Brig. Gen. James L. Hartle is the Mobilization Assistant to the Air Force Director of Staff, Headquarters Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. Brig. Gen. Hartle serves as an assistant to the Air Force’s Director of Staff to synchronize and integrate policy, plans, resources, procedures and cross functional issues for the headquarters staff. As the senior Air Force Reserve officer on the staff, Brig. Gen. Hartle represents Air Force Reserve equities in the Air Force’s Total Force Continuum effort. He provides expertise in roles, missions and capabilities across all echelons of the Reserve of the Air Force and in the Air Force Reserve Command, a force of over 70,000 Reserve Airmen serving in operational missions worldwide.
Brig. Gen. Hartle received his commission in 1996 through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Valdosta State University, Georgia. During his military career, Brig. Gen. Hartle has held positions as an Aircraft Maintenance Unit Officer–in–Charge, Maintenance Operations Officer, Aide–de–Camp, Officer–in–Charge of a Base Honor Guard, Action Officer on the Pentagon’s air staff, Squadron Commander, Deputy Maintenance Group Commander, Maintenance Group Commander, Division Director at the Numbered Air Force level and Division Chief on the Joint Staff.
Prior to his current position, the general was the Associate Director of Logistics, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, Headquarters Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia.
EDUCATION
1996 Bachelor of Science, Biology, Valdosta State University, Ga.
2002 Master of Science, Aviation Management, Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona, Fla.
2004 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2011 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2016 Master of Strategic Studies, Air War College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2018 Reserve Component National Security Course, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2021 Enterprise Perspective Seminar, Alan L. Freed Associates, Capitol Hill Club, Washington, D.C.
2023 Executive Leadership Program; Managing for Inclusion, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
2024 Leading Data and AI Enabled Organizations, Naval Post Graduate School, Monterrey, Calif.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1996–December 1996, Assistant Officer–in–Charge (OIC), Logistics Plans Flight, 49th Logistics Support Squadron, 49th Fighter Wing, Holloman Air Force Base, N.M.
2. December 1996–March 1997, Student, Aircraft Maintenance Officer Course, Shepard AFB, Texas
3. March 1997–September 1998, Sortie Generation Flight Commander, 48th Rescue Squadron, 49th Fighter Wing, Holloman AFB, N.M.
4. September 1998–May 2002, multiple unit assignments culminating as OIC, MC–130H/P Aircraft Maintenance Unit, 352nd Special Operations Maintenance Squadron, 352nd Special Operations Group, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom
5. May 1999–October 2001, OIC, Team Mildenhall Honor Guard, 100th Air Refueling Wing, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom
6. May 2002–February 2004, Aide–de–Camp to the Commander, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
7. March 2004–April 2005, OIC, 35th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, 8th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 8th Fighter Wing, Kunsan Air Base, Republic of South Korea
8. May 2005–June 2006, Officer in Charge, 58th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 33rd Fighter Wing, Eglin AFB, Fla.
9. June 2006–March 2007, Maintenance Operations Officer, 1st Special Operations Maintenance Squadron, 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
10. March 2007–December 2009, assigned to the Inactive Ready Reserve
11. March 2010–September 2010, Chief, Weapon System Integration/Special Operations Aircraft Sustainment Branch, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Installations and Mission Support, Headquarters, U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
12. December 2009–May 2012, Commander, 512th Maintenance Operations Flight, 512th Airlift Wing, Dover AFB, Del.
13. May 2012–November 2012, Commander, 512th Maintenance Squadron, 512th Airlift Wing, Dover AFB, Del.
14. November 2012–July 2015, Deputy Commander, 908th Maintenance Group, 908th Airlift Wing, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
15. February 2014–August 2014, Deputy Commander, 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Group, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, Al Udeid AB, Qatar
16. July 2015–July 2016, Student, Air War College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
17. August 2016–March 2018, Commander, 452nd Maintenance Group, 452nd Air Mobility Wing, March Air Reserve Base, Calif.
18. March 2018–May 2019, Director of Engineering, Logistics and Force Protection, Fourth Air Force Headquarters, March Air Reserve Base, Calif.
19. May 2019–June 2020, Chief, Current Operations Division and Director Joint Logistics Operations Center, National Joint Operations and Intelligence Center, National Military Command Center, Joint Staff Directorate of Logistics, Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
20. June 2020–June 2021, Chief, Logistics Wargaming and Analysis Division, Joint Staff Directorate of Logistics, Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
21. June 2021–March 2024, Associate Director of Logistics, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, Headquarters Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
22. March 2024–present, Mobilization Assistant to the Air Force Director of Staff, Headquarters, United States Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 2019–June 2020, Chief, Current Operations Division and Director Joint Logistics Operations Center, National Joint Operations and Intelligence Center, National Military Command Center, Joint Staff Directorate of Logistics, Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. as a colonel
2. June 2020–June 2021, Chief, Logistics Wargaming and Analysis Division, Joint Staff Directorate of Logistics, Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. as a colonel
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Bronze Star
Meritorious Service Medal with silver leaf cluster
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air and Space Recognition Ribbon
2000 Airlift and Tanker Association Young Leader Award
(Current as of September 2024)