BRIGADIER GENERAL BRUCE E. BURDA

Brig. Gen. Bruce E. Burda is Commander, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing, and Director, Air Component Coordination Element, Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. He is responsible for air and support operations at four bases supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. He serves as the Coalition Forces Air Component Commander’s direct representative to the Commander, Combined/Joint Task Force 76, and he is the task force commander's senior adviser for air power employment.

General Burda is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in management. His flying assignments include operational tours flying the C-130E, T-1A and KC-135R. He has commanded at the squadron, group and wing levels. His staff assignments include two tours in the Directorate of Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, and a tour on the Joint Staff, where he reported on current operations and resolved joint logistics and transportation issues. General Burda also served at U.S. Special Operations Command as the Director, Program Analysis and Evaluation, and as the Chief of Staff. Prior to his current assignment, he was Director of Operations, Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command.

General Burda is a command pilot with more than 4,400 hours in a variety of aircraft, including the T-1A, T-37, T-38, C-130E, MC-130P and KC-135R.

EDUCATION
1977 Bachelor of Science degree in management, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1983 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1984 Master’s degree in operations management, University of Arkansas
1992 U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
1995 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1996 Armed Forces Staff College, Naval Air Station Norfolk, Va.
2000 Senior Executive Program, Columbia University, N.Y.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 1977 - September 1978, student, undergraduate pilot training, Vance AFB, Okla.
2. September 1978 - December 1978, student, C-130 aircrew training, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
3. December 1978 - April 1981, co-pilot and aircraft commander, 40th Tactical Airlift Squadron, Pope AFB, N.C.
4. April 1981 - April 1985, aircraft commander, flight examiner and Chief, Squadron Standardization and Evaluation, 37th Tactical Airlift Squadron, Rhein-Main Air Base, West Germany
5. April 1985 - January 1988, C-130 evaluator pilot and unit scheduler, 34th Technical Training Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
6. January 1988 - June 1991, Chief, Mobility Forces Division and Exercise and Production Division, Directorate of Programs and Evaluation, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
7. June 1991 - June 1992, student, Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
8. July 1992 - June 1994, Commander, 61st Airlift Squadron, and Deputy Commander, 314th Operations Group, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
9. July 1994 - June 1995, student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
10. July 1995 - January 1997, Commander, 64th Operations Group, 64th Flying Training Wing, Reese AFB, Texas
11. January 1997 - June 1998, Chief, Global Mobility Division and Chief, Program Integration Division, Directorate of Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
12. June 1998 - April 2000, Chief, Logistics Readiness Center, Directorate of Logistics, the Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.
13. April 2000 - July 2001, Commander, 100th Air Refueling Wing, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England
14. August 2001 - October 2002, Director, Program Analysis and Evaluation, Center for Force Structure, Resources and Strategic Assessments, later, Chief of Staff, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.
15. October 2002 - May 2005, Director of Operations, Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
16. May 2005 - present, Commander, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing, and Director, Air Component Coordination Element, Bagram AB, Afghanistan

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: More than 4,400
Aircraft flown: T-1A, T-37, T-38, C-130E, MC-130P and KC-135R

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with silver oak leaf cluster
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Combat Readiness Medal with oak leaf cluster
Humanitarian Service Medal

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 1, 1977
First Lieutenant June 1, 1979
Captain June 1, 1981
Major June 1, 1988
Lieutenant Colonel April 1, 1992
Colonel Oct. 1, 1996
Brigadier General Aug. 1, 2003

(Current as of June 2005)