Lt. Gen. Russell L. Mack is the Deputy Commander, Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. He assists the Commander in organizing, training, equipping and maintaining combat-ready forces for rapid deployment and employment while ensuring strategic air defense forces are ready to meet the challenges of peacetime air sovereignty and wartime defense.
The command operates more than 1,300 aircraft, 34 wings, 19 bases, and has more than 70 operating locations worldwide with 98,000 active-duty and civilian personnel. When mobilized, the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve contribute more than 700 aircraft and 53,000 people to ACC. As the Combat Air Forces lead agent, ACC develops strategy, doctrine, concepts, tactics, and procedures for air and space power employment. The command provides conventional and information warfare forces to all unified commands to ensure air, space and information superiority for warfighters and national decision-makers. The command can also be called upon to assist national agencies with intelligence, surveillance and crisis response capabilities.
A graduate of the University of New Hampshire in Durham, Lt. Gen. Mack received his commission through the Officer Training School program in 1988. During his career, Lt. Gen. Mack has served as F-15E Electronic Warfare Officer, A/OA-10A/C Replacement Training Unit Instructor Pilot, U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, The Thunderbirds, Right Wingman Pilot and Commander of the 71st Flying Training Wing. He served as Vice Commander, of the 52nd Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany; the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing while deployed to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan and Seventh Air Force, South Korea and Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.
Lt. Gen. Mack has staff experience as Military Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense, and as Director, Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Staff of the Air Force Executive Action Group, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. Lt. Gen. Mack also completed a National Defense Fellowship at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Prior to his current assignment, Lt. Gen. Mack served as the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, Headquarter U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. He is a command pilot with more than 3,600 flying hours in the A/OA-10A/C, F-15E, F-16C/D, T-38A/C and T-37, and has combat tours in Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Southern Watch and Enduring Freedom.
EDUCATION
1984 Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering, University of New Hampshire, Durham, N.H.
1994 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1996 Master's, Public Administration, Troy State University, Montgomery, Ala.
2000 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2004 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2008 Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
2009 Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, N.C.
2010 National Defense Fellow, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
2010 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Darden School of Business, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
2013 Joint Force Air Component Commander Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2014 Combined Force Maritime Component Commander Course, Headquarters U.S. Southern Command, Miami, Fla.
2017 Joint Force Maritime Component Commander Course, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
2018 Joint Flag Officer Warfighter Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2020 Cybersecurity: The Intersection of Policy and Technology, Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, Mass.
2021 Cyberspace Operations Executive Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2021 Artificial Intelligence for National Security, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, Mass.
2021 Senior Joint Information Operations Applications Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2022 Continuous Improvement & Innovation Executive Course, Duke University, Durham, N.C.
2023 Leadership at the Peak, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. April 1988–May 1989, Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training, Mather Air Force Base, Calif.
2. June 1989–April 1990, F-15E Replacement Training Unit Training, Luke AFB, Ariz.
3. May 1990–October 1991, F-15E Electronic Warfare Officer, 336th Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
4. November 1991–December 1992, Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training, Sheppard AFB, Texas
5. January 1993 - August 1993, A/OA-10 Formal Training Unit, 358th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
6. September 1993–August 1996, A/OA-10 Instructor Pilot/Flight Commander, 55th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Shaw AFB, S.C.
7. September 1996–September 1997, Chief, A/OA-10A Standardization-Evaluation Division, 51st Operations Group, Osan Air Base, South Korea
8. October 1997–September 1998, A/OA-10A RTU Instructor Pilot, 357th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
9. October 1998–July 1999, Thunderbird Right Wing Pilot; Chief 57th Wing Commander’s Action Group, Nellis AFB, Nev.
10. August 1999–August 2002, Assistant Operations Officer, 90th Flying Training Squadron, Sheppard AFB, Texas.
11. September 2002–April 2003, Chief, Wing Safety, 47th Flying Training Wing, Laughlin AFB, Texas.
12. May 2003–July 2004, Operations Officer, 87th Flying Training Squadron, Laughlin AFB, Texas.
13. August 2004–February 2006, Commander, 87th Flying Training Squadron, Laughlin AFB, Texas.
14. January 2006–February 2006, Deputy Operations Group Commander, 47th Operations Group, Laughlin AFB, Texas.
15. February 2006–July 2008, Military Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense, Headquarters U.S. Air Force the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
16. July 2008–June 2009, Vice Commander, 52nd Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem AB, Germany
17. December 2008–May 2009, Vice Commander, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan
18. July 2009–May 2010, National Defense Fellow, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
19. May 2010–June 2012, Commander, 71st Flying Training Wing, Vance AFB, Okla.
20. July 2012–July 2013, Director, Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Staff of the Air Force Executive Action Group, HAF, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
21. August 2013–May 2015, Vice Commander, 7th Air Force, Air Forces Korea, and Chief of Staff, Air Component Command, Osan AB, South Korea
22. June 2015–May 2016, Inspector General, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
23. May 2016–June 2017, Director, Plans, Programs, and Requirements, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
24. June 2017–June 2019, Deputy Commander, Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
25. June 2019–August 2021, Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
26. August 2021–present, Deputy Commander, Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
February 2006–July 2008, Military Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a lieutenant colonel and colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 3,600 hours, including more than 400 combat hours
Aircraft flown: A/OA-10, F-15E, F-16C/D, T-37 and T-38A/C
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit Medal with oak leaf cluster
Distinguished Flying Cross
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with two silver oak leaf clusters
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant April 13, 1988
First Lieutenant April 13, 1990
Captain April 13, 1992
Major July 1, 1999
Lieutenant Colonel March 1, 2003
Colonel September 1, 2007
Brigadier General Sept. 13, 2013
Major General July 4, 2017
Lieutenant General Aug. 16, 2021
(Current as of October 2023)