Maj. Gen. Curtis R. Bass is the Deputy Commander, 9th Air Force (Air Forces Central) and Deputy Commander, Combined Forces Air Component Command, United States Central Command, Southwest Asia. As Deputy Commander, he is responsible for the command and control of air operations and development and execution of contingency plans in a 21-nation area of responsibility covering Central and Southwest Asia.
Maj. Gen. Bass is a Master Air Battle Manager with more than 2,600 hours in the E-3 AWACS and E-8C Joint STARS command and control battle management aircraft. He has commanded at the Squadron, Group, and Wing levels. He has served on the personal staff of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, the Commander of Air Forces Central Command, and as an Air Force Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City. Maj. Gen. Bass received his commission in the U.S. Air Force from Mississippi State University Air Force ROTC in 1995.
EDUCATION
1995 Bachelor of Arts International Law-International Relations, Mississippi State University
2001 Graduate U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.
2002 Squadron Officers School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2008 Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.,
2008 Air War College, by correspondence, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2013 Master of National Security and Strategic Studies, U.S. Naval War College, Newport Naval Air Station, R.I.
2018 Leading Strategically Executive Course, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2021 SLOC-21A, Senior Leader Orientation Course, Smart Center, Andrews AFB, Md.
2021 Enterprise Perspectives Seminar, Alan L. Freed Assoc., Alexandria, Va.
2023 CAPSTONE, National Defense University, Joint Base Anacostia-Boling, Washington, D.C.
2023 Advanced Senior Leader Development Course, Warrenton, Va.
2023 Cyberspace Operations Executive Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2023 Global Cyber for Senior Leaders Course, Defense Innovation Unit
2024 Combinded/Joint Special Operations Component Commander Course, MacDill AFB, Fla.
2024 Combined Forces Air Component Commander Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2024 Joint Forces Maritime Component Commander Course, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1995–October 1995, Assistant Professor of Aerospace Science, AFROTC Detachment 425, Mississippi State University, Starkville
2. October 1995–March 1996, Student, Aviation Preflight Indoctrination, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.
3. March 1996–July 1996, Student, Undergraduate Controller Training, 325th Fighter Wing, Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.
4. July 1996–July 1997, Instructor/Evaluator Weapons Director and Senior Director, 621st Air Control Squadron, Osan Air Base, South Korea
5. September 1997–August 2000, E-3 Weapons Director, Instructor Senior Director, Deputy Chief of Weapons and Tactics, 964th Airborne Air Control Squadron, Tinker AFB, Okla.
6. August 2000–July 2001, Instructor Senior Director, Chief of Weapons and Tactics, 966th AACS, Tinker AFB, Okla.
7. August 2001–February 2002, Weapons Officer, Chief of Tactics, 962nd AACS, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
8. February 2002–June 2003, Wing Tactics Officer, 3rd Wing/3rd Operations Support Squadron, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
9. June 2003–February 2004, Evaluator Senior Director, Flight Commander, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
10. February 2004–April 2005, Weapons School Instructor/E-3 Evaluator Senior Director, 8th Weapons Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
11. April 2005–June 2006, Chief-Weapons School Academics and Editor, Weapons Review Magazine, U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
12. June 2006–June 2007, Executive Officer to the Commander, U.S. Air Force Warfare Center, Nellis AFB, Nev.
13. August 2007–June 2008, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
14. June 2008–June 2009, Chief-Programs Branch, Headquarters Air Force Test and Evaluation, Policy and Programs Division, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
15. June 2009–April 2010, Military Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
16. April 2010–June 2011, Director of Operations, 16th ACCS, Robins AFB, Ga.
17. July 2011–July 2012, Commander, 7th Expeditionary Airborne Command and Control Squadron, Al Udeid AB, Qatar
18. July 2012–June 2013, Senior Development Education Student, U.S. Naval War College, Newport Naval Air Station, R.I.
19. July 2013–October 2013, Branch Chief, C2 Systems Integration Branch, C2 Systems Division, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
20. November 2013–April 2015, Military Deputy, C2 Systems Division, North American Air Defense, Peterson AFB, Colo.
21. May 2015–June 2016, Chief, C2 Operations Divisions, NORAD, Peterson AFB, Colo.
22. July 2016–June 2017, Air Forces Central A3 and Commander, 609th Air Operations Center, Al Udeid AB, Qatar
23. July 2017–July 2019, Commander, 461st Air Control Wing, Robins AFB, Ga.
24. July 2019–May 2020, Air Force Fellow and Military Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, New York, N.Y.
25. June 2020–May 2022, Senior Executive Officer to the Air Force Chief of Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
26. June 2022–May 2024, Deputy Commander, U.S. Air Force Warfare Center, Nellis AFB, Nev.
27. May 2024–present, Deputy Commander, Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central), Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, and the Combined Forces Air Component Deputy Commander for U.S. Central Command, Southwest Asia
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: master air battle manager
Flight hours: more than 2,600
Aircraft flown: E-3B/C AWACS and E-8C JSTARS
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Bronze Star Medal
Medal Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters PACAF Air Battle Manager of the Year 2003
(Current as of May 2024)