Brig. Gen. William W. Whittenberger Jr. is the Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Florida. As the Air Force component of U.S. Special Operations Command, AFSOC provides Air Force special operations forces for worldwide deployment and assignment to unified combatant commanders with approximately 20,800 active-duty, Reserve, Air National Guard, and civilian professionals, 278 aircraft, and $174.4 billion of assets.
Brig. Gen. Whittenberger graduated from The Ohio State University and received his commission through the Officer Training School program in 1992. He is a command pilot with more than 4,500 hours in the C-130H2, C-5A and C-130E aircraft, and has flown combat missions in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. In addition to joint assignment experience, he has commanded at the wing and group level.
EDUCATION
1989 Bachelor of Science, Aviation, The Ohio State University, Columbus
1999 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence
2000 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2006 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2012 Joint Advanced Warfighter School, Norfolk, Va.
2012 Master of Science, Operational Planning, National Defense University, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1992–September 1992, Student, Officer Training School, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas
2. September 1992–October 1993, Undergraduate Pilot Trainee, 47th Flying Training Wing, Laughlin AFB, Texas
3. October 1993–April 1994, Pilot, C–130 Training, 714th Training Squadron, C–130 Formal Training Unit, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
4. April 1994–March 2005, Instructor and Evaluator Pilot, 757th Airlift Squadron, Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio
5. March 2005–July 2005, Chief of Group Standards and Evaluations, 910th Operations Group, Youngstown ARS, Ohio
6. July 2005–February 2008, Operations Officer, 757th Airlift Squadron, Youngstown ARS, Ohio
7. February 2008–June 2008, Deputy Group Commander, 910th OG, Youngstown ARS, Ohio
8. June 2008–July 2011, Commander, 440th OG, Pope AFB, N.C.
9. July 2011–August 2012, Student, Joint Advanced Warfighter School, Joint Forces Staff College, Naval Support Activity, Norfolk, Va.
10. August 2012–June 2014, Political–Military Planner, Joint Staff, J–5 Directorate, Partnership Strategy Deputy Directorate, Partnership Coordination Division, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
11. June 2014–September 2015, Commander, 433rd Airlift Wing, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas
12. September 2015–August 2016, Director of Reserve Forces, United States Transportation Command, Joint Enabling Capabilities Command, J9 Directorate, 953rd Reserve Support Squadron, Naval Station Norfolk, Va.
13. August 2016–September 2018, Mobilization Assistant to the Director, Air Force Special Operations Command, Headquarters, A5/8 (Plans, Policy, and Requirements) Directorate, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
14. September 2018–June 2020, Mobilization Assistant to the Director, Air Force Special Operations Command, Headquarters, A3/9 (Operations) Directorate, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
15. June 2020–July 2021, Mobilization Assistant to the Director, Air Combat Command, Headquarters, A3 (Operations) Directorate, JB Langley-Eustis, Va.
16. July 2021-March 2022, Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas
17. March 2022-Present, Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 2012–June 2014, Political-Military Planner, Joint Staff, J–5 Directorate, Partnership Strategy Deputy Directorate, Partnership Coordination Division, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a colonel
2. September 2015–August 2016, Director of Reserve Forces, United States Transportation Command, Joint Enabling Capabilities Command, J9 Directorate, 953rd Reserve Support Squadron, Naval Station Norfolk, Va., as a colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 4,500 hours
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-38, C-130E, C-130H2 and C-5A
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with oak leaf cluster
Aerial Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with silver hourglass and two "M" devices
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Sept. 23, 1992
First Lieutenant Sept. 23, 1994
Captain Dec. 24, 1997
Major May 6, 2002
Lieutenant Colonel Aug. 2, 2007
Colonel Sept. 24, 2012
Brigadier General April 4, 2018
(Current as of March 2022)