MAJOR GENERAL MICHAEL E. FORTNEY

Major General Michael E. Fortney is the Vice Commander, Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command organizes, trains, equips and maintains combat-ready forces that provide strategic deterrence, global strike and combat support to USSTRATCOM and other geographic combatant commands. The command comprises more than 33,700 professionals operating at two Numbered Air Forces and eleven active-duty, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve wings. Weapons systems assigned to the command include Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, B-1, B-2 and B-52 bombers, UH-1N helicopters, the E-4B National Airborne Operations Center aircraft and the Nuclear Command, Control and Communications systems.

General Fortney enlisted in the Air Force in 1978 and served as an enlisted reconnaissance photo interpreter for over seven years in various assignments. He received his commission as a second lieutenant through Officer Training School in 1986. He has commanded at the squadron, group and wing levels and has a broad range of operational tours in ICBM operations, maintenance, test and space launch. He commanded the Air Force ICBM Flight Test Squadron at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, the Air Force's largest Minuteman and Peacekeeper ICBM operations group at F.E. Warren AFB, Wyoming, and the Air Force's largest ICBM wing at Malmstrom AFB, Montana. 

Prior to his current position, General Fortney was the Director of Operations at Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB.

EDUCATION
1986 Bachelor of Science, Occupational Education, Wayland Baptist University, Plainview, Texas
1991 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1998 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1999 Master of Military Arts, Air Force School of Advanced Airpower Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2001 Armed Forces Staff College, Joint and Combined Staff Officer Course, Norfolk, Va.
2004 Master of National Security and Strategic Studies, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
2007 Senior Leadership Course, Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, N.C.
2009 Air Force Enterprise Leadership Program, Darden School of Business, Charlottesville, Va.
2011 Program for Senior Executives in National and International Security, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. December 1978 - January 1986, Air Force enlisted assignments in intelligence career field
2. May 1986 - June 1990, Missile Combat Crew Commander, Senior Instructor Deputy and Senior Instructor Commander, Missile Combat Competition Competitor Deputy and Commander, Minot AFB, N.D.
3. July 1990 - September 1990, Executive Officer, 57th Air Division commander, Minot AFB, N.D.
4. October 1990 - June 1992, Emergency War Order Training Officer and Chief of Emergency War Order Training, Minot AFB, N.D.
5. July 1992 - June 1995, Electromechanical Flight Commander, Officer in Charge, Maintenance Scheduling Control, Peacekeeper Flight Commander, F. E. Warren AFB
6. July 1995 - August 1997, Operations Officer, 532nd Intercontinental Ballistic Missile and Cruise Missile Maintenance Training Squadron, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
7. August 1997 - June 1998, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
8. June 1998 - July 1999, School of Advanced Airpower Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
9. July 1999 - November 2001, Special Assistant to CINC USSTRATCOM, CINC congressional liaison, Offutt AFB, Neb.
10. November 2001 - July 2003, Commander, 576th Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Flight Test Squadron, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
11. July 2003 - July 2004, Student, Naval War College, Newport, R. I.
12. July 2004 - June 2005, Chief, B-2 Systems Support Division, Tinker AFB, Okla.
13. June 2005 - May 2007, Commander, 90th Operations Group, F. E. Warren AFB, Wyo.
14. May 2007 - May 2008, Vice Commander, 30th Space Wing, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
15. May 2008 - June 2010, Commander, 341st Missile Wing, Malmstrom AFB, Mont.
16. June 2010 - August 2011, Deputy Director of Operations, USSTRATCOM Global Operations Directorate, Offutt AFB, Neb.
17. August 2011 - July 2013, Deputy J3, Operations and Nuclear Support, J3ON, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Fort Belvoir, Va.
18. July 2013 - April 2015, Director of Operations, Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB, La.
19. April 2015 - present, Vice Commander, Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB, La.

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1999 - November 2001, special assistant to CINC USSTRATCOM, CINC congressional liaison, Offutt AFB, Neb., as a major and lieutenant colonel
2. June 2010 - August 2011, Deputy Director of Operations, USSTRATCOM Global Operations Directorate, Offutt AFB, Neb., as a colonel
3. August 2011 - July 2013, Deputy J3, Operations and Nuclear Support, J3ON, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Fort Belvoir, Va., as brigadier general

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal
National Defense Service Medal with star
General Thomas S. Power Award, Air Force Best Missile Combat Crew Commander, 1990

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant April 24, 1986
First Lieutenant April 24, 1988
Captain April 24, 1990
Major Sept. 1, 1997
Lieutenant Colonel May 1, 2001
Colonel Aug. 1, 2005
Brigadier General June 16, 2011
Major General Sept. 1, 2014

(Current as of March 2017)