MAJOR GENERAL RICHARD B.H. "RICK" LEWIS
Maj. Gen. Richard B.H. "Rick" Lewis is Air Force Program Executive Officer for the F-22 Program, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. General Lewis is responsible for all acquisition activities on the F-22.
General Lewis entered the Air Force in 1972 as a distinguished graduate of Colorado State University's ROTC program. He has served in various flying assignments involving the F-111, F-4 and F-16. The general served in operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm as the Special Assistant to the Director of Campaign Plans. He served in the Pentagon as Deputy Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff for Roles and Missions, and with U.S. Air Forces in Europe as Special Assistant to the USAFE commander for Kosovo operations.
Prior to assuming his current position, General Lewis served as Program Executive Officer for Fighter and Bomber Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
EDUCATION
1972 Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and computer science, Colorado State University
1978 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1985 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1985 Master of Science degree in systems management, University of Southern California
1987 Air War College, by correspondence
1993 Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.
2000 Combined Force Air Component Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 1972 - October 1973, student, undergraduate pilot training, Reese AFB, Texas
2. October 1973 - November 1977, F-111F aircraft commander, 389th Tactical Fighter Squadron, later, training officer, 366th Tactical Fighter Wing, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho
3. November 1977 - June 1978, student, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
4. June 1978 - March 1980, F-111F instructor pilot, 492nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England
5. March 1980 - November 1980, chief of wing inspections and exercises, 48th Tactical Fighter Wing, RAF Lakenheath, England
6. November 1980 - August 1984, theater warfare research analyst, Directorate of Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
7. August 1984 - November 1985, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
8. November 1985 - May 1986, F-4E assistant operations officer, 69th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Moody AFB, Ga.
9. May 1986 - December 1986, chief of wing inspections and exercises, 347th Tactical Fighter Wing, Moody AFB, Ga.
10. January 1987 - September 1988, F-16 pilot and chief of wing operations plans, 68th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Moody AFB, Ga.
11. September 1988 - September 1990, F-16 operations officer, 512th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, West Germany
12. September 1990 - March 1991, Chief, Programs Division, Headquarters USAFE, Ramstein AB, Germany (December 1990 - March 1991, Special Assistant to the Director of Campaign Plans, operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
13. March 1991 - July 1992, Chief, Forces Programs Division, Headquarters USAFE, Ramstein AB, Germany
14. July 1992 - June 1993, student, Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.
15. June 1993 - May 1996, Director, Operational Issues Group, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, later, Deputy Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff for Roles and Missions, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
16. May 1996 - December 1997, Deputy Director, Air Force Operations and Training, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, later, Executive to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
17. December 1997 - July 1999, Deputy Director for Operations, National Military Command Center, the Joint Staff, Washington, D.C. (March 1999 - April 1999, Special Assistant to the USAFE commander for Kosovo operations)
18. July 1999 - January 2000, Deputy Commander, 6th Allied Tactical Air Force, Allied Air Forces Southern Europe, NATO, Izmir, Turkey
19. January 2000 - April 2000, Deputy Commander, Combined Air Operations Center Six, Allied Air Forces Southern Europe, NATO, Eskisehir, Turkey
20. April 2000 - August 2001, Deputy Director, Developing Aerospace Leaders Program Office, Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
21. August 2001 - November 2002, Director, Joint Theater Air and Missile Defense Organization, the Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.
22. November 2002 - December 2003, Air Force Program Executive Officer for Fighter and Bomber Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
23. December 2003 - present, Air Force Program Executive Officer for the F-22 Program, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: 2,200
Aircraft flown: F-111A/F, F-4D/E and F-16A/B/C/D
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Southwest Asia Service Medal with two bronze stars
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)
PUBLICATIONS
"Joint Force Air Component Commander Problems Associated with Battlefield Preparation in Desert Storm," Airpower Journal, Spring 1994
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 7, 1972
First Lieutenant Aug. 5, 1974
Captain Aug. 5, 1976
Major April 1, 1984
Lieutenant Colonel Jan. 1, 1989
Colonel Jan. 1, 1994
Brigadier General July 1, 1999
Major General Oct. 1, 2003
(Current as of December 2006)
General Lewis entered the Air Force in 1972 as a distinguished graduate of Colorado State University's ROTC program. He has served in various flying assignments involving the F-111, F-4 and F-16. The general served in operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm as the Special Assistant to the Director of Campaign Plans. He served in the Pentagon as Deputy Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff for Roles and Missions, and with U.S. Air Forces in Europe as Special Assistant to the USAFE commander for Kosovo operations.
