BRIGADIER GENERAL BEN T. ROBINSON Brig. Gen. Ben T. Robinson is Commander, 552nd Air Control Wing, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla. As Commander, he is responsible for Air Combat Command's fleet of E-3 airborne command and control aircraft and supporting combatant commanders worldwide. The general leads approximately 3,600 men and women and manages resources that include 32 aircraft valued at nearly $6 billion.General Robinson entered the Air Force in 1973. He received his commission as a distinguished graduate of Officer Training School at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. Prior to entering the Air Force, he served as a helicopter aircraft commander for the U.S. Army in South Vietnam where he flew 350 combat missions. He has served as Chief of Training and Evaluation; Chief of the Tactical Air Control Systems Branch at Headquarters Tactical Air Command; Commander of the Space Defense Operations Center; and as Chief of the Space Control Operations Division for U.S. Space Command. He has also commanded an operations group and an air expeditionary group. Other positions were as the first Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System Wing Commander, and as the Deputy Director and Acting Director of Command and Control for the Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations at Headquarters U.S. Air Force. Prior to assuming his current position, the general was the Vice Commander of 8th Air Force. He is a command pilot with nearly 5,000 flying hours in the B-1, B-2, B-52, CH-3, CH-47, E-3, E-8, TC-18 and UH-1.EDUCATION1972 Bachelor's degree in industrial management, Eastern New Mexico University, Portales1977 Master's degree in industrial management, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant1978 Distinguished graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.1982 U.S. Marine Corps Command and General Staff Course, by correspondence1983 Air Command and Staff College, by seminar1987 Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.1991 Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.1999 Seminar XXI - Foreign Politics, International Relations and The National Interest, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyASSIGNMENTS1. February 1969 - January 1970, student, U.S. Army pilot training, Fort Rucker, Ala.2. January 1970 - December 1972, U.S. Army helicopter aircraft commander and instructor pilot, South Vietnam and Fort Hood, Texas3. January 1973 - March 1973, distinguished graduate, Officer Training School, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas4. March 1973 - June 1974, student, undergraduate pilot training, Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas5. June 1974 - January 1975, student, B-52 combat crew training, Castle Air Force Base, Calif.6. January 1975 - September 1977, B-52H standardization and evaluation pilot and supplies management officer, 379th Bomb Wing, Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Mich.7. September 1977 - March 1980, CH-3 aircraft commander; instructor pilot; evaluator pilot; flight commander; chief of wing training; and chief of CH-3 wing standardization and evaluation, 507th Tactical Air Control Wing, Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.8. March 1980 - September 1983, E-3 pilot; aircraft commander and chief of plans and programs, 963rd Airborne Warning and Control Squadron, 552nd Airborne Warning and Control Wing, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla.9. September 1983 - July 1986, Chief, Tactical Air Control Systems Branch, Directorate of Plans and Programs, Headquarters Tactical Air Command, Langley Air Force Base, Va.10. July 1986 - March 1987, student, Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.11. March 1987 - June 1990, Chief, Doctrine, Concepts and Initiatives Division, Headquarters U.S. European Command, Stuttgart, West Germany12. June 1990 - August 1990, student, undergraduate space training, Lowry Air Force Base, Colo.13. August 1990 - June 1991, student, Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.14. July 1991 - July 1994, Commander, Space Defense Operations Center; Deputy Chief, Combat Centers Division; and Chief, Space Control Operations Division, U.S. Space Command, Cheyenne Mountain Air Station, Colo.15. September 1994 - January 1996, Commander, 552nd Operations Group, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla.16. January 1996 - October 1997, Commander, 93rd Air Control Wing, Robins Air Force Base, Ga.17. October 1997 - September 1999, Deputy Director and Acting Director, Command and Control Directorate, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.18. October 1999 - March 2000, Vice Commander, 8th Air Force, Air Combat Command, Barksdale Air Force Base, La.19. March 2000 - present, Commander, 552nd Air Control Wing, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla.FLIGHT INFORMATIONRating: Command pilotFlight hours: Nearly 5,000Aircraft flown: B-1, B-2, B-52, CH-3, CH-47, E-3, E-8, TC-18 and UH-1MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONSDistinguished Service MedalDefense Superior Service MedalLegion of Merit with oak leaf clusterBronze Star MedalDefense Meritorious Service MedalMeritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clustersAir Medal with eight oak leaf clustersAir Force Commendation MedalArmy Commendation Medal with oak leaf clusterJoint Service Achievement MedalEFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTIONU.S. Army Warrant Officer Jan 28, 1970U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Jan 28, 1971Second Lieutenant Mar 27, 1973First Lieutenant Mar 27, 1975Captain Mar 27, 1977Major Sep 1, 1984Lieutenant Colonel Jul 1, 1988Colonel Jan 1, 1994Brigadier General Jul 1, 1999(Current as of September 2002)