Maj. Gen. Vito E. Addabbo is the Special Assistant to the Commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command for Reserve Matters, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. As the Special Assistant to the Commander, he supports the NORAD mission to continuously provide warning of an aerospace attack on North America and maintain continental aerospace control, to include peacetime air sovereignty and appropriate aerospace defense measures in response to hostile actions against North America. He also supports USNORTHCOM's mission of homeland defense and civil support, specifically to conduct operations to deter, prevent, and defeat threats and aggression in the United States, its territories and interests within the assigned area of responsibility. During periods of significant national crisis, and as directed by the President or Secretary of Defense, he provides Reserve component military assistance to civil authorities to include consequence management operations.
Maj. Gen. Addabbo began his career in 1986 upon receiving his commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps. A Distinguished Graduate of B-52 Bomber training at Castle AFB, California, his first operational assignment was to the 20th Bombardment Squadron at Carswell AFB, Texas, as a B-52H Stratofortress pilot. Entering the Air Force Reserve in 1994, he was part of the initial cadre that established the 93rd Bomb Squadron, Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. His military career took him to Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts, flying C-5’s. A joint qualified officer, his previous assignment was Mobilization Assistant to the Commander of Air Force Global Strike Command. During his nearly five years there, his duties included serving as the interim Deputy Commander.
The general is a command pilot with more than 5,000 hours in Air Force bomber and airlift aircraft. He is also a B-737 captain with a major airline.
EDUCATION
1985 U.S. Army Basic Airborne Course, Fort Benning, Ga.
1986 Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering, University of Connecticut, Mansfield
1996 Master of Science, Administration, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant
1998 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence
2004 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2007 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2007 Reserve Component National Security Course, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Washington, D.C.
2011 Director of Mobility Forces School, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2011 Commander Air Force Forces School, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
2013 Safety and Accident Investigation Board President Course, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
2014 U.S. Air Force Senior Leadership Seminar, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
2017 Capstone, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 1987–December 1987, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas
2. January 1988–August 1988, Combat Crew Training School, Distinguished Graduate, Castle AFB, Calif.
3. August 1988–April 1992, B-52H Pilot and Aircraft Commander, 20th Bombardment (Heavy) Squadron, Carswell AFB, Texas
4. January 1994–September 1994, B-52H Aircraft Commander, 93rd Bomb Squadron, Barksdale AFB, La.
5. September 1994–July 2007, 337th Airlift Squadron, Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass. (September 1994–December 1994, C-5 Initial Qualification Training, Altus AFB, Okla.)
6. July 2007–August 2008, Commander, 337th Airlift Squadron, Westover ARB, Mass.
7. August 2008–April 2010, U.S. Strategic Command Battle Watch Commander, Offutt AFB, Neb.
8. April 2010–December 2012, Individual Mobilization Augmentee to J3, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb. (June 2012–December 2012, Deployed as Deputy Commander Operation Nomad Shadow, Ankara, Turkey)
9. December 2012–March 2016, Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, 20th Air Force and Task Force 214, U.S. Strategic Command, F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo.
10. March 2016–January 2019, Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB, La.
11. January 2019–October 2019, Deputy Commander, AFGSC, Barksdale AFB, La.
12. October 2019–December 2020, Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, AFGSC, Barksdale AFB, La.
13. December 2020–present, Special Assistant to the Commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command for Reserve Matters, Peterson AFB, Colo.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 5,000 hours in military aircraft, more than 250 hours of combat and combat support, and more than 10,000 hours in civilian aircraft
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-38, B-52G/H, C-5A/B, MD-80, B-737, B-757, B-767 and B-777
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with three oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal with silver and three bronze oak leaf clusters
Southwest Asia Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
American Legion, life member
Order of Daedalians, life member
Military Officers Association of America, life member
Reserve Officers Association, life member
Veterans of Foreign Wars, life member
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Sept. 19, 1986
First Lieutenant Sept. 19, 1988
Captain Sept. 19, 1990
Major Oct. 1, 1999
Lieutenant Colonel Sept. 30, 2004
Colonel Oct. 1, 2008
Brigadier General March 26, 2015
Major General Dec. 12, 2018
(Current as of August 2021)