Maj. Gen. Mark A. Barrett is Chief of Staff, U.S. European Command, Stuttgart, Germany. He is responsible for assisting the Commander, EUCOM conduct military operations, international military partnering, and interagency partnering to enhance transatlantic security and defend the United States forward.
General Barrett was commissioned in 1979 through the ROTC program at North Carolina State University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering. His commands include the 493rd Fighter Squadron, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England; the 325th Operations Group, Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.; and the 1st Fighter Wing, Langley AFB, Va. General Barrett has served as an operations officer on the Joint Staff and executive officer to the Air Force Vice Chief of Staff. He has also served as Chief of the Combat Forces and Program Integration divisions, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force and as the Air Combat Command Inspector General, Langley AFB, VA. Prior to his current assignment, he was the Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategic Plans and Policy, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Allied Command Transformation, Norfolk, Va.
General Barrett is a command pilot with more than 4,500 flying hours in the F-15C/D and the F-22, including more than 300 hours of combat time in Southwest Asia.
EDUCATION
1979 Bachelor of Science degree in engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh
1984 Squadron Officer School, by correspondence
1989 Master's Degree in aeronautical science technology, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Fla.
1994 Air Command and Staff College, by seminar
1996 Air War College, by seminar
1999 National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2009 Joint Force Air Component Commander Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2010 Black Sea Security Program, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
2011 Joint Flag Officer Warfighter Course, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2011 General, Flag Officer and Ambassador Course, NATO Defense College, Rome, Italy
ASSIGNMENTS
1. April 1980 - April 1981, student, undergraduate pilot training, Reese AFB, Texas
2. May 1981 - October 1984, T-33 instructor pilot and flight commander, 95th Fighter Interceptor Training Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
3. November 1984 - April 1985, student, F-15 training, Luke AFB, Ariz.
4. May 1985 - October 1986, F-15 flight lead, 53rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, Bitburg Air Base, West Germany
5. November 1986 - February 1988, fighter liaison officer, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Merrell Barracks, Nuremberg, West Germany
6. March 1988 - January 1991, F-15 instructor pilot and flight commander, 59th Fighter Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla.
7. February 1991 - January 1993, F-15 flight commander, assistant operations officer and Director of Exercises, Air Forces Iceland, Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland
8. February 1993 - January 1995, F-15 Realistic Training Manager and executive officer to the Vice Commander, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va.
9. February 1995 - February 1996, F-15 assistant operations officer, 94th Fighter Squadron, Langley AFB, Va.
10. March 1996 - July 1998, operations officer and Commander, 493rd Fighter Squadron, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England
11. August 1998 - June 1999, student, National War College, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
12. July 1999 - April 2001, operations officer, U.S. European Command Division, Operations Directorate (J3), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
13. May 2001 - December 2001, Deputy Commander, 1st Operations Group, Langley AFB, Va.
14. January 2002 - August 2003, Commander, 325th Operations Group, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
15. September 2003 - August 2004, Chief, Combat Forces Division, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
16. September 2004 - June 2005, Chief, Program Integration Division, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
17. July 2005 - April 2007, executive officer to the Vice Chief of Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
18. April 2007 - May 2009, Commander, 1st Fighter Wing, Langley AFB, Va.
19. May 2009 - June 2010, Inspector General, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va.
20. July 2010 - April 2012 Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategic Plans and Policy, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Allied Command Transformation, Norfolk, Va.
21. April 2012 - present, Chief of Staff, U.S. European Command, Stuttgart, Germany
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. November 1986 - February 1988, fighter liaison officer (forward air controller), 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, U.S. Army, Merrell Barracks, Nuremberg, West Germany, as a captain
2. July 1999 - April 2001, operations officer, U.S. European Command Division (J33), Operations Directorate (J3), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a lieutenant colonel
3. July 2010 - April 2012, Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategic Plans and Policy, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Allied Command Transformation, Norfolk, Va., as a brigadier general and a major general
4. April 2012 - present, Chief of Staff, U.S. European Command, Stuttgart, Germany, as a major general
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: More than 4,500
Aircraft flown: T-33, T-37, T-38, F-15C/D and F-22A
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Army Commendation Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant April 22, 1980
First Lieutenant April 22, 1982
Captain April 22, 1984
Major Jan. 1, 1990
Lieutenant Colonel Dec. 1, 1996
Colonel May 1, 2002
Brigadier General Nov. 9, 2007
Major General Dec. 13, 2010
(Current as of March 2014)