Lt. Gen. Scott A. Howell is the 15th Commander of Joint Special Operations Command, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Prior to assuming command at JSOC, Lt. Gen. Howell served as the U.S. Special Operations Command Vice Commander in Washington, D.C., where he planned, coordinated and executed USSOCOM initiatives with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Joint Staff, military services, and other government agencies.
General Howell was commissioned through the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1987, and earned his wings at Fort Rucker Alabama. He is a career helicopter pilot with assignments in rescue and special operations, and participated in operations in Iraq, Kuwait, Bosnia, Haiti, Kosovo, Mozambique, Djibouti and Afghanistan. He is a command pilot with 2,600 hours of flight time across six unique air platforms.
General Howell has commanded a squadron, group, joint special operations air component, special operations wing and special operations task force. In his most recent command tour, he led all NATO special operations forces in Afghanistan as the Commanding General of NATO Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan and Special Operations Joint Task Force-Afghanistan. His senior staff positions include service in the Air Staff, Air Force Special Operations Command, U.S. Special Operations Command and as the Deputy Director of Special Operations at the Joint Staff.
EDUCATION
1987 Bachelor of Science in management, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1991 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1995 Master of Science in management, Troy State University, Troy, Ala.
2000 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2002 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2004 Air War College, by correspondence
2008 Master of Science, national security strategy, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 1987 - June 1988, undergraduate helicopter pilot training, Fort Rucker, Ala.
2. June 1988 - December 1989, UH-1N Pilot, Detachment 24, 37th Air Rescue Squadron, Fairchild AFB, Wash.
3. December 1989 - October 1991, UH-1H Exchange Pilot, 2nd Armored Division,1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas
4. October 1991 - December 1991, student, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
5. December 1991 - August 1992, student, MH-53J flying training, 551st Tactical Training Squadron, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
6. August 1992 - June 1997, MH-53 Instructor Pilot and 75th Ranger Regiment Liaison Officer, 20th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
7. June 1997 - June 2000, MH-53 Flight Examiner, 21st Special Operations Squadron, 352nd Special Operations Group, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England
8. June 2000 - July 2001, Chief, Senior Officer Matters, Rotary Wing Officer Assignments, Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command, Directorate of Personnel, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
9. August 2001 - June 2002, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
10. June 2002 - September 2003, Chief, Washington, D.C. Rated, Joint Colonel Assignments, Air Force Senior Leader Management Office, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
11. September 2003 - August 2004, Assistant Executive Officer, Chief of Staff U.S. Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
12. August 2004 - June 2005, Operations Officer, 20th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
13. June 2005 - January 2007, Commander, 20th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
14. January 2007 - July 2007, Deputy Director, Air, Space and Information Operations Directorate, Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
15. July 2007 - June 2008, student, National War College, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C.
16. June 2008 - June 2010, Commander, Aviation Tactics Evaluation Group, Fort Bragg, N.C. and Commander, Expeditionary Special Operations Wing - Bravo, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
17. July 2010 - June 2012, Special Assistant to the Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.
18. June 2012 - April 2013, Deputy Commanding General, Special Operations Joint Task Force-Afghanistan, NATO Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan, Kabul, Afghanistan
19. May 2013 - July 2015, Deputy Director for Special Operations and Counterterrorism (J37) for the Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
20. July 2015 - May 2016, Director of Operations, AFSOC, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
21. June 2016 - May 2017, Commanding General, NATO Special Operations Component Command - Afghanistan, Special Operations Joint Task Force - Afghanistan, Bagram AB, Afghanistan
22. July 2017 - July 2018, Vice Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command Washington Office, Washington, D.C.
July 2018 - present, Commanding General, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. February 2005 - January 2006, Commander, Joint Special Operations Aviation Detachment Arabian Peninsula, Joint Base Balad, Iraq, as a lieutenant colonel
2. June 2008 - June 2010, Commander, Aviation Tactics Evaluation Group, Fort Bragg, N.C., and Commander, Joint Special Operations Aviation Component, Special Operations Task Force, Balad Air Base, Iraq and Bagram AB, Afghanistan, as a colonel
3. July 2010 - June 2012, Special Assistant to the Commander, United States Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Fla., as a colonel
4. June 2012 - April 2012, Deputy Commanding General, Special Operations Joint Task Force-Afghanistan, NATO Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan, Kabul, Afghanistan, as a brigadier general
5. May 2013 - July 2015, Deputy Director for Special Operations and Counterterrorism (J37) for the Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a brigadier general
6. June 2016 - May 2017, Commanding General, NATO Special Operations Component Command - Afghanistan, Special Operations Joint Task Force - Afghanistan, Bagram AB, Afghanistan, as a major general
7. July 2017 - July 2018, Vice Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command Washington Office, Washington, D.C., as a lieutenant general
8. July 2018 - present, Commanding General, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg N.C., as a lieutenant general
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: More than 2,600
Aircraft flown: UH-1N, UH-1H, TH-53, CH-47, MH-6, MH-53 J/M
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Legion of Merit with combat device
Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Combat Action Medal
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 27, 1987
First Lieutenant May 27, 1989
Captain May 27, 1991
Major Nov. 1, 1998
Lieutenant Colonel Aug. 1, 2003
Colonel Sept. 1, 2007
Brigadier General July 3, 2013
Major General Feb. 1, 2016
Lieutenant General Aug. 2, 2017
(Current as of December 2018)