MAJOR GENERAL MARKE F. GIBSON
Maj. Gen. Marke F. Gibson is Director of Operations, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. The directorate is responsible for policy, guidance and oversight of Air Force air, space, cyber and weather operations, training and sourcing. It is the largest directorate on the Air Staff with more than 1,840 personnel, 23 divisions and three field operating agencies, including the Air Force Operations Group, Air Force Flight Standards Agency, and Air Force Weather Agency.
General Gibson entered the Air Force in May 1978 as a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. He began his career as a T-38 instructor pilot and A-10 pilot, and he has held numerous operational and staff assignments. These include military assistant to the Department of Defense Executive Secretary and Vice Director of North American Aerospace Defense Command Operations. He has commanded an operations group and a fighter wing. Prior to his current assignment he was Vice Commander, 7th Air Force and U.S. Air Forces Korea, and Chief of Staff, Air Component Command, Osan Air Base, South Korea.
General Gibson has extensive experience in combat and contingencies. He served as the aide to the Commander, U.S. Central Command Air Forces during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm from 1990 to 1991. From 1999 to 2000, he was Director of Operations in Joint Task Force-Southwest Asia in Saudi Arabia. General Gibson also served as the Commander of the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, Balad AB, Iraq. The general is a command pilot with more than 3,400 flying hours in a variety of aircraft, including 1,300 hours in the A-10 and 33 combat missions in the F-16 during Desert Storm.
EDUCATION
1978 Bachelor of Science degree in economics and management, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1982 Master of Science degree in business administration, University of Northern Colorado
1983 Marine Command and Staff College, by correspondence
1984 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1992 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1993 Air War College, by seminar
1996 Master's degree in national security strategy, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington D.C.
2002 National Security Management Course, Syracuse University, N.Y.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1978 - November 1978, program manager, EF-111 System Program Office, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio
2. November 1978 - November 1979, student, undergraduate pilot training, Reese AFB, Texas
3. May 1980 - May 1982, T-38 instructor pilot, Reese AFB, Texas
4. May 1982 - May 1985, T-38 instructor pilot, Randolph AFB, Texas
5. October 1985 - October 1986, A-10 pilot, Suwon Air Base, South Korea
6. October 1986 - April 1989, flight commander and Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, Royal Air Force Bentwaters, England
7. April 1989 - June 1990, Chief of Tactics, 9th Air Force Standardization and Evaluation, Shaw AFB, S.C.
8. June 1990 - June 1991, aide to Commander, U.S. Central Command Air Forces, operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Southwest Asia
9. June 1991 - June 1992, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
10. June 1992 - June 1993, fighter aircraft requirements officer, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
11. June 1993 - June 1995, military assistant to Executive Secretary, Department of Defense, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington, D.C.
12. June 1995 - June 1996, student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
13. June 1996 - April 1997, Deputy Commander, 23rd Operations Group, Pope AFB, N.C.
14. April 1997 - August 2000, Commander, 347th Operations Group, Moody AFB, Ga. (July 1999 - July 2000, Director of Operations, Joint Task Force-Southwest Asia, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
15. August 2000 - April 2001, Vice Commander, 20th Fighter Wing, Shaw AFB, S.C.
16. May 2001 - August 2003, Vice Director of NORAD Operations, Peterson AFB, Colo.
17. September 2003 - June 2004, Commander, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, Balad AB, Iraq
18. June 2004 - January 2006, Commander, 354th Fighter Wing, Eielson AFB, Alaska
19. January 2006 - March 2007, Vice Commander, 7th Air Force, Osan AB, South Korea
20. March 2007 - present, Director of Operations, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1993 - June 1995, military assistant to Executive Secretary, Department of Defense, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington, D.C., as a lieutenant colonel
2. July 1999 - July 2000, Director of Operations, Joint Task Force-Southwest Asia, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as a colonel
3. May 2001 - August 2003, Vice Director of NORAD Operations, Peterson AFB, Colo., as a colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: More than 3,400
Aircraft flown: T-38, A-10, F-16, MC/HC-130 and HH-60
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Distinguished Flying Cross
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 31, 1978
First Lieutenant May 31, 1980
Captain May 31, 1982
Major April 1, 1989
Lieutenant Colonel June 1, 1993
Colonel Jan. 1, 1998
Brigadier General Aug. 1, 2004
Major General Nov. 2, 2007
(Current as of August 2009)
General Gibson entered the Air Force in May 1978 as a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. He began his career as a T-38 instructor pilot and A-10 pilot, and he has held numerous operational and staff assignments. These include military assistant to the Department of Defense Executive Secretary and Vice Director of North American Aerospace Defense Command Operations. He has commanded an operations group and a fighter wing. Prior to his current assignment he was Vice Commander, 7th Air Force and U.S. Air Forces Korea, and Chief of Staff, Air Component Command, Osan Air Base, South Korea.
