MAJOR GENERAL WILLIAM A. STUDER
Major General William A. Studer is the director of operations, U.S. Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. He is responsible for planning, organizing, directing and controlling joint and combined military operations at the direction of the USCENTCOM commander in chief. He is the principal adviser to the commander in chief on all matters pertaining to the strategic and operational employment of forces and the conduct of joint and combined operations in the USCENTCOM area of responsibility. Additionally, he is responsible for coordination of operational matters and plans with the Department of Defense, Joint Staff, component and supporting commands.
The general entered the Air Force in 1961 as a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology Reserve Officer Training Corps program. He has commanded at the squadron, wing, division and numbered air force levels. He is a command pilot with more than 5,000 flying hours in fighter, transport and attack aircraft, and more than 1,000 combat hours flown in Vietnam.
EDUCATION
1961 Bachelor of science degree in industrial management, Georgia Tech
1975 Master of science degree in counseling and guidance, Troy State University, Ala.
1975 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1978 Master of science degree in management, Troy State University, Ala.
1981 Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. November 1961 - December 1962, student, pilot training, Vance Air Force Base, Okla.
2. January 1963 - December 1964, EC/RC-121 pilot and aircraft commander, 966th Airborne Early Warning and Control Squadron, McCoy Air Force Base, Fla.
3. January 1965 - April 1966, C-123 transport pilot, instructor pilot, 311th Air Commando Squadron, Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam
4. May 1966 - September 1967, C-123 instructor pilot, T-29 pilot, 4408th Combat Crew Training Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
5. October 1967 - April 1969, T-33 pilot, briefing team officer, Air Commando Briefing Team, U.S. Air Force Special Air Warfare Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
6. May 1969 - December 1969, T-28 fighter pilot, (Project Palace Dog), 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
7. January 1970 - July 1970, student, F-4 combat crew training, 46th Tactical Fighter Squadron, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.
8. August 1970 - August 1971, F-4 fighter pilot and Tiger forward air controller, 469th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand
9. September 1971 - July 1974, T-33 pilot, air officer commanding, 19th and 34th squadrons, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
10. August 1974 - July 1975, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
11. August 1975 - July 1976, F-4 fighter pilot, flight commander and assistant operations officer, 334th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C.
12. August 1976 - February 1978, chief, tactical air support branch; later, chief, fighter and reconnaissance operations division, Headquarters 17th Air Force, Sembach Air Base, West Germany
13. March 1978 - October 1978, F-4 fighter pilot, commander, 512th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, West Germany
14. October 1978 - April 1979, F-4 fighter pilot, commander, 526th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, West Germany
15. May 1979 - July 1980, F-4 fighter pilot, assistant deputy commander for operations, 86th Tactical Fighter Group, Ramstein Air Base, West Germany
16. August 1980 - June 1981, student, Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
17. July 1981 - December 1982, special assistant to the director, legislative liaison, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, D.C.
18. January 1983 - January 1984, director of fighter operations and training, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein Air Base, West Germany
19. February 1984 - April 1985, F-5 fighter pilot, vice commander, 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, Royal Air Force Station Alconbury, England
20. May 1985 - March 1986, F-5 fighter pilot, commander, 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, Royal Air Force Station Alconbury, England
21. April 1986 - August 1987, A-10 fighter pilot, commander, 81st Tactical Fighter Wing, Royal Air Force Station Bentwaters, England
22. September 1987 - August 1988, F-16 fighter pilot, commander, 316th Air Division and Kaiserslautern Military Community, Ramstein Air Base, West Germany
23. September 1988 - December 1989, RF-4C pilot, vice commander, 12th Air Force and U.S. Southern Command Air Forces, Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas
24. January 1990 - December 1991, F-4 fighter pilot, commander, 13th Air Force, Clark Air Base, Philippines
25. January 1992 - present, director of operations, U.S. Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: More than 5,000
Aircraft flown: F-16, F-5E/F, F-4, RF-4, A-10, T-33, T-28, OV-10, T-41, C-123, EC-121
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Distinguished Flying Cross with three oak leaf clusters
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with 35 oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Philippine Legion of Honor - Commander
Philippine Bronze Cross
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Sep 9, 1961
First Lieutenant May 17,1963
Captain May 17, 1966
Major Aug 1, 1972
Lieutenant Colonel Mar 1, 1978
Colonel Nov 1, 1980
Brigadier General Oct 1, 1987
Major General Mar 1, 1990
(Current as of February 1994)
The general entered the Air Force in 1961 as a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology Reserve Officer Training Corps program. He has commanded at the squadron, wing, division and numbered air force levels. He is a command pilot with more than 5,000 flying hours in fighter, transport and attack aircraft, and more than 1,000 combat hours flown in Vietnam.
