MAJOR GENERAL DOUGLAS L. RAABERG

Maj. Gen. Douglas L. Raaberg is Deputy Combined Force Air Component Commander, U.S. Central Command; Deputy Commander, Air Force Forces; and Vice Commander, 9th Air Expeditionary Task Force, Air Combat Command, Southwest Asia. He is responsible for the command and control of air operations in support of Multi-National Force-Iraq and International Security Assistance Force.

General Raaberg is a 1978 honor graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. He has held numerous operational, command and staff positions. He previously served as Director of Operations for Air Combat Command responsible for organizing, training, and equipping combat-ready forces for rapid global deployment and employment. The general also served as the Deputy Director of Operations, U.S. Central Command, deploying extensively in the CENTCOM area of responsibility supporting combat operations. He was responsible for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations for the 2005 earthquake victims in Pakistan. While commanding the Air Force's only B-2 stealth bomber wing during Operation Iraqi Freedom he executed the first overseas forward deployment of the B-2 and then sustained combat missions from two locations. He commanded the 7th Operations Group when the B-1B employed in combat for the first time in Iraq. The general holds the world record for the fastest non-stop flight around the globe with refueling in the B-1. He and his crew won the 1995 McKay Trophy demonstrating the worldwide combat capability of the Air Force.

General Raaberg's commands include the 9th Bomb Squadron and 7th Operations Group at Dyess AFB, Texas; 71st Flying Training Wing at Vance AFB, Okla.; and the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman AFB, Mo. He is the recipient of the 2002 General and Mrs. Jerome F. O'Malley Award. He is a command pilot with more than 4,700 flying hours, primarily in the FB-111, B-1 and B2. He flew 35 combat missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and International Security Assistance Force.

EDUCATION
1978 Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1982 Master of Science degree in systems management, University of Southern California
1990 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1996 Master of Science degree in national security strategy, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2002 Center for Executive Leadership, Federal Executive Institute, Charlottesville, Va.
2003 Capstone, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2004 Combined Force Air Component Commander Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2005 Senior Information Warfare Applications Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2008 Joint Flag Officer Warfighting Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 

ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1978 - September 1979, student, undergraduate pilot training, Vance AFB, Okla.; student, KC-135A combat crew training, Castle AFB, Calif.
2. October 1979 - July 1983, KC-135A co-pilot, aircraft commander, 916th Air Refueling Squadron, Travis AFB, Calif.
3. August 1983 - May 1987, FB-111A pilot, instructor and evaluator pilot, 528th Bomb Squadron, Plattsburgh AFB, N.Y.
4. May 1987 - July 1990, action officer, Chief of Bomber Assignments Section, Deputy Chief of Command Assignments and Special Activities Branch, Directorate of Personnel, Headquarters Strategic Air Command, Offutt AFB, Neb.
5. August 1990 - June 1991, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
6. July 1991 - June 1993, B-1B aircraft commander, instructor pilot and operations officer, 9th Bomb Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas
7. June 1993 - June 1995, Commander, 9th Bomb Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas
8. July 1995 - June 1996, student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
9. June 1996 - May 1998, political-military planner, Middle East/Africa Division, Directorate of Strategic Plans and Policy (J5), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
10. May 1998 - March 2000, Commander, 7th Operations Group, Dyess AFB, Texas
11. March 2000 - April 2002, Commander, 71st Flying Training Wing, Vance AFB, Okla.
12. April 2002 - April 2004, Commander, 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
13. April 2004 - July 2006, Deputy Director of Operations, U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.
14. July 2006 - May 2008, Director of Air and Space Operations, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va.
15. June 2008 - present, Deputy Combined Force Air Component Commander, U.S. Central Command; Deputy Commander, Air Force Forces; and Vice Commander, 9th Air Expeditionary Task Force, Air Combat Command, Southwest Asia

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1996 - May 1998, politico-military planner, Middle East/Africa Division (J5), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a lieutenant colonel
2. April 2004 - July 2006, Deputy Director of Operations (J3), U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Fla., as a brigadier general
3. June 2008 - present, Deputy Combined Force Air Component Commander, U.S. Central Command, Southwest Asia, as a major general

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: More than 4,700
Aircraft flown: FB-111A, B-1B, B-2, KC-135A, T-37 and T-38

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with oak leaf cluster
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Southwest Asia Service Medal with bronze star
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with bronze star
Iraq Campaign Medal with bronze star
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1995 MacKay Trophy, U.S. Air Force Most Meritorious Flight of the Year
2002 General and Mrs. Jerome F. O'Malley Award, U.S. Air Force Wing Commander and Spouse of the Year

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 31, 1978
First Lieutenant May 31, 1980
Captain May 31, 1982
Major Dec. 1, 1988
Lieutenant Colonel June 1, 1993
Colonel Aug. 1, 1998
Brigadier General Jan. 1, 2004
Major General May 30, 2007

(Current as of December 2009)