General Gibson has extensive experience in combat and contingencies. He served as the aide to the Commander, U.S. Central Command Air Forces during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm from 1990 to 1991. From 1999 to 2000, he was Director of Operations in Joint Task Force-Southwest Asia in Saudi Arabia. General Gibson also served as the Commander of the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, Balad AB, Iraq. The general is a command pilot with more than 3,400 flying hours in a variety of aircraft, including 1,300 hours in the A-10 and 33 combat missions in the F-16 during Desert Storm.
EDUCATION
1978 Bachelor of Science degree in economics and management, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1982 Master of Science degree in business administration, University of Northern Colorado
1983 Marine Command and Staff College, by correspondence
1984 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1992 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1993 Air War College, by seminar
1996 Master's degree in national security strategy, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington D.C.
2002 National Security Management Course, Syracuse University, N.Y.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1978 - November 1978, program manager, EF-111 System Program Office, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio
2. November 1978 - November 1979, student, undergraduate pilot training, Reese AFB, Texas
3. May 1980 - May 1982, T-38 instructor pilot, Reese AFB, Texas
4. May 1982 - May 1985, T-38 instructor pilot, Randolph AFB, Texas
5. October 1985 - October 1986, A-10 pilot, Suwon Air Base, South Korea
6. October 1986 - April 1989, flight commander and Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, Royal Air Force Bentwaters, England
7. April 1989 - June 1990, Chief of Tactics, 9th Air Force Standardization and Evaluation, Shaw AFB, S.C.
8. June 1990 - June 1991, aide to Commander, U.S. Central Command Air Forces, operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Southwest Asia
9. June 1991 - June 1992, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
10. June 1992 - June 1993, fighter aircraft requirements officer, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
11. June 1993 - June 1995, military assistant to Executive Secretary, Department of Defense, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington, D.C.
12. June 1995 - June 1996, student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
13. June 1996 - April 1997, Deputy Commander, 23rd Operations Group, Pope AFB, N.C.
14. April 1997 - August 2000, Commander, 347th Operations Group, Moody AFB, Ga. (July 1999 - July 2000, Director of Operations, Joint Task Force-Southwest Asia, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
15. August 2000 - April 2001, Vice Commander, 20th Fighter Wing, Shaw AFB, S.C.
16. May 2001 - August 2003, Vice Director of NORAD Operations, Peterson AFB, Colo.
17. September 2003 - June 2004, Commander, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, Balad AB, Iraq
18. June 2004 - January 2006, Commander, 354th Fighter Wing, Eielson AFB, Alaska
19. January 2006 - March 2007, Vice Commander, 7th Air Force, Osan AB, South Korea
20. March 2007 - present, Director of Operations, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1993 - June 1995, military assistant to Executive Secretary, Department of Defense, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington, D.C., as a lieutenant colonel
2. July 1999 - July 2000, Director of Operations, Joint Task Force-Southwest Asia, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as a colonel
3. May 2001 - August 2003, Vice Director of NORAD Operations, Peterson AFB, Colo., as a colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: More than 3,400
Aircraft flown: T-38, A-10, F-16, MC/HC-130 and HH-60
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Distinguished Flying Cross
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 31, 1978
First Lieutenant May 31, 1980
Captain May 31, 1982
Major April 1, 1989
Lieutenant Colonel June 1, 1993
Colonel Jan. 1, 1998
Brigadier General Aug. 1, 2004
Major General Nov. 2, 2007
(Current as of August 2009)