LIEUTENANT GENERAL VERN M. "RUSTY" FINDLEY II Lt. Gen. Vern M. "Rusty" Findley II is Vice Commander, Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill. The command is responsible for the bulk of the U.S. Air Force's strategic transportation assets and mission. From 12 major air installations in the United States and nearly 100 active-duty Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve locations worldwide, AMC provides rapid, flexible, global reach for America. More than 141,500 people comprise the Total Force air mobility community, operating combat delivery and strategic airlift, air refueling, and aeromedical and special mission aircraft for national interests. General Findley earned his Air Force commission in 1976 as a distinguished graduate of the ROTC program at Arizona State University. He has held numerous operational positions, to include command of the 437th Airlift Wing, Charleston AFB, S.C., and 319th Air Refueling Wing, Grand Forks AFB, N.D. During Operation Allied Force, the air war over Serbia, he commanded the 92nd Air Expeditionary Wing, headquartered in Spain. As Commander of the 437th Airlift Wing, his unit provided vital support to Operation Enduring Freedom. For these efforts, his unit earned the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with "V" device for valor. Additional contributions to the Global War on Terrorism include U.S. Central Command service as the Combined Forces Air Component Commanders' Director of Mobility Forces during Operation Enduring Freedom; Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategy Plans and Assessment for the Multi-National Force-Iraq Commander in Baghdad; and the CENTCOM Commander's Director of Strategy, Plans and Policy. General Findley has also served on major command, numbered air force and joint staffs. He is a command pilot with more than 3,800 flying hours in the KC-135, T-37, T-38, C-130, C-17A and C-21. EDUCATION 1976 Bachelor of Science degree in marketing, Arizona State University, Tempe 1983 Master of Science degree in business administration, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks 1984 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 1985 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence 1994 Master of Science degree in national security resource strategy, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Washington, D.C. 2001 National Security Leadership Course, Johns Hopkins University and Syracuse University 2004 Joint Forces Air Component Commander Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 2004 Naval Postgraduate School Executive Business Course, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N.C. 2005 Joint Flag Officer Warfighting Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala. ASSIGNMENTS 1. August 1976 - January 1978, student navigator, later, student, navigator-bombardier training, Mather AFB, Calif. 2. February 1978 - June 1981, KC-135 navigator and instructor navigator, 905th Air Refueling Squadron, Grand Forks AFB, N.D. 3. June 1981 - August 1981, student, undergraduate pilot training Flying Screening Program, Hondo, Texas 4. August 1981 - July 1982, student, undergraduate pilot training, Williams AFB, Ariz. 5. July 1982 - October 1982, co-pilot upgrade training, Castle AFB, Calif. 6. November 1982 - February 1985, standardization and evaluation co-pilot, 305th Air Refueling Squadron, Grissom AFB, Ind. 7. February 1985 - May 1985, student, pilot upgrade training, Castle AFB, Calif. 8. May 1985 - October 1986, KC-135 aircraft commander and flight commander, 43rd Air Refueling Squadron, Fairchild AFB, Wash. 9. October 1986 - May 1988, KC-135 instructor pilot and wing executive officer, 92nd Bomb Wing, Fairchild AFB, Wash. 10. June 1988 - June 1990, action officer, later, Deputy Chief, Plans and Resources Deputate, Headquarters Strategic Air Command, Offutt AFB, Neb. 11. June 1990 - July 1991, executive officer, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Resources, later, executive officer, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters Strategic Air Command, Offutt AFB, Neb. 12. July 1991 - November 1991, KC-135 instructor pilot re-qualification training, Castle AFB, Calif. 13. November 1991 - July 1993, operations officer, later, Commander, 350th Air Refueling Squadron, Beale AFB, Calif. 14. July 1993 - July 1994, graduate student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Washington, D.C. 15. July 1994 - July 1996, executive officer to the Deputy Commander, United Nations Command, and Deputy Commander, U.S. Forces Korea, Yongsan Army Garrison, Seoul, South Korea 16. July 1996 - October 1996, Commander, 43rd Air Refueling Group, Malmstrom AFB, Mont. 17. October 1996 - May 1998, Commander, 6th Operations Group, MacDill AFB, Fla. 18. June 1998 - December 1998, Chief, Strategy and Policy Division, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. 19. January 1999 - March 2000, Commander, 319th Air Refueling Wing, Grand Forks AFB, N.D. 20. March 2000 - June 2002, Commander, 437th Airlift Wing, Charleston AFB, S.C. 21. June 2002 - February 2004, Vice Commander, Headquarters 5th Air Force, Yokota AB, Japan 22. February 2004 - May 2005, Director, Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein AB, Germany 23. May 2005 - May 2006, Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategy, Plans and Assessment, Multi-National Force-Iraq, Baghdad, Iraq 24. July 2006 - May 2008, Director, Strategy, Plans and Policy, Headquarters U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Fla. 25. June 2008 - present, Vice Commander, Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill. SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS 1. July 1994 - July 1996, executive officer to the Deputy Commander, United Nations Command, and Deputy Commander, U.S. Forces Korea, Yongsan Army Garrison, Seoul, South Korea, as a lieutenant colonel and colonel 2. May 2005 - May 2006, Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategy, Plans and Assessment, Multi-National Force-Iraq, Baghdad, Iraq, as a major general 3. July 2006 - May 2008, Director, Strategy, Plans and Policy, Headquarters U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Fla., as a major general FLIGHT INFORMATION Rating: Command pilot Flight hours: More than 3,800 Aircraft flown: KC-135, T-37, T-38, C-130, C-17A and C-21 MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters Bronze Star Medal with two oak leaf clusters Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster Joint Meritorious Unit Award with oak leaf cluster Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with "V" device and silver oak leaf cluster EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION Second Lieutenant May 15, 1976 First Lieutenant Aug. 23, 1978 Captain Aug. 23, 1980 Major Oct. 1, 1987 Lieutenant Colonel July 1, 1991 Colonel Feb. 1, 1995 Brigadier General Oct. 1, 2001 Major General July 1, 2005 Lieutenant General June 20, 2008 (Current as of December 2011)