Maj. Gen. Claude K. Tudor Jr. serves as the Director of Operations, J3, United States Africa Command. As the Director of Operations, Maj. Gen. Tudor provides oversight and direction for all operations divisions at AFRICOM. Working with partners, AFRICOM counters transnational threats and malign actors, strengthens security forces and responds to crises in order to advance U.S. national interests and promote regional security, stability and prosperity.
Maj. Gen. Tudor was commissioned through the ROTC program at Troy State University, Alabama, and has spent the majority of his career in special operations ground combat assignments, deploying extensively.
Prior to AFRICOM, the general served as the Commander for the Combined Special Operations Joint Task Force – Levant, and Chief of Staff, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces.
EDUCATION
1992 Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice, Troy State University, Ala.
1998 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1999 Master of Business Management, Troy State University, Fort Walton Beach, Fla.
2003 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence.
2004 Joint Military Intelligence College (Intermediate Developmental Education), Bolling AFB, Washington, D.C.
2004 Master of Strategic Intelligence, Joint Military Intelligence College, Bolling AFB, Washington, D.C.
2007 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2010 Master of Strategic Studies, U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 1992–May 1995, Flight Commander, 314th Combat Control Squadron, Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark.
2. May 1995–May 1997, Flight Commander, 320th Special Tactics Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Japan
3. May 1997–May 1999, Director of Force Management, 720th Special Tactics Group, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
4. May 1999–May 2000, Assistant Director of Operations, 720th STG, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
5. May 2000–April 2001, Chief, Air Operations Integration, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
6. April 2001–August 2003, Director of Operations, 321st STS, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom
7. August 2003–June 2004, Student, Joint Military Intelligence College, Bolling AFB, Washington, D.C.
8. June 2004–July 2006, Commander, 321st STS, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom
9. July 2006–July 2007, Chief of Special Tactics and Battlefield Airmen Branch, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
10. July 2007–July 2009, Foreign Affairs Specialist, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
11. July 2009–July 2010, Student, United States Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.
12. July 2010–January 2011, U.S. Army XVIII Airborne Corps Air Liaison Officer, Fort Bragg, N.C.
13. January 2011–December 2011, Commander, 368th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Group, Iraq
14. December 2011–June 2014, Deputy Director of Operations, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.
15. June 2014–July 2016, Vice Commander, 20th Air Force and Task Force 214 Deputy Commander, F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo.
16. July 2016–July 2017, Deputy Director Clandestine Operations, Global Access and Mission Integration, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
17. July 2017–March 2018, (Acting) Director Clandestine Operations, Global Access and Mission Integration, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
18. March 2018–April 2019, Commander, 24th Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
19. May 2019–June 2021, Director of Air Force Resilience, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
20. July 2021–May 2022, Chief of Staff, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
21. June 2022–June 2023, Commander, Combined Special Operations Joint Task Force - Levant, Jordan
22. July 2023-present, Director of Operations, AFRICOM J3, Stuttgart, Germany
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2007–July 2009, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Global Security Affairs, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a lieutenant colonel
2. December 2011–June 2014, Deputy Director of Operations, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C., as a colonel
3. July 2016–July 2017, Deputy Director Clandestine Operations, Global Access and Mission Integration, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a colonel
4. July 2017–March 2018, (Acting) Director Clandestine Operations, Global Access and Mission Integration, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a colonel
5. June 2022–June 2023, Commander, Combined Special Operations Joint Task Force, Jordan, as a brigadier general
6. July 2023-present, Director of Operations, AFRICOM J3, Stuttgart, Germany, as a brigadier general
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with two devices
Bronze Star Medal with device
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with device
Joint Meritorious Unit Award Gallant Unit Citation
OTHER AWARDS AND HONORS
1994 Air Combat Command Combat Control Officer of the Year
1996 Air Force Special Operations Combat Control Officer of the Year
1996 Air Force Combat Control Officer of the Year
2004 Air Force Special Operations Gill Robb Wilson Award Recipient
(Current as of February 2024)