Maj. Gen. Kevin E. Pottinger is the Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. The command consists of three numbered Air Forces located throughout the Pacific with responsibilities for Air Force activities spread over half the globe. The command supports more than 45,000 Air Force personnel, Regular Air Force, Air Guard and Air Force Reserve, servicing principally in Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, Japan and South Korea.
General Pottinger is a native of Tucson, Ariz., and was commissioned in 1976 after completing the AFROTC program as a distinguished graduate at Arizona State University. He completed undergraduate pilot training in 1978 as a distinguished graduate at Reese Air Force Base, Texas then entered the Air Force Reserve in 1991 after spending 15 years on active duty. General Pottinger has performed duties as an instructor pilot, flight examiner, flight commander, weapons officer, follow-on test and evaluation pilot, safety officer, operations officer, commander of a fighter wing and Air Reserve Personnel Center. In 1999, he retired from the Air Force Reserve and flew for a major airline. After Sept. 11, 2001, General Pottinger requested a military leave of absence from the airline and re-entered the Air Force Reserve in February 2002. He is a command pilot with more than 3,900 hours of flight time in the F-4 and F-16.
EDUCATION
1976 Bachelor of Science degree in geography, Arizona State University, Tempe
1983 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1983 Electronic Combat Pilot Instructor Course, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
1985 F-16 Fighter Weapons Course, USAF Fighter Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
1985 Air Command and Staff College, by seminar
1986 Aircraft Mishap Investigation Course, Norton AFB, Calif.
2003 Air War College, by correspondence
2005 Safety Board President Training, Kirkland AFB, N.M.
2006 Joint Force Reserve Orientation Course, Norfolk, Va.
2010 Senior Reserve Component Officer Course, Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.
2010 Capstone General and Flag Officer Course, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2010 Air Force Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Darden School of Business, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
2012 U.S. Army field Artillery School, Fort Sill, Okla.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. February 1977 - February 1978, Student, undergraduate pilot training, Reese AFB, Texas
2. June 1978 - August 1978, Student, AT-38 fighter lead-in training, 479th Tactical Fighter Wing, Holloman AFB, N.M.
3. August 1978 - February 1979, Student, F-4 Replacement Training Unit, 35th Fighter Wing, George AFB, Calif.
4. February 1979 - June 1981, F-4 pilot and Instructor Pilot, 512th Fighter Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
5. December 1981 - January 1984, F-16 Replacement Training Unit Aircraft Commander, Evaluator and Instructor pilot, 388th Fighter Wing, Hill AFB, Utah
6. January 1984 - June 1984, Student, F-16 Fighter Weapons Course, USAF Fighter Weapons School, 57th Fighter Wing, Nellis AFB, Nev.
7. June 1984 - August 1984, F-16 Weapons Officer, 388th Fighter Wing, Hill AFB, Utah
8. September 1984 - December 1984, Student, F-16 Instructor Course, 311th Fighter Squadron, Luke AFB, Ariz.
9. January 1985 - October 1986, F-16 Weapons Officer, 310th Fighter Squadron, Luke AFB, Ariz.
10. October 1986 - March 1988, Academic Flight Commander, 58th Tactical Training Wing, Luke AFB, Ariz.
11. March 1988 - October 1988, Safety Officer, 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
12. October 1988 - April 1990, F-16 Program Manager, 57th Fighter Wing, Nellis AFB, Nev.
13. April 1990 - October 1991, Chief, Air Interdiction Branch, 7th Air Force, Osan AB, South Korea
14. October 1991 - July 1992, Chief of Safety, 924th Fighter Group, Austin, Texas
15. July 1992 - July 1995, Chief of Weapons, 704th Fighter Squadron, Austin, Texas
16. July 1995 - December 1995, Chief of Scheduling and Director of Operations, 457th Fighter Squadron, Fort Worth, Texas
17. May 1997 - May 1999, Commander, Operations Group, later, Commander, 301st Fighter Wing, Fort Worth, Texas
18. May 1999 - February 2002, retired from Air Force Reserve
19. February 2002 - April 2003, Mission Planning Cell Team Chief, 301st Fighter Wing, Fort Worth, Texas
20. May 2003 - June 2003, Student, F-16 Re-qualification Course, 302nd Fighter Squadron, Luke AFB, Ariz.
21. June 2003 - September 2003, Chief of Weapons and assistant Director of Operations, 10th Air Force, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas
22. February 2004 - July 2006, Director of Operations, 10th Air Force, NAS JRB Fort Worth, Texas
23. July 2006 - April 2009, Commander, 301st Fighter Wing, NAS JRB Fort Worth, Texas
24. April 2009 - November 2010, Commander, Headquarters Air Reserve Personnel Center, Denver, Colo.
25. November 2010 - May 2012, Reserve Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force Reserve Affairs, The Pentagon, Washington D.C.
26. May 2012 - October 2012, Special Assistant to the Commander, Air Force Reserve Command, Robins AFB, Ga.
27. October 2012 - October 2013, Mobilization Assistant to the Vice Commander, Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
28. October 2013 - present, Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: 4,150
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-38, F-4 C/E and F-16 A/C
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with silver oak leaf cluster
Air Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal
Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with three oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal with silver and bronze oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with bronze star
Iraq Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal with two bronze stars
Humanitarian Service Medal
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with bronze hourglass and "M" device
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2009 Appointed Honorary Chief Master Sergeant by the Chief Master Sergeant's Council, 301st Fighter Wing
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 2, 1976
First Lieutenant Dec. 21, 1978
Captain Dec. 2, 1980
Major Jan. 1, 1988
Lieutenant Colonel May 15, 1997
Colonel Feb. 6, 2004
Brigadier General June 1, 2009
Major General June 30, 2012
(Current as of July 2015)