Gen. Glen D. VanHerck is Commander, United States Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command. USNORTHCOM conducts homeland defense, civil support and security cooperation to defend and secure the United States and its interests. NORAD conducts aerospace warning, aerospace control and maritime warning in the defense of North America.
Gen. VanHerck is a graduate of the University of Missouri and commissioned through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program. He has a diverse background that includes operational and training assignments in the F-15C Eagle, F-35A Lighting II, B-2A Spirit and B-1B Lancer aircraft. He has served as an instructor pilot and flight examiner in the F-15C, B-2A and T-6A Texan II. Additionally, he served as a U.S. Air Force Weapons School instructor in the F-15C and the B-2A.
He has commanded at the squadron, group and twice at the wing level, including the 325th Weapons Squadron, the 71st Operations Group, the 7th Bomb Wing and the 509th Bomb Wing. As a major general, he commanded the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center. His staff assignments include tours as the B-2 Program Element Monitor at Headquarters Air Combat Command, the Director of Operations at Headquarters Air Force Global Strike Command, the Director of Plans and Integration at U.S. Strategic Command, the Vice Director of Strategy, Plans and Policy (J5) at the Joint Staff, and the Vice Director of the Joint Staff.
Prior to his current assignment, Gen. VanHerck was the Director, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. In this role, he assisted the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in his role as advisor to the President and Secretary of Defense, coordinated and directed the activities of the Joint Staff in support of the Chairman and served as the Staff Inspector General.
EDUCATION
1987 Bachelor of Science, General Studies, University of Missouri, Columbia
1995 Squadron Officers School, Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1999 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2000 Master of Science, Aviation Safety/Management, University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg
2005 Air War College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2008 Master of Arts, National Security and Strategy, Naval War College, Newport Naval Station, R.I.
2008 Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
2009 U.S. Air Force Executive Leadership Seminar, Darden School of Business, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
2014 Combined Force Air Component Commanders Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2015 Cyberspace Operations Executive Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2015 Joint Flag Officer Warfighting Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2016 Joint Senior Information Operations Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 1988‒January 1989, Undergraduate Pilot Training, 14th Flying Training Wing, Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.
2. February 1989‒May 1989, Student, Lead-in-Fighter Training, Holloman AFB, N.M.
3. June 1989‒November 1989, Student, F-15C Replacement Training, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
4. November 1989‒December 1993, F-15C Aircraft Commander, Mission Commander, Instructor Pilot, Flight Examiner, 44th Fighter Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Japan
5. January 1994‒June 1994, Student, U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
6. July 1994‒May 1997, Chief, Weapons and Tactics, Flight Commander, Assistant Director of Operations, 94th Fighter Squadron, Langley AFB, Va.
7. May 1997‒July 1998, F-15C Instructor Pilot, Chief of Safety, U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
8. August 1998‒March 2001, Assistant Director of Operations, 393rd Bomb Squadron, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
9. April 2001‒December 2001, Director of Operations, 325th Bomb Squadron, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
10. January 2002‒July 2004, B-2 Program Element Monitor, Chief, Air Combat Command Senior Officer Management, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va.
11. July 2004‒December 2004, B-2 Requalification Training, 394th Combat Training Squadron, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
12. January 2005‒January 2007, Commander, 325th Weapons Squadron, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
13. January 2007‒July 2007, Deputy Commander, 509th Operations Group, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
14. August 2007‒June 2008, Student, U.S. Naval War College, Newport Naval Station, R.I.
15. July 2008‒August 2008, Student, T-6A Pilot Instructor Training, 559th Flying Training Squadron, Randolph AFB, Texas
16. September 2008‒January 2010, Commander, 71st Operations Group, Vance AFB, Okla.
17. January 2010‒June 2010, Vice Commander, 71st Flying Training Wing, Vance AFB, Okla.
18. June 2010‒June 2012, Director, Plans and Integration, Joint Functional Component Command for Global Strike, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb.
19. July 2012‒February 2014, Commander, 7th Bomb Wing, Dyess AFB, Texas
20. February 2014‒June 2015, Commander, 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
21. June 2015‒March 2016, Director, Operations, Headquarters Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB, La.
22. March 2016–July 2017, Commander, U.S. Air Force Warfare Center, Nellis AFB, Nev.
23. July 2017–August 2018, Vice Director, Strategy Plans and Policy (J5), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
24. August 2018–September 2019, Vice Director, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
25. September 2019–August 2020, Director, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
26. August 2020–February 2024, Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command, Colorado Springs, Colo.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2010‒June 2012, Director, Plans and Integration, Joint Functional Component Command for Global Strike, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., as a colonel
2. July 2017–August 2018, Vice Director, Strategy, Plans, and Policy (J5), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a major general
3. August 2018–September 2019, Vice Director, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a major general
4. September 2019–August 2020, Director, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a lieutenant general
5. August 2020–February 2024, Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command, Colorado Springs, Colo. as a general
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 3,200
Aircraft flown: T-1A, T-6A, T-37, T-38A, A/T-38B, T-38C, F-15A/B/C/D, F-35A, B-1B and B-2A
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Distinguished Service Medal (Air Force)
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air and Space Commendation Medal
Air and Space Achievement Medal
Military Distinction Award (Government of Mexico Award)
Meritorious Service Cross (Government of Canada Award)
(Current as of March 2024)