Brig. Gen. Joseph D. McFall is the Senior Military Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, United States Department of State, Washington, D.C. In this position, he advises the Assistant Secretary on all military matters as they relate to U.S. foreign policy and provides oversight to Department of Defense personnel assigned to the Department under the DoD-State personnel exchange.
Prior to his current position, Brig. Gen. McFall was the Assistant Deputy Commander, Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central), and the Assistant Vice Commander, Ninth Air Expeditionary Task Force, Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. He has also served as the Deputy Commander for the NATO Mission Iraq at forward operating base Union III, Baghdad, Iraq and has commanded at the squadron and wing level.
General McFall received his commission through the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1993. He is a command pilot with more than 2,800 flying hours with 795 combat hours flown during operations Southern Watch, Northern Watch, Allied Force, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom.
EDUCATION
1993 Bachelor of Science, Aeronautical Engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1999 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2002 Danish Language Course, Defense Language Institute East, Arlington, Va.
2004 Master of Business Administration, International Business, Touro University International, Cypress, Calif.
2005 Master of Arts, National Security Studies, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.
2010 Air War College, Montgomery, Ala., by correspondence
2012 Master of Science, National Security Strategy, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2014 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 1993–October 1994, Student, Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas
2. February 1994–September 1995, F-16 Reserve Training Unit, Luke AFB, Ariz.
3. October 1995–February 1998, Standardization Evaluation Liaison Officer, then, Assistant Training Officer, 389th Fighter Squadron, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho
4. February 1998–February 1999, Chief, Wing Scheduling and Instructor Pilot, 8th Operations Support Squadron, 80th Fighter Squadron, Kunsan Air Base, South Korea
5. April 1999–February 2002, Chief, Wing Standardization and Evaluation, and Flight Commander, 510th Fighter Squadron, Aviano AB, Italy
6. March 2002–August 2002, Danish Language Student, Defense Language Institute East, Arlington, Va.
7. September 2002–June 2004, Royal Danish Air Force Exchange Officer, Eskadrille 726, Aalborg AB, Denmark
8. July 2004–September 2005, Student, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.
9. October 2005–April 2008, Chief, Combat Targets, Joint Functional Component Command-Network Warfare (U.S. Strategic Command), Fort George G. Meade, Md.
10. May 2008–June 2009, Director of Operations, 14th Fighter Squadron, Misawa AB, Japan
11. June 2009–January 2011, Commander, 35th Operations Support Squadron, Misawa AB, Japan
12. February 2011–July 2011, Deputy Commander, 35th Operations Group, Misawa AB, Japan
13. August 2011–June 2012, Student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
14. July 2012–June 2013, Vice Commander, 52nd Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem AB, Germany
15. July 2013–February 2015, Commander, 435th Air Ground Operations Wing and 435th Air Expeditionary Wing, Ramstein AB, Germany
16. February 2015–August 2017, Commander, 52nd Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem AB, Germany
17. August 2017–August 2018, Vice Commander, 3rd Air Force and 17th Expeditionary Air Force, Ramstein AB, Germany
18. August 2018–October 2018, Special Assistant to the Vice Chief of Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
19. October 2018–October 2019, Deputy Commander, NATO Mission Iraq, Forward Operating Base Union III, Baghdad, Iraq
20. October 2019–August 2020, Assistant Deputy Commander, United States Air Forces Central Command, and Assistant Vice Commander, 9th Air Expeditionary Task Force, Shaw AFB, S.C.
21. August 2020–June 2021, Assistant Deputy Commander, Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central), Shaw AFB, S.C.
22. June 2021–present, Senior Military Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, United States Department of State, Washington, D.C.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. October 2005–April 2008, Chief, Combat Targets, Joint Functional Component Command-Network Warfare (U.S. Strategic Command), Fort George G. Meade, Md.
2. October 2018–October 2019, Deputy Commander, NATO Mission Iraq, Forward Operating Base Union III, Baghdad, Iraq
3. June 2021–present, Senior Military Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, United States Department of State, Washington, D.C.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 2,800 (795 combat hours)
Aircraft flown: F-16, AT/T-38, T-37
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with silver oak leaf cluster and four bronze oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Kosovo Campaign Medal with two bronze stars
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal
Korean Defense Service Medal
NATO Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 2, 1993
First Lieutenant June 1, 1995
Captain June 1, 1997
Major Aug. 1, 2003
Lieutenant Colonel Sept. 1, 2007
Colonel June 1, 2012
Brigadier General Aug. 3, 2018
(Current as of September 2021)