MAJOR GENERAL LAWRENCE D. JOHNSTON Maj. Gen. L.D. Johnston is commander, Air Warfare Center, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. He manages and conducts test and evaluation programs as directed by Headquarters Air Combat Command, and develops tactics for the employment of fighter and bomber systems. He is also responsible for the operations of the U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Red Flag, Air Warrior and the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron "Thunderbirds".The general entered the Air Force in 1970 through the ROTC program at Oklahoma State University. He flew a combat tour in the F-4, then served as a fighter weapons instructor, flight commander, wing weapons officer, F-16 operations officer and squadron commander. He was commandant of the USAF Fighter Weapons School and vice commander of the 363rd Wing at Shaw Air Force Base. The general has commanded the Army-Air Force Center for Low Intensity Conflict at Langley Air Force Base; the 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base; 347th Wing at Moody Air Force Base; and the Air Force's first Air Expeditionary Force to be deployed for combat. He has served on two major command staffs and is a command pilot with more than 4,000 hours in the F-4 and F-16.EDUCATION1970 Bachelor of science degree in economics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater1975 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.1976 U.S. Air Force Fighter Weapons School, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.1979 Master of science degree in management, Troy State University, Troy, Ala.1982 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.1982 National Security Management Course, National Defense University, Washington, D.C.1990 Naval War College, Newport, R.I.1990 Master of science degree in national security and strategic studies, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.1992 Senior Officials in National Security, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.1997 Senior Executives in National and International Security, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.ASSIGNMENTS1. October 1971 - October 1972, F-4 flight leader and fast forward air controller, 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand2. November 1972 - December 1975, F-4 instructor, 35th Tactical Fighter Wing, George Air Force Base, Calif.3. December 1975 - July 1978, F-4 fighter weapons instructor, flight commander and chief of wing weapons and tactics, 347th Tactical Fighter Wing, Moody Air Force Base, Ga.4. July 1978 - December 1979, fighter weapons instructor and chief of weapons training, 406th Tactical Fighter Training Wing, Zaragoza Air Base, Spain5. January 1980 - August 1981, staff action officer, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein Air Base, West Germany6. August 1981 - June 1982, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.7. June 1982 - January 1987, chief of wing weapons and tactics; assistant operations officer; operations officer; and F-16 squadron commander, 474th Tactical Fighter Wing, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.8. January 1987 - July 1989, director of assignments, Headquarters Tactical Air Command, Langley Air Force Base, Va.9. August 1989 - June 1990, student, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.10. July 1990 - April 1991, commandant, U.S. Air Force Fighter Weapons School, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.11. April 1991 - March 1993, vice commander, 363rd Fighter Wing, Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.12. March 1993 - March 1995, vice commander and commander, Army-Air Force Center for Low Intensity Conflict, Langley Air Force Base, Va.13. March 1995 - March 1996, commander, 8th Fighter Wing, Kunsan Air Base, South Korea14. April 1996 - July 1998, commander, 347th Wing, Moody Air Force Base, Ga.15. July 1998 - January 2000, director of plans and programs, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley Air Force Base, Va.16. January 2000 - present, commander, Air Warfare Center, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.FLIGHT INFORMATIONRating: Command pilotFlight hours: More than 4,000Aircraft flown: F-4 and F-16MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONSDistinguished Service Medal with oak leaf clusterDefense Superior Service MedalLegion of Merit with oak leaf clusterDistinguished Flying Cross with three oak leaf clustersPurple HeartMeritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clustersAir Medal with 17 oak leaf clustersAerial Achievement MedalAir Force Commendation MedalCombat Readiness Medal with four oak leaf clustersArmed Forces Expeditionary MedalVietnam Service Medal with three service starsSouthwest Asia Service MedalEFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTIONSecond Lieutenant Jan 18, 1970First Lieutenant Jul 18, 1971Captain Jan 18, 1973Major Nov 8, 1980Lieutenant Colonel Nov 1, 1984Colonel Jul 1, 1988Brigadier General Jul 1, 1996Major General Aug 1, 1999(Current as of August 2002)