Major General JAMES A. HAWKINS Maj. Gen. James A. Hawkins is Commander, 18th Air Force, Scott Air Force Base, Ill. As Air Mobility Command's warfighting numbered air force, 18th Air Force is responsible for tasking and executing all air mobility missions. It consists of 12 wings, three stand-alone groups and the 618th Tanker Airlift Control Center.General Hawkins graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1973. He has commanded the 23rd Bombardment Squadron, 2nd Operations Group, 319th Air Refueling Wing, 89th Airlift Wing and the Tanker Airlift Control Center. He has also served as Vice Director of the Joint Staff, Washington, D.C., and Vice Commander of the 18th Air Force. Prior to his current assignment, he was Director of Air, Space and Information Operations at Headquarters Air Mobility Command.General Hawkins is a command pilot with more than 5,000 flying hours in a variety of aircraft. He was selected to pilot the first flight test of a global positioning system-equipped B-52G over the North Pole in 1985. In August 1994, he served as an instructor pilot on Global Power 94-7, a 47-hour, around-the-world, non-stop B-52 flight - the longest bombing mission ever flown.EDUCATION1973 Bachelor's degree in engineering sciences, U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y.1977 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.1982 Master of Science degree in systems management, St. Mary's University, San Antonio, Texas1986 Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.1992 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.1995 Seminar XXI-Foreign Political and International Relations, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge1996 Senior Officials in National Security Program, Syracuse University and Johns Hopkins University1998 Executive Program for General Officers of the Russian Federation and the United States, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.ASSIGNMENTS1. April 1975 - March 1978, B-52H pilot, 5th Bombardment Wing, and aide-de-camp, 57th Air Division, Minot AFB, N.D.2. April 1978 - February 1980, T-38 instructor pilot and assistant flight commander, 54th Flying Training Squadron, Reese AFB, Texas3. March 1980 - February 1983, T-38 instructor pilot and assistant flight commander, 560th Flying Training Squadron, later, T-38 flight examiner, Air Training Command Standardization and Evaluation, Randolph AFB, Texas4. March 1983 - December 1985, B-52G aircraft commander and instructor pilot, 325th Bombardment Squadron, Fairchild AFB, Wash.5. January 1986 - June 1986, student, Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.6. June 1986 - June 1989, Chief, Bomber Branch, Directorate of Operations, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.7. July 1989 - July 1991, Commander, 23rd Bombardment Squadron, and Assistant Deputy commander for Operations, 5th Bombardment Wing, Minot AFB, N.D.8. August 1991 - July 1992, student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.9. July 1992 - February 1995, Deputy Commander, later, Commander, 2nd Operations Group, Barksdale AFB, La.10. March 1995 - June 1997, Chief of Staff, White House Military Office, Washington, D.C.11. July 1997 - December 1998, Commander, 319th Air Refueling Wing, Grand Forks AFB, N.D.12. January 1999 - August 2001, Commander, 89th Airlift Wing, Andrews AFB, Md.13. August 2001 - December 2003, Vice Director, the Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.14. January 2004 - December 2004, Vice Commander, 18th Air Force, Scott AFB, Ill. (August 2004 - December 2004, Director, U.S. Central Command Deployment and Distribution Operations Center, Southwest Asia)15. December 2004 - May 2005, Commander, Tanker Airlift Control Center, Scott AFB, Ill.16. May 2005 - November 2005, Director of Operations, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.17. November 2005 - present, Commander, 18th Air Force, Scott AFB, Ill.FLIGHT INFORMATIONRating: Command pilotFlight hours: More than 5,000Aircraft flown: T-37, T-38, KC-135A/Q/R, B-52G/H, VC-137, C-32, C-37, C-21, C-20, C-9 and UH-1MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONSDefense Distinguished Service MedalDistinguished Service MedalDefense Superior Service MedalLegion of MeritMeritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clustersAir MedalAir Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf clusterJoint Meritorious Unit Award with oak leaf clusterAir Force Outstanding Unit Award with oak leaf clusterCombat Readiness MedalNational Defense Service Medal with two bronze starsSouthwest Asia Service Medal with bronze starGlobal War on Terrorism Expeditionary MedalGlobal War on Terrorism Service MedalAir Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold BorderKuwait Liberation Medal (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)Kuwait Liberation Medal (Government of Kuwait)EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTIONSecond Lieutenant June 6, 1973First Lieutenant June 6, 1975Captain June 6, 1977Major Aug. 1, 1984Lieutenant Colonel July 1, 1988Colonel Dec. 1, 1992Brigadier General July 1, 1998Major General Jan. 1, 2002(Current as of June 2008)