Brig. Gen. Michael P. Cruff serves as the Mobilization Assistant to the Chief of the Air Force Reserve, Headquarters United States Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. He facilitates matters pertaining to the oversight of Air Force Reserve appropriations for personnel, operations and maintenance, and construction programs for a force of more than 70,000 personnel. As Deputy, he often represents the Chief with other Air Staff agencies in the formulation and development of plans, policies and programs affecting the Air Force Reserve. Brig Gen. Cruff assists the Chief in developing the organizational architecture of the Air Force Reserve in accordance with wartime requirements and budget realities. During mobilization, he advises Air Force officials on capabilities and issues related to mobilization of the Air Force Reserve to plans and policies for recall.
Brig. Gen. Cruff was commissioned in 1995 through the Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program at University of Massachusetts-Lowell. He is a Command Pilot with multiple assignments flying the KC-10, C-21 and C-40 aircraft, including command tours at the squadron, group and wing levels. He also served at the combatant command level as the commander of the 954th Reserve Support Squadron and as chief of the United States Transportation Command Deployment Distribution Operations Center at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.
Brig. Gen. Cruff has deployed/mobilized twelve times commanding combat and combat support missions in support of operations Allied Force, Desert Fox, Southern Watch, Desert Strike, Phoenix Scorpion, Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn. Prior to his current assignment, Brig. Gen. Cruff served as Mobilization Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia.
Brig. Gen. Cruff is a command pilot with more than 4,300 military flight hours.
EDUCATION
1995 Bachelor of Science, Public Administration, University of Massachusetts-Lowell, Lowell, Mass.
2000 Air Mobility Operations Course, US Air Force Expeditionary Center, Fort Dix, N.J.
2002 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2010 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2010 Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2011 Advanced Leadership Course, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn.
2012 Reserve Component National Security Course, National Defense University, Fort Leslie J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2013 Headquarters Air Force Reserve Orientation Course, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
2013 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2016 Joint Combined Warfighters School - Hybrid, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
2019 Director of Mobility Forces Course, Air Force Expeditionary Center, Detachment 1, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2020 Africa Seminar, Alan L. Freed Associates, Capital Hill Club, Washington, D.C.
2021 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School Chapel Hill, N.C.
2021 NATO Senior Officer Policy Course, Oberammergau, Germany
2023 Senior Executives in National and International Security Course, Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, Mass.
2024 Leading Data and AI-Enabled Organizations Course, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1995–May 1996, Special Assistant to the Commander, Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Detachment 345, Lowell, Mass.
2. May 1996–June 1997, student, specialized undergraduate pilot training, Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.
3. June 1997–September 2001, KC-10 Instructor Pilot and Squadron Executive Officer, 2d Air Refueling Squadron, McGuire AFB, N.J.
4. September 2001–June 2005, C-21 Evaluator Pilot, Flight Commander, Chief of Standardization and Evaluation and Assistant Director of Operations, Andrews AFB, Md.
5. June 2005–June 2012, KC-10 Instructor/Evaluator Pilot, Flight Commander and Assistant Chief Pilot, 78th
Air Refueling Squadron, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
6. June 2012–June 2016, Commander, 78th Air Refueling Squadron, 514th Air Mobility Wing, JB McGuire- Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
7. June 2016–April 2017, Deputy Commander, 514th Operations Group, 514th Air Mobility Wing, JB McGuire- Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
8. April 2017–November 2018, Commander, 954th Reserve Support Squadron, Joint Transportation Reserve Unit; and Chief, U.S. Transportation Command Deployment Distribution Operations Center, Scott AFB, Ill.
9. November 2018–July 2020, Vice Commander, 932nd Airlift Wing, Scott AFB, Ill. (December 2018–May 2019, Commander, 932nd Airlift Wing, Scott AFB, Ill.)
10. July 2020–August 2022, Mobilization Assistant to the Director, Strategic Plans, Requirements and Programs, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
11. August 2022–April 2024, Deputy Commander, 22nd Air Force, Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga.
12. April 2024–February 2025, Mobilization Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
13. March 2025–present, Mobilization Assistant to the Chief of the Air Force Reserve, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. April 2017–November 2018, Chief, U.S. Transportation Command Deployment Distribution Operations Center, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., as a colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 4,300
Aircraft flown: T-3, T-37, T-1, C-21A, C-40C and KC-10A
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Force Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
Distinguished Graduate, Air Force Officer Training Corps
SUPT Leadership Award
Distinguished Graduate, KC-10 Aircraft Commander Upgrade Training
Air Mobility Command Aircrew of the Year
Distinguished Graduate, Squadron Officer School
(Current as of April 2025)