Lt. Gen. Maxwell C. Bailey is commander, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla. AFSOC, the Air Force component of U.S. Special Operations Command and a major Air Force command, provides special operations forces for worldwide deployment and assignment to regional unified commands. The command has approximately 12,500 active duty, Reserve, Air National Guard and civilian professionals.

The general entered the Air Force in 1969 after graduation from the U.S. Air Force Academy. He has commanded a squadron, a tactical airlift wing, a special operations wing and tactical airlift forces at several locations on the Arabian Peninsula during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. Prior to his current assignment, he commanded the 21st Air Force. The general is a command pilot with more than 5,900 flying hours.

EDUCATION
1969 Bachelor's degree in humanities, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1972 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1982 Master's degree in military art and science, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
1988 Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 1969 - August 1970, student, undergraduate pilot training, Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.
2. August 1970 - November 1970, student, initial pilot qualification training, Ellington Air Force Base, Texas
3. November 1970 - July 1971, C-130A pilot, 39th Tactical Airlift Squadron, Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio
4. July 1971 - June 1973, C-130E pilot, 48th Tactical Airlift Squadron, later, assistant wing mobility officer and wing ground safety officer, 313th Tactical Airlift Wing, Forbes Air Force Base, Kan.
5. July 1973 - August 1977, C-130E/H aircraft commander, instructor pilot, standardization and evaluation pilot, wing instrument school instructor and assistant squadron operations officer, 774th Tactical Airlift Squadron, Dyess Air Force Base, Texas
6. August 1977 - August 1978, Air Staff Training Program officer and executive secretary, Air Force Board Structure, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
7. August 1978 - June 1981, programs officer, later, chief, Planning, Programming and Budgeting Branch, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans, Headquarters Military Airlift Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill.
8. June 1981 - June 1982, student, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
9. June 1982 - July 1987, chief pilot, chief of standardization and evaluation, operations officer and later, commander, 37th Tactical Airlift Squadron; later, assistant deputy commander for operations, 435th Tactical Airlift Wing, Rhein-Main Air Base, West Germany
10. August 1987 - May 1988, student, Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
11. June 1988 - October 1989, chief, Overseas Bases and Units Division, Directorate of Programming and Evaluation, Deputy Chief of Staff for Programs and Resources, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
12. October 1989 - July 1992, vice commander, later, commander, 317th Tactical Airlift Wing, Pope Air Force Base, N.C.
13. July 1992 - June 1993, military fellow, Council on Foreign Relations, New York, N.Y.
14. June 1993 - June 1995, commander, 16th Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
15. June 1995 - February 1997, deputy commanding general, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.
16. February 1997 - September 1998, director, Center for Operations, Plans and Policy, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.
17. October 1998 - July 1999, commander, 21st Air Force, McGuire Air Force Base, N.J.
18. August 1999 - present, commander, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot, parachutist
Flight hours: More than 5,900
Aircraft flown: C-130 (15 types of aircraft), MH-53, MH-60 and KC-135

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Government of Saudi Arabia)
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Government of Kuwait)

(Current as of March 2002)