Brigadier General MATTHEW C. ISLER

Brig. Gen. Matthew C. Isler is the Director of Regional Affairs for the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. He manages relationships, and provides oversight and guidance for international programs supporting national security objectives through political-military affairs, security assistance programs, education, training, cooperative research and development. He oversees more than 2,800 foreign military sales and security cooperation cases valued at more than $162 billion.

Brig. Gen. Isler was commissioned in 1991 after graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado. His flying assignments include duties as an instructor pilot, flight examiner and weapons instructor. He commanded an operational F-15C squadron with 24 aircraft, served as Air Liaison Officer to the Republic of Korea Army, deployed with the XVII Airborne Corps during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and served a second tour in Iraq as the Deputy Commander General ‒ Air, Combined Joint Force Land Component Command for the liberation of Fallujah and Mosul.

Prior to his current position, he was the Assistant Deputy Commander, U.S. Air Forces Central Command, Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. In this position, he postured and sustained the 16,000 Airmen assigned and deployed to the Central Region, developed contingency plans and supported execution of air operations for the 20-nation U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, covering Central and Southwest Asia.

Brig. Gen. Isler flew during operations Southern Watch, Northern Watch and Noble Eagle. He is a command pilot with more than 3,400 flying hours, including more than 130 combat hours.

EDUCATION
1991 Distinguished Graduate, Bachelor of Science, Physics, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.
1995 Joint Firepower Control Course, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
1996 Master of Science, Aeronautical Science and Management, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla.
1998 Distinguished and Top Squadron Graduate, Squadron Officer's School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2001 F-15 Fighter Weapons Instructor Course, Nellis AFB, Nev.
2004 Distinguished Graduate, Master of Science, Military Operational Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2009 Distinguished graduate, Master's Degree, National Security Strategy, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2011 Fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Seminar XXI
2013 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Darden, Va.
2019 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School, Chapel Hill

ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 1991‒October 1992, Student Pilot, Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas
2. November 1992‒February 1993, Student Pilot, T-37 Pilot Instructor Training, 559th Flying Training
Squadron, Randolph AFB, Texas
3. February 1993‒December 1995, T-37 Instructor Pilot, Check Pilot, and RSU Controller, 35th Flying
Training Squadron, Reese AFB, Texas
4. January 1996‒January 1997, Air Liaison Officer, Third Republic of Korea Army Air Liaison Office, Camp
Red Cloud, South Korea
5. December 1997‒January 2001, F-15 Instructor Pilot, Chief of Squadron Scheduling, and Flight
Commander, 71st Fighter Squadron, Langley AFB, Va.
6. February 2001‒July 2003, F-15 Instructor Pilot, Weapons Officer, and Wing Weapons Officer, 60th
Fighter Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla.
7. July 2003‒June 2004, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
8. August 2004‒May 2006, F-15 Weapons Instructor, Operations Officer, and Chief of 57th Wing
Standardization and Evaluation, 433rd Weapons Squadron, U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB,
Nev.
9. June 2006‒December 2007, Commander, 58th Fighter Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla.
10. January 2008‒May 2008, Air Liaison Officer, Multi-National Corps-Iraq, Camp Victory, Baghdad
11. July 2008‒June 2009, Student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
12. July 2009‒May 2010, Operations Officer, J-33 Global Force Management, the Pentagon, Arlington,
Va.
13. May 2010‒May 2011, Special Assistant, Assistant to the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon,
Arlington, Va.
14. July 2011‒March 2013, Vice Commander, 14th Flying Training Wing, Columbus AFB, Miss.
15. March 2013‒June 2014, Executive Officer to the Commander, Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl
Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
16. June 2014‒April 2016, Commander, 12th Flying Training Wing, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph,
Texas
17. April 2016‒June 2017, Deputy Commanding General - Air, Combined Joint Forces Land Component
Command‒Operation Inherent Resolve; Director, Joint Air Component Coordination Element, Combined
Joint Task Force‒Operation Inherent Resolve; Vice Commander, Ninth Air Expeditionary Task Force
Levant, Baghdad, Iraq
18. June 2017 - June 2019, Assistant Deputy Commander, U.S. Air Forces Central Command, Shaw AFB, S.C.
19. Jun 2019 - present, Director of Regional Affairs, International Affairs, Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2009‒May 2010, Operations Officer, J-33 Global Force Management, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a lieutenant colonel
2. May 2010‒May 2011, Special Assistant, Assistant to the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a lieutenant colonel
3. April 2016‒June 2017, Deputy Commanding General – Air, Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command, Operation Inherent Resolve, as a brigadier general

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating:  command pilot
Flight Hours:  more than 3,400, including more than 130 combat hours
Aircraft Flown:  T-6, T-37, T-38, F-15C/D

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 29, 1991
First Lieutenant May 29, 1993
Captain May 29, 1995
Major March 1, 2002
Lieutenant Colonel March 1, 2006
Colonel Aug. 1, 2011
Brigadier General Sept. 3, 2016

(Current as of October 2019)