Prior to assuming his current position, General Lewis served as Program Executive Officer for Fighter and Bomber Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
EDUCATION
1972 Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and computer science, Colorado State University
1978 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1985 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1985 Master of Science degree in systems management, University of Southern California
1987 Air War College, by correspondence
1993 Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.
2000 Combined Force Air Component Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 1972 - October 1973, student, undergraduate pilot training, Reese AFB, Texas
2. October 1973 - November 1977, F-111F aircraft commander, 389th Tactical Fighter Squadron, later, training officer, 366th Tactical Fighter Wing, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho
3. November 1977 - June 1978, student, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
4. June 1978 - March 1980, F-111F instructor pilot, 492nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England
5. March 1980 - November 1980, chief of wing inspections and exercises, 48th Tactical Fighter Wing, RAF Lakenheath, England
6. November 1980 - August 1984, theater warfare research analyst, Directorate of Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
7. August 1984 - November 1985, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
8. November 1985 - May 1986, F-4E assistant operations officer, 69th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Moody AFB, Ga.
9. May 1986 - December 1986, chief of wing inspections and exercises, 347th Tactical Fighter Wing, Moody AFB, Ga.
10. January 1987 - September 1988, F-16 pilot and chief of wing operations plans, 68th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Moody AFB, Ga.
11. September 1988 - September 1990, F-16 operations officer, 512th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, West Germany
12. September 1990 - March 1991, Chief, Programs Division, Headquarters USAFE, Ramstein AB, Germany (December 1990 - March 1991, Special Assistant to the Director of Campaign Plans, operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
13. March 1991 - July 1992, Chief, Forces Programs Division, Headquarters USAFE, Ramstein AB, Germany
14. July 1992 - June 1993, student, Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.
15. June 1993 - May 1996, Director, Operational Issues Group, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, later, Deputy Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff for Roles and Missions, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
16. May 1996 - December 1997, Deputy Director, Air Force Operations and Training, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, later, Executive to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
17. December 1997 - July 1999, Deputy Director for Operations, National Military Command Center, the Joint Staff, Washington, D.C. (March 1999 - April 1999, Special Assistant to the USAFE commander for Kosovo operations)
18. July 1999 - January 2000, Deputy Commander, 6th Allied Tactical Air Force, Allied Air Forces Southern Europe, NATO, Izmir, Turkey
19. January 2000 - April 2000, Deputy Commander, Combined Air Operations Center Six, Allied Air Forces Southern Europe, NATO, Eskisehir, Turkey
20. April 2000 - August 2001, Deputy Director, Developing Aerospace Leaders Program Office, Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
21. August 2001 - November 2002, Director, Joint Theater Air and Missile Defense Organization, the Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.
22. November 2002 - December 2003, Air Force Program Executive Officer for Fighter and Bomber Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
23. December 2003 - present, Air Force Program Executive Officer for the F-22 Program, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: 2,200
Aircraft flown: F-111A/F, F-4D/E and F-16A/B/C/D
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Southwest Asia Service Medal with two bronze stars
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)
PUBLICATIONS
"Joint Force Air Component Commander Problems Associated with Battlefield Preparation in Desert Storm," Airpower Journal, Spring 1994
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 7, 1972
First Lieutenant Aug. 5, 1974
Captain Aug. 5, 1976
Major April 1, 1984
Lieutenant Colonel Jan. 1, 1989
Colonel Jan. 1, 1994
Brigadier General July 1, 1999
Major General Oct. 1, 2003
(Current as of December 2006)