Brig. Gen. Eric A. Carney is the Director of Plans, Programs and Requirements, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas. He is responsible for planning and programming a $7.6 billion annual budget, which supports 60,000 personnel who recruit, train and educate U.S. Air Force Airmen and international partners across 22 installations. He also develops AETC’s inputs to the Program Objective Memorandum, leads AETC Strategic Planning, and manages flying training and technical training operational capability requirements.
Prior to his current position, Brig. Gen. Carney was the Director of the Commander's Initiatives Group, United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command and United States Forces Korea, Camp Humphreys, Republic of Korea. As Director, he led a twelve-member Political Military team in executive support of the Four-Star UNC/CFC/USFK Commanding General. Executive support included developing, synchronizing and distributing key elements of the Commander’s vision and strategic objectives to internal and external audiences in order to successfully execute each command’s Theater Campaign Plan.
EDUCATION
1995 Bachelor of Science, Sociology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan.
2000 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2004 Master of Science, Aeronautical Science, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Fla.
2008 Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
2013 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2015 Enterprise Perspective Seminar, Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.
2015 Leadership Development Program, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2015 Senior Executives in National and International Security, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Cambridge, Mass.
2017 Seminar XXI, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
2018 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Kenan-Flagler Business School, Chapel Hill, N.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
June 1995–September 1996, Student, Undergraduate Navigator Training, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas
January 1997–May 2000, Special Operations Low Level II Instructor Navigator C-141B, Charleston AFB, S.C.
May 2000–November 2001, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin AFB, Texas
November 2001–June 2006, Flight Commander, Chief of Training and Assistant Operations Officer, SOLL II Evaluator Pilot, C-17A, Charleston AFB, S.C.
June 2006–June 2007, Wing Executive Officer, SOLL II Evaluator Pilot, C-17A, Charleston AFB, S.C.
June 2007–June 2008, Student, Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
August 2008–June 2010, Operations Officer, Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, Fort Eustis, Va.
June 2010–May 2012, Commander, 7th Airlift Squadron, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. (January 2011–May 2011, Commander, 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, Al-Udeid Air Base, Qatar) (January 2012–March 2012, Commander, 817th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, Incirlik AB, Turkey)
June 2012–June 2013, Student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
July 2013–August 2014, Deputy Division Chief, Concepts, Strategy and Wargaming Division, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
August 2014–August 2015, Air Force Planner, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
August 2015–June 2017, Chief of Staff of the Air Force Fellow, Central Intelligence Agency, Langley, Va.
June 2017–June 2019, Commander, 97th Air Mobility Wing, Altus AFB, Okla.
July 2019–July 2021, Director, Commander’s Initiatives Group, United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command and United States Forces Korea, Camp Humphreys, Republic of Korea
July 2021–present, Director of Plans, Programs, and Requirements, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
August 2008–June 2010, Operations Officer, Battle Staff Branch, Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, Fort Eustis, Va., as a major
August 2015–June 2017, Chief of Staff of the Air Force Fellow, Central Intelligence Agency, Langley, Va., as a colonel
July 2019–June 2021, Director, Commander’s Initiatives Group, United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command and United States Forces Korea, Camp Humphreys, Republic of Korea, as a colonel and brigadier general
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 3,900
Aircraft flown: T-1, T-37, C-141B and C-17A
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with five oak leaf clusters
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Meritorious Unit Award
Combat Readiness Medal with two oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with bronze star
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with bronze star
Iraq Campaign Medal with bronze star
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 12, 1995
First Lieutenant May 31, 1997
Captain May 31, 1999
Major November 1, 2005
Lieutenant Colonel March 10, 2010
Colonel August 1, 2015
Brigadier General April 15, 2021
(Current as of August 2021)