Brig. Gen. Jeffrey K. Barnson is the Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, 3rd Air Force and 17th Expeditionary Air Force, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. He serves as the principle advisor to the Commander for all reserve component matters and oversees reserve force readiness, integration, operations and mobilization. 3rd Air Force-17th Expeditionary Air Force is the Numbered Air Force component to U.S. Air Forces in Europe and U.S. Air Forces in Africa. 3rd and 17th Expeditionary Air Force plans, deploys, sustains and redeploys Air Force forces that directly support the combatant commanders during contingency and wartime operations.
General Barnson enlisted in the Air Force Reserve in 1978 and later graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy. He has served in command positions at the flight, squadron, group, wing and numbered air force levels. In 2007 the General served as the Vice Commander of the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing, Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. From October 2014 to January 2015, the general deployed as the Director of Mobility Forces for Joint Force Command- Operation United Assistance, the DOD effort to eradicate Ebola in west Africa.
EDUCATION
1983 Bachelor of Science degree in international affairs, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.
1989 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1993 Master of Arts degree in management, Webster University, Mo. (Colo. campus)
1996 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., in seminar
2001 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2009 Reserve Component National Security Course, National Defense University, Washington, D.C.
2010 Advanced Joint Professional Military Education, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
2011 Senior Leader Executive Course, Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, N.C.
2011 Director of Mobility Forces Course, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2013 Capstone Flag Officer Course, National Defense University, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 1983 - March 1984, Student Navigator, Mather AFB, Calif.
2. June 1984 - December 1984, RF-4 initial qualification course, Bergstrom AFB, Texas
3. January 1985 - June 1987, RF-4 Weapons System Officer, 1st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Royal Air Force Alconbury, England
4. July 1987 - August 1988, Student Pilot, Williams AFB, Ariz.
5. September 1988 - December 1988, C-141 initial qualification course, Altus AFB, Okla.
6. December 1988 - June 1992, Instructor Pilot, Group Executive Officer, Assistant Chief Combat Operations, Squadron Executive Officer, 7th Military Airlift Squadron and 60th Operations Group, Travis AFB, Calif.
7. June 1992 - July 1995, Commander, Cadet Squadron 9; Deputy Commander, Cadet Squadron 31, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.
8. August 1995 - August 1997, Assistant Operations Officer, 13th Airlift Squadron; Flight Commander, 6th Airlift Squadron, McGuire AFB, N.J.
9. Sept. 1997 - January 2002, Executive Officer, Assistant Operations Officer, 730th Airlift Squadron, March Air Reserve Base, Calif.
10. February 2002 - February 2003, Deputy Commander, 452d Operations Group, March ARB, Calif.
11. February 2003 - February 2005, Commander, 452d Operations Support Squadron, March ARB, Calif.
12. February 2005 - October 2005, Inspector General, 452d Air Mobility Wing, March ARB, Calif.
13. November 2005 - May 2009, Vice Commander, 452d Air Mobility Wing, March ARB, Calif. (January 2007 - May 2007, Vice Commander, 376th Air Expeditionary Wing, Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan)
14. May 2009 - August 2009, Senior Individual Mobilization Augmentee to Director, Global Readiness, 618 Tanker Airlift Control Center, Scott AFB, Ill.
15. August 2009 - July 2012, Mobilization Assistant to Director, Strategic Plans, Requirements, and Programs, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
16. August 2012 – August 2013, Mobilization Assistant to the Director of Operational Planning, Policy and Strategy, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans, and Requirements, Headquarters, Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
17. August 2013 – April 2015, Vice Commander, 4th Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, March ARB, Calif. (October 2014 – January 2015, Director of Mobility Forces, JFC-UA, AFRICOM, Dakar, Senegal)
18. April 2015 – February 2016, Mobilization Assistant to the Director of Operations, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
19. March 2016 - present, Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, 3rd Air Force and 17th Expeditionary Air Force, Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: 5,000
Aircraft flown: RF-4C, C-141 B/C, T-41, KC-135R, C-17
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Bronze Star
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Combat Readiness Medal with six devices
Antarctica Service Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June1, 1983
First Lieutenant June1, 1985
Captain June 1, 1987
Major April 1, 1995
Lieutenant Colonel Sept. 1, 1999
Colonel Oct. 1, 2004
Brigadier General Feb. 17, 2012
(Current as of February 2016)