EDUCATION
1961 Bachelor of science degree in industrial management, Georgia Tech
1975 Master of science degree in counseling and guidance, Troy State University, Ala.
1975 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1978 Master of science degree in management, Troy State University, Ala.
1981 Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. November 1961 - December 1962, student, pilot training, Vance Air Force Base, Okla.
2. January 1963 - December 1964, EC/RC-121 pilot and aircraft commander, 966th Airborne Early Warning and Control Squadron, McCoy Air Force Base, Fla.
3. January 1965 - April 1966, C-123 transport pilot, instructor pilot, 311th Air Commando Squadron, Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam
4. May 1966 - September 1967, C-123 instructor pilot, T-29 pilot, 4408th Combat Crew Training Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
5. October 1967 - April 1969, T-33 pilot, briefing team officer, Air Commando Briefing Team, U.S. Air Force Special Air Warfare Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
6. May 1969 - December 1969, T-28 fighter pilot, (Project Palace Dog), 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
7. January 1970 - July 1970, student, F-4 combat crew training, 46th Tactical Fighter Squadron, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.
8. August 1970 - August 1971, F-4 fighter pilot and Tiger forward air controller, 469th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand
9. September 1971 - July 1974, T-33 pilot, air officer commanding, 19th and 34th squadrons, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
10. August 1974 - July 1975, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
11. August 1975 - July 1976, F-4 fighter pilot, flight commander and assistant operations officer, 334th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C.
12. August 1976 - February 1978, chief, tactical air support branch; later, chief, fighter and reconnaissance operations division, Headquarters 17th Air Force, Sembach Air Base, West Germany
13. March 1978 - October 1978, F-4 fighter pilot, commander, 512th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, West Germany
14. October 1978 - April 1979, F-4 fighter pilot, commander, 526th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, West Germany
15. May 1979 - July 1980, F-4 fighter pilot, assistant deputy commander for operations, 86th Tactical Fighter Group, Ramstein Air Base, West Germany
16. August 1980 - June 1981, student, Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
17. July 1981 - December 1982, special assistant to the director, legislative liaison, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, D.C.
18. January 1983 - January 1984, director of fighter operations and training, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein Air Base, West Germany
19. February 1984 - April 1985, F-5 fighter pilot, vice commander, 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, Royal Air Force Station Alconbury, England
20. May 1985 - March 1986, F-5 fighter pilot, commander, 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, Royal Air Force Station Alconbury, England
21. April 1986 - August 1987, A-10 fighter pilot, commander, 81st Tactical Fighter Wing, Royal Air Force Station Bentwaters, England
22. September 1987 - August 1988, F-16 fighter pilot, commander, 316th Air Division and Kaiserslautern Military Community, Ramstein Air Base, West Germany
23. September 1988 - December 1989, RF-4C pilot, vice commander, 12th Air Force and U.S. Southern Command Air Forces, Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas
24. January 1990 - December 1991, F-4 fighter pilot, commander, 13th Air Force, Clark Air Base, Philippines
25. January 1992 - present, director of operations, U.S. Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: More than 5,000
Aircraft flown: F-16, F-5E/F, F-4, RF-4, A-10, T-33, T-28, OV-10, T-41, C-123, EC-121
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Distinguished Flying Cross with three oak leaf clusters
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with 35 oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Philippine Legion of Honor - Commander
Philippine Bronze Cross
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Sep 9, 1961
First Lieutenant May 17,1963
Captain May 17, 1966
Major Aug 1, 1972
Lieutenant Colonel Mar 1, 1978
Colonel Nov 1, 1980
Brigadier General Oct 1, 1987
Major General Mar 1, 1990
(Current as of February 1994)