and Air Reserve components. As a member of the Armed Forces Chaplain Board, he and other members advise the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff on religious, ethical and quality-of-life concerns.
Chaplain Harvell entered the Air Force Chaplaincy as a candidate in 1986 and is endorsed by the Southern Baptist Convention. He was an Air Force Reserve chaplain from 1987 to 1991 when he entered active duty. He has served as the command chaplain for Air Force Central Command and Air Force Global Strike Command. Prior to his current assignment, Chaplain Harvell served as the Air Mobility Command command chaplain.
EDUCATION
1983 Bachelor of Arts, Bible and History, Hardin-Simmons University, Abilene, Texas
1986 Master of Divinity, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas
1995 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1998 Master of Arts, Organizational Development and Administrative Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
1999 Air Command and Staff College by seminar
2003 Doctor of Ministry, “Transformational Leadership for the Global City,” Asia Graduate School of Theology, Manila, Philippines
2003 Department of Defense, Executive Leadership Development Program, Washington, D.C.
2006 Air War College by correspondence
2010 Master of Science, National Security Strategy, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 1986 - February 1987, Chaplain Candidate, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas and U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.
2. February 1987 - July 1991, Individual Mobilization Augmentee Chaplain, Dyess AFB, Texas
3. July 1991 - February 1994, Protestant Chaplain, Scott AFB, Ill. (February 1992 – May 1992, Senior Chaplain, Wing Operations Center, Operation Restore Hope, Mombasa, Kenya)
4. February 1994 - September 1994, Senior Chaplain, King Salmon Airport, Alaska
5. September 1994 - August 1996, Protestant Chaplain, McChord AFB, Wash.
6. August 1996 - July 1998, Air Force Intern, with tours in U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Operations Group, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
7. July 1998 - August 1999, Protestant Chaplain, Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan (May 1999 – August 1999, Group Chaplain, 18 Wing Cadre, Gwangju International Airport, Gwangju, Korea)
8. August 1999 - August 2001, Senior Protestant Chaplain, Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan
9. August 2001 - October 2002, Senior Protestant Chaplain, Parish Ministry Branch, Keesler AFB, Miss. (February 2002 – June 2002, Senior Protestant Chaplain, 375 Air Expeditionary Force, Al Udeid AB, Qatar)
10. August 2002 - May 2004, Senior Chaplain, Parish Ministry Branch, Keesler AFB, Miss.
11. May 2004 - March 2006, Wing Chaplain, McConnell AFB, Kan. (May 2005 – August 2005, Group Chaplain, 447 Air Expeditionary Group, Sather AB, Iraq)
12. March 2006 - July 2008, Wing Chaplain, Dover AFB, Del.
13. July 2008 - July 2009, Wing Chaplain, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar
14. July 2009 - July 2010, Student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
15. July 2010 - May 2013, U.S. Air Forces in Europe Deputy Command Chaplain, Ramstein AB, Germany
16. May 2013 - June 2015, Command Chaplain, Air Forces Central Command, Al Udeid AB, Qatar
17. Jun 2015 - July 2017, Command Chaplain, Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB, La.
18. July 2017 - August 2018, Command Chaplain, Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
19. August 2018 - present, Deputy Chief of Chaplains, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with silver oak leaf cluster and two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with one silver oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal
Air Force Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with “V” device with silver oak leaf cluster and two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with two oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with bronze star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Iraqi Freedom Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Korean Defense Service Medal
Air and Space Campaign Medal
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with gold border and one oak leaf cluster
NATO Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 2, 1986
First Lieutenant Feb. 6, 1987
Captain April 17, 1991
Major July 1, 1999
Lieutenant Colonel July 1, 2005
Colonel Sept. 1, 2010
Brigadier General 21, Aug. 2018
(Current as of September 2019)