Brig. Gen. William D. Betts is the Commander, 378th Air Expeditionary Wing, Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The 378th AEW provides the 9th Air Force (Air Forces Central) commander counter-air, aerial interdiction, close-air support, air refueling, battlefield airborne communications capabilities and air battle management. The 378th AEW also provides installation support, integrated air defense, as well as reception, staging, onward movement and integration of joint forces located at Prince Sultan AB.
Brig. Gen. Betts received his commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy in May 1995. He has served as an F-35 and F-16 Instructor Pilot and an F-16 Weapons Officer. He has operational experience in Far East Asia as well as combat tours in operations Southern Watch, Northern Watch and Iraqi Freedom. He has served as Deputy Chief, Joint Doctrine Division on the Joint Staff and as the Senior Air Defense Officer in the United Kingdom’s Joint Force Air Component Headquarters. He is a command pilot with more than 2,400 flying hours, the majority of which are in the F-16.
Prior to his current position, Brig. Gen. Betts was the Vice Commander, 1st Air Force and Air Forces Northern Command, Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, where he was the principal advisor to the 1st Air Force Commander and assisted in organizing, equipping and operating air defense forces for aerospace warning and control in support of the Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command.
EDUCATION
1995 Bachelor of Science, Engineering Science, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2001 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2009 Advanced Command and Staff College, Shrivenham, United Kingdom
2009 Masters, Political Science, King’s College, London
2014 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. November 1995–March 1997, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Vance Air Force Base, Okla.
2. March 1997–December 1997, Student, F-16 Formal Training Unit, 308th Fighter Squadron, Luke AFB, Ariz.
3. January 1998–October 2000, Electronic Combat Pilot, 77th Fighter Squadron, Shaw AFB, S.C.
4. October 2000–July 2002, Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, 36th Fighter Squadron, Osan Air Base, South Korea
5. July 2002–December 2002, Student, Weapons Instructor Course, 16th Weapons Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
6. December 2002–December 2004, Chief, Weapons and Tactics, 524th Fighter Weapons Squadron, Cannon AFB, N.M.
7. January 2005–July 2008, Director of Operations, 16th Weapons Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
8. July 2008–July 2009, Student, Advanced Command and Staff College, Shrivenham, United Kingdom
9. July 2009–July 2010, Senior Air Defense Officer, Joint Force Air Component Headquarters, Royal Air Force High Wycombe, United Kingdom
10. July 2010–May 2013, F-35 Initial Cadre, Chief of Safety, 33rd Fighter Wing, Eglin AFB, Fla.
11. May 2011–May 2013, Commander, 33rd Operational Support Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla.
12. May 2013–April 2014, Student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
13. May 2014–July 2016, Deputy Chief, Joint Doctrine Division, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
14. July 2016–July 2017, Commander, 8th Operations Group, Kunsan AB, South Korea
15. July 2017–June 2019, Commander, 51st Fighter Wing, Osan AB, South Korea
16. June 2019–June 2020, Headquarters U.S. Air Force A8, Engine Room Chief, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
17. June 2020–May 2022, Vice Commander, 1st Air Force and Air Forces Northern Command, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
18. May 2022-present, 378th Air Expeditionary Wing, Prince Sultan AB, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 2014–July 2016, Deputy Chief, Joint Doctrine Division, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a lieutenant colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 2,400
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-38, AT-38, F-16 and F-35
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air and Space Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Army Commendation Medal
Air and Space Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
(Current as of February 2024)