Brig. Gen. Rodney W. Wood is vice commander of the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, Dallas, Texas. He assists the commander in directing the activities of a more than $7.2 billion retail, food and services business that operates nearly 11,000 facilities in 25 countries and 50 states. The AAFES employs more than 54,000 associates, many of them military family members. The exchange service is a military organization that provides quality merchandise and services at uniformly low prices to active duty, National Guard and Reserve members, and military retirees and their families. The AAFES returns its earnings to the customer to improve the quality of life for military families.
The general has held a variety of financial management positions at base, major command and Air Staff levels. Before assuming his current position, he was comptroller at Headquarters Air Education and Training Command.
EDUCATION
1969 Bachelor of science degree in mathematics, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1974 Squadron Officer School, by correspondence
1976 Master's degree in business administration and management, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
1980 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
1984 National Security Management Course, by correspondence
1991 Air War College, in residence
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 1969 - July 1970, space surveillance officer, 71st Missile Wing, Mount Hebo Air Force Station, Ore.
2. August 1970 - August 1971, space surveillance officer, 16th Surveillance Squadron, Shemya Air Force Base, Alaska
3. September 1971 - June 1974, space systems operations officer, deputy director, and then senior director, 2nd Communications Squadron, Buckley Air National Guard Base, Colo.
4. July 1974 - January 1976, student, Air Force Institute of Technology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
5. February 1976 - July 1979, management analysis officer and base budget officer, Holloman Air Force Base, N.M.
6. August 1979 - July 1981, budget officer, 39th Tactical Group, Incirlik Air Base, Turkey
7. August 1981 - July 1982, comptroller, 40th Tactical Group, Aviano Air Base, Italy
8. August 1982 - July 1984, chief, Comptroller Inspection Branch, inspector general, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein Air Base, West Germany
9. August 1984 - June 1986, chief of the accounting and compensation group, Air Force Accounting and Finance Center, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
10. July 1986 - June 1990, budget analyst, Budget Management Division, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air Force for Budget, then executive officer to the deputy assistant secretary for budget, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
11. July 1990 - May 1991, student, Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
12. June 1991 - July 1993, director of budget, Headquarters Military Airlift Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill.
13. August 1993 - June 1995, deputy director of budget operations, then director of budget programs, deputy assistant secretary for budget, assistant secretary for financial management and comptroller, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
14. July 1995 - June 1998, comptroller, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas
15. July 1998 - present, vice commander, Army and Air Force Exchange Service, Dallas, Texas
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1981 National Award - Distinguished Performance in Budgeting
1987 Air Force Award - Outstanding Contribution to Comptrollership
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Jun 4, 1969
First Lieutenant Dec 4, 1970
Captain Jun 4, 1972
Major May 4, 1980
Lieutenant Colonel Sep 1, 1985
Colonel Mar 1, 1991
Brigadier General Oct 1, 1996
(Current as of September 1998)