Maj. Gen. John M. Wood is the Director, Strategy, Engagement, and Programs, U.S. Africa Command, Stuttgart Möhringen, Germany. In this capacity, Maj. Gen. Wood crafts policy and strategy; develops theater campaign, operational and force posture plans; integrates international and African partner military efforts on the Continent; and conducts a wide range of U.S. inter-agency and international engagements to achieve the commander's priorities throughout the U.S. Africa Command area of responsibility.
Maj. Gen. Wood was commissioned in 1989, earning a degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of California at Davis. He has commanded a numbered Air Force, an airlift wing, air base wing and air refueling squadron. His previous staff positions include tours on the Joint Staff at the Pentagon as well as Headquarters U.S. Transportation Command at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. As a Chief of Staff of the Air Force Fellow, he worked directly for the Secretary of Transportation advising on department-level strategic initiatives to include the Next Generation National Airspace Initiative. The general completed his senior development education as a RAND Fellow analyzing contemporary Air Force issues such as C-130 fleet aging.
Prior to assuming his current position, Maj. Gen. Wood served as the Commander, Third Air Force, Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
Maj. Gen. Wood is a command pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours, primarily in the T-38, C-130, KC-10 and C-17.
EDUCATION
1989 Bachelor of Science, Aeronautical Engineering, University of California, Davis
1996 Master of Science, Aeronautical Science, Embry-Riddle University, Fla.
1996 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2001 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2005 Air War College Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2007 Senior Development Education, RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, Calif.
2008 Leadership Development, Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, N.C.
2008 Leadership Seminar, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 2011 Joint Professional Military Education, Phase II, Norfolk, Va.
2013 Defense Acquisition Executive Officer Workshop, Fort Belvoir, Va.
2016 Senior Joint Intelligence Operations Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2016 Combined Force Air Component Commander Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. November 1989–November 1990, Student, 71st Flying Training Wing, Vance Air Force Base, Okla.
2. November 1990–October 1993, First Assignment T-38 Instructor Pilot, 25th Flying Training Squadron, Vance AFB, Okla. 3. October 1993–December 1998, C-130H Pilot, Instructor Pilot, Flight Examiner Pilot and Group Standardization and Evaluation Pilot, 317th Airlift Group, Dyess AFB, Texas
4. December 1998–September 2001, KC-10 Pilot, Instructor Pilot, Flight Examiner Pilot and Chief of Squadron Standardization and Evaluation, 6th Air Refueling Squadron, Travis AFB, Calif.
5. September 2001–August 2004, Assistant Executive Officer to the Commander, Air Mobility Command and Aide de Camp to the Commander, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
6. September 2004–June 2006, Commander, 32nd Air Refueling Squadron, McGuire AFB, N.J. (February 2005–June 2005, Commander, 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, Southwest Asia)
7. July 2006–June 2007, Senior Development Education, Air Force Operations Fellow, RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, Calif.
8. June 2007–May 2008, Deputy Commander, 60th Operations Group, Travis AFB, Calif.
9. May 2008–May 2009, Chief of Staff of the Air Force Fellow and Senior Air and Space Advisor to the Secretary of Transportation, Washington, D.C.
10. May 2009–June 2011, Commander, 437th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Charleston, S.C.
11. June 2011–July 2013, Commander, Joint Base and 87th Air Base Wing, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
12. July 2013–March 2015, Deputy Director of Strategic Plans, Requirements and Programs, Scott AFB, Ill. (July 2014–January 2015, U.S. Air Forces Central Command Director of Mobility Forces, U.S. Central Command, Southwest Asia)
13. March 2015–June 2017, Deputy Director for Politico-Military Affairs (Europe, NATO, Russia), Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate (J5), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
14. June 2017–August 2018, Director of Strategic Plans, Requirements and Programs, Scott AFB, Ill. 15. September 2018–June 2020, Commander, Third Air Force, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
16. July 2020–present, Director, Strategy, Engagement, and Programs, U.S. Africa Command, Stuttgart-Möhringen, Germany
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 2002–August 2004, Aide de Camp to the Commander, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill., as a major and lieutenant colonel
2. March 2015–June 2017, Deputy Director for Politico-Military Affairs (Europe, NATO, Russia), Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate (J5), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. as a brigadier general
3. July 2020–present, Director, Strategy, Engagement, and Programs, U.S. Africa Command, Stuttgart, Germany
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 4,000
Aircraft: T-38, C-130E/H/H1/H2, KC-10, C-17, C-21, T-37, T-1 and AH-1 Cobra
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal
Army Commendation Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant April 1, 1989
First Lieutenant July 25, 1991
Captain July 25, 1993
Major Nov 1, 2000
Lieutenant Colonel, April 1, 2004
Colonel, Sept 1, 2007
Brigadier General, Dec 31, 2013
Major General, Aug 2, 2017
(Current as of November 2020)