BRIGADIER GENERAL L. ERIC PATTERSON

Brig. Gen. L. Eric Patterson is Commander, Headquarters Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Andrews Air Force Base, Md. The office is a field operating agency responsible for providing commanders of Air Force activities independent, professional investigative services regarding fraud, counterintelligence and major criminal matters. The investigations are conducted by a worldwide network of military and civilian special agents stationed at major Air Force installations and a variety of special operating locations.

General Patterson entered the Air Force in 1975 as a missile launch officer after graduating from the ROTC program at Howard University in Washington, D.C. He became an AFOSI special agent in 1979 and has commanded AFOSI units at the detachment, squadron and regional levels at numerous stateside and overseas locations. He has conducted and supervised a variety of felony-level investigations common to AFOSI, with specialization in counterintelligence and protective service operations as well as oversight of special programs. Prior to assuming his current position, the general was the Operations Director for the AFOSI. The general is a native of Washington, D.C.

EDUCATION
1974 Bachelor of Business Administration degree, Howard University, Washington, D.C.
1978 Master of Business Administration degree, Webster University, St. Louis, Mo.
1981 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1983 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
1984 Marine Corps Command and Staff College, by correspondence
1993 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 1975 - December 1979, missile launch officer, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
2. December 1979 - October 1980, special agent, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Langley AFB, Va.
3. October 1980 - October 1982, Commander, AFOSI Detachment 2101, Pope AFB, N.C.
4. October 1982 - October 1983, Chief of Counterintelligence, Collections and Protective Service Operations, AFOSI District 69, Ankara, Turkey
5. October 1983 - October 1985, Chief, Counterintelligence and Protective Service Operations Policy Branch, Headquarters AFOSI, Washington, D.C.
6. October 1985 - May 1989, assistant for Security Plans and Programs, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, D.C.
7. May 1989 - May 1990, Commander, Air Force Element Counterintelligence Support Activity, AFOSI, Honduras
8. May 1990 - June 1992, Commander, AFOSI Detachment 540, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
9. June 1992 - June 1993, student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
10. June 1993 - July 1994, Vice Commander, Air Force Investigative Operations Center, Bolling AFB, Washington, D.C.
11. July 1994 - June 1996, Director of Security and Special Programs Oversight, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, D.C.
12. August 1996 - July 1997, Commander, 52nd Field Investigations Squadron, AFOSI, Ankara, Turkey
13. July 1997 - July 1999, Commander, 2nd Field Investigations Region, Langley AFB, Va.
14. July 1999 - May 2001, Director of Operations, Headquarters AFOSI, Andrews AFB, Md.
15. May 2001 - present, Commander, Headquarters AFOSI, Andrews AFB, Md.

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Feb. 22, 1975
First Lieutenant Feb. 22, 1977
Captain Feb. 22, 1979
Major March 1, 1986
Lieutenant Colonel April 1, 1990
Colonel June 1, 1996
Brigadier General July 1, 2002

(Current as of September 2005)