BRIGADIER GENERAL RICHARD A. COLEMAN

Brigadier General Richard A. Coleman is the director of security forces, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., and commander of the U.S. Air Force Security Forces Center, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. He is the focal point for force protection within the Air Force and is responsible for security planning and programming for 30,000 active-duty and Reserve component security police at locations worldwide. He provides policy and oversight for the protection of Air Force installations from terrorism, sabotage and acts of war, and ensures the training, equipage and readiness of security forces in support of contingency and exercise plans.

He enlisted in the Air Force in November, 1956, and for the next 15 years performed air police and security police duties in the Philippines, Georgia, Morocco, England, Oklahoma, Texas and South Vietnam. The general was also a military training instructor and small arms instructor at Lackland Air Force Base. He was commissioned as a distinguished graduate of Officer Training School in 1972 through the Bootstrap Commissioning Program.

EDUCATION
1972 Bachelor of science degree in criminal justice, University of Nebraska at Omaha
1975 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1982 Master's degree in criminal justice, Webster College, Fairmont, W.Va.
1984 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1990 Army War College, Carlisle, Pa.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1972 - October 1973, operations officer, 308th Security Police Squadron, Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark.
2. November 1973 - July 1978, Philippine liaison officer, officer in charge, Department of Defense Civilian Guard Force, 3rd Security Police Group, Clark Air Base, Philippines (March 1975 - May 1975, officer in charge, security forces, Tan Son Nhut Air Base, South Vietnam)
3. July 1978 - August 1979, chief, Combat Studies Branch, and squadron commander, 3280th Technical Training Group, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas
4. August 1979 - August 1980, chief, Combat Studies Branch, and squadron commander, 3290th Training Group, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas
5. September 1980 - March 1981, commander, Detachment 1, 3700th Security Police Squadron, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas
6. March 1981 - February 1983, operations officer, 3700th Security Police Squadron, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas
7. February 1983 - September 1986, commander and chief, 10th Security Police Squadron, Royal Air Force Alconbury, England
8. September 1986 - June 1987, chief, Current Operations Branch, Air Force Office of Security Police, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.
9. June 1987 - May 1988, chief, Base Division, Air Force Office of Security Police, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.
10. May 1988 - July 1989, chief, Base Defense Contingency Division, Air Force Office of Security Police, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.
11. July 1989 - June 1990, student, Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.
12. June 1990 - January 1994, commander and chief of security police, 24th Security Police Squadron, Howard Air Force Base, Panama
13. January 1994 - July 1994, commander, 24th Support Group, Howard Air Force Base, Panama
14. July 1994 - March 1996, director of security police, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley Air Force Base, Va. (December 1994 - March 1995, air movement commander, Joint Task Force Safe Passage)
15. March 1996 - January 1997, chief of security police, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
16. January 1997- present, director of security forces, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington D.C., and commander, U.S. Air Force Security Forces Center, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with silver oak leaf cluster
Aerial Achievement Medal
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster
National Defense Service Medal with bronze star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Vietnam Service Medal with two bronze stars
Humanitarian Service Medal with bronze star
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross
Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1993 Outstanding Large Security Police Squadron in Air Combat Command (24th Security Police Squadron, Howard Air Force Base, Panama)
1985 Outstanding Large Security Police Squadron in the Air Force (10th Security Police Squadron, Royal Air Force Station, Alconbury, England)

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Jun 20, 1972
First Lieutenant Jun 20, 1974
Captain Jun 20, 1976
Major Mar 1, 1984
Lieutenant Colonel May 1, 1987
Colonel Nov 1, 1992
Brigadier General Aug 1, 1997

(Current as of March 2000)