LIEUTENANT GENERAL JAMES N. SOLIGAN

Lt. Gen. James N. Soligan is Deputy Chief of Staff for Transformation, Allied Command Transformation, Norfolk, Va.  Within the full scale of ACT's transformational responsibilities, he supports the commander with emphasis on improving alliance interoperability in order to enhance NATO's operational capabilities and to meet NATO's current and future requirements.

General Soligan was commissioned following graduation from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1973. He spent his early operational years as a C-130 pilot, instructor pilot and flight examiner. He then moved to Headquarters Military Airlift Command where his assignments included Chief of the Long-Range Plans Branch. At the Pentagon, the general served as an Air Force headquarters budget analyst and member of the staff group for the Air Force Chief of Staff. He also served as Chief of the Theater Plans Division at U.S. European Command headquarters as well as executive officer to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe.

General Soligan has commanded at the group and wing levels, and was Director of Strategy for Policy and Plans at U.S. Southern Command headquarters in Miami. He has also served as Deputy Chief of Staff, United Nations Command and U.S. Forces Korea, and Chief of Staff, U.S. Joint Forces Command.

EDUCATION
1973 Bachelor of Science degree in engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1979 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1982 Master of Business Administration degree, Southern Illinois University
1985 Distinguished graduate, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1987 Air War College, by correspondence
1992 Distinguished graduate, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
1998 Program for Senior Executives in National and International Security, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 1973 - August 1974, student, undergraduate pilot training, Reese AFB, Texas
2. August 1974 - May 1980, aircraft commander, instructor pilot and flight examiner, 50th Tactical Airlift Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
3. May 1980 - January 1981, duty controller, Operational Support Airlift Section, Headquarters Military Airlift Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
4. January 1981 - February 1982, command briefer, Headquarters Military Airlift Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
5. February 1982 - August 1984, Chief, Long-Range Plans Branch, Headquarters Military Airlift Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill.
6. August 1984 - June 1985, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
7. June 1985 - August 1986, budget analyst, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
8. September 1986 - June 1988, member, Chief of Staff of the Air Force Staff Group, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
9. June 1988 - September 1989, squadron operations officer, 37th Tactical Airlift Squadron, Rhein-Main Air Base, West Germany
10. September 1989 - August 1991, Chief, Theater Plans Division, Headquarters U.S. European Command, Stuttgart, Germany
11. August 1991 - June 1992, student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
12. July 1992 - February 1994, Commander, 24th Operations Group, Howard AFB, Panama
13. February 1994 - July 1995, Commander, 71st Flying Training Wing, Vance AFB, Okla.
14. July 1995 - July 1996, special assistant to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, Mons, Belgium
15. July 1996 - November 1997, executive officer to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, Belgium
16. November 1997 - June 1999, Commander, 6th Air Refueling Wing and Installation Commander, MacDill AFB, Fla.
17. July 1999 - June 2001, Director of Strategy, Policy and Plans Directorate, Headquarters U.S. Southern Command, Miami, Fla.
18. July 2001 - June 2003, Deputy Chief of Staff, United Nations Command and U.S. Forces Korea, Yongsan Army Garrison, South Korea
19. July 2003 - April 2006, Chief of Staff, U.S. Joint Forces Command, Norfolk, Va.
20. April 2006 - June 2006, special adviser to the Supreme Allied Commander for Transformation, Norfolk, Va.
21. June 2006 - present, Deputy Chief of Staff for Transformation, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, Norfolk, Va.

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: More than 4,000
Aircraft flown: C-130, C-27, KC-135, T-37, T-38, T-39 and T-1

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
NATO Medal (Former Republic of Yugoslavia)

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 6, 1973
First Lieutenant June 6, 1975
Captain June 6, 1977
Major Aug. 1, 1984
Lieutenant Colonel May 1, 1987
Colonel April 1, 1991
Brigadier General Feb. 1, 1997
Major General June 1, 2000
Lieutenant General June 26, 2006

(Current as of March 2008)