MAJOR GENERAL HOWARD N. THOMPSON
Maj. Gen. Howard N. Thompson is Chief of Staff, U.S. Northern Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.
General Thompson was commissioned in 1976 following graduation from the
U.S. Air Force Academy. His assignments include flying duties as a T-38 instructor pilot as well as F-15 and F-16 instructor pilot and flight examiner. He completed an exchange tour with the U.S. Navy as an F/A-18 and F-14 operational test and evaluation pilot. His commands include a fighter squadron, operations group, and the 7th Air Force Airborne Command Element. The general has also been mobilization assistant to the Chief of Staff and Deputy to the Chief of Air Force Reserve, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
During Operation Iraqi Freedom, he served as Director, Air Component Coordination Element, in support of the Coalition Forces Maritime Component Commander. A command pilot, he has more than 3,900 flying hours in fighter and trainer aircraft, including combat missions over Bosnia.
EDUCATION
1976 Bachelor's degree in history, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1981 Master's degree in management, Webster University
1981 Distinguished graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1984 Distinguished graduate, USAF Fighter Weapons Instructor Course, Nellis AFB, Nev.
1985 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2000 Air War College, by correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1976 - September 1977, student, undergraduate pilot training, Laughlin AFB, Texas
2. September 1977 - February 1981, T-38 instructor pilot, 47th Flying Training Wing, Laughlin AFB, Texas
3. February 1981 - September 1985, F-15 instructor pilot, flight commander, and squadron weapons and tactics officer, 53rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, Bitburg Air Base, West Germany
4. September 1985 - July 1988, F-15 instructor pilot, flight examiner, Chief of Wing Weapons and Tactics Division, and Multi-Staged Improvement Program Manager, 33rd Tactical Fighter Wing, Eglin AFB, Fla.
5. July 1988 - September 1990, F/A-18 and F-14 operational test and evaluation pilot, Missiles Department Head, Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Four, Naval Air Station Point Mugu, Calif.
6. September 1990 - July 1996, F-16 instructor pilot, flight examiner, flight commander, and Chief of Training, 704th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Bergstrom AFB, Texas
7. July 1996 - February 1997, operations officer, 701st Combat Operations Squadron, March Air Reserve Base, Calif.
8. February 1997 - June 2000, F-16 instructor pilot, flight examiner, Fighter Squadron Commander and Operations Group Commander, 147th Fighter Wing, Ellington Field, Texas
9. June 2000 - December 2002, Commander, Airborne Command Element, 701st Combat Operations Squadron, March ARB, Calif.
10. December 2002 - June 2004, senior individual mobilization augmentee to the Director, Current Operations and Training, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
11. January 2003 - May 2003, Director, Air Component Coordination Element, Headquarters U.S. Central Command Naval Forces, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Southwest Asia
12. June 2004 - September 2004, senior individual mobilization augmentee to the Director, Operational Capability Requirements, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
13. September 2004 - January 2006, mobilization assistant to the Director, Operational Capability Requirements, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
14. January 2006 - June 2008, mobilization assistant to the Commander, 8th Air Force, Air Combat Command, Barksdale AFB, La., and Joint Functional Component Commander for Global Strike and Integration, Offutt AFB, Neb.
15. July 2008 - March 2009, mobilization assistant to the Chief of Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
16. March 2009 - March 2010, Deputy to the Chief of Air Force Reserve, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
17. March 2010 - present, Chief of Staff, U.S. Northern Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: More than 3,900
Aircraft flown: T-38A, A/T-38B, F-15A/B/C/D, F/A-18A/B/C/D, F-14A/B and F-16A/B/C/D
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Navy Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with three oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal
National Defense Service Medal with two bronze stars
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with "M" device
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1977 Top graduate, T-38 pilot instructor training
1984 Academic Trophy winner, USAF Fighter Weapons Instructor Course
1986 Champion Team flight lead, U.S. Air Force Air-to-Air Weapons Meet, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
1990 F/A-18 carrier landing qualification (daytime), USS Independence
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 2, 1976
First Lieutenant June 2, 1978
Captain June 2, 1980
Major July 1, 1987
Lieutenant Colonel June 2, 1997
Colonel March 30, 2001
Brigadier General Sept. 30, 2006
Major General June 9, 2009
(Current as of February 2012)
General Thompson was commissioned in 1976 following graduation from the
U.S. Air Force Academy. His assignments include flying duties as a T-38 instructor pilot as well as F-15 and F-16 instructor pilot and flight examiner. He completed an exchange tour with the U.S. Navy as an F/A-18 and F-14 operational test and evaluation pilot. His commands include a fighter squadron, operations group, and the 7th Air Force Airborne Command Element. The general has also been mobilization assistant to the Chief of Staff and Deputy to the Chief of Air Force Reserve, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
During Operation Iraqi Freedom, he served as Director, Air Component Coordination Element, in support of the Coalition Forces Maritime Component Commander. A command pilot, he has more than 3,900 flying hours in fighter and trainer aircraft, including combat missions over Bosnia.
EDUCATION
1976 Bachelor's degree in history, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1981 Master's degree in management, Webster University
1981 Distinguished graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1984 Distinguished graduate, USAF Fighter Weapons Instructor Course, Nellis AFB, Nev.
1985 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2000 Air War College, by correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1976 - September 1977, student, undergraduate pilot training, Laughlin AFB, Texas
2. September 1977 - February 1981, T-38 instructor pilot, 47th Flying Training Wing, Laughlin AFB, Texas
3. February 1981 - September 1985, F-15 instructor pilot, flight commander, and squadron weapons and tactics officer, 53rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, Bitburg Air Base, West Germany
4. September 1985 - July 1988, F-15 instructor pilot, flight examiner, Chief of Wing Weapons and Tactics Division, and Multi-Staged Improvement Program Manager, 33rd Tactical Fighter Wing, Eglin AFB, Fla.
5. July 1988 - September 1990, F/A-18 and F-14 operational test and evaluation pilot, Missiles Department Head, Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Four, Naval Air Station Point Mugu, Calif.
6. September 1990 - July 1996, F-16 instructor pilot, flight examiner, flight commander, and Chief of Training, 704th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Bergstrom AFB, Texas
7. July 1996 - February 1997, operations officer, 701st Combat Operations Squadron, March Air Reserve Base, Calif.
8. February 1997 - June 2000, F-16 instructor pilot, flight examiner, Fighter Squadron Commander and Operations Group Commander, 147th Fighter Wing, Ellington Field, Texas
9. June 2000 - December 2002, Commander, Airborne Command Element, 701st Combat Operations Squadron, March ARB, Calif.
10. December 2002 - June 2004, senior individual mobilization augmentee to the Director, Current Operations and Training, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
11. January 2003 - May 2003, Director, Air Component Coordination Element, Headquarters U.S. Central Command Naval Forces, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Southwest Asia
12. June 2004 - September 2004, senior individual mobilization augmentee to the Director, Operational Capability Requirements, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
13. September 2004 - January 2006, mobilization assistant to the Director, Operational Capability Requirements, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
14. January 2006 - June 2008, mobilization assistant to the Commander, 8th Air Force, Air Combat Command, Barksdale AFB, La., and Joint Functional Component Commander for Global Strike and Integration, Offutt AFB, Neb.
15. July 2008 - March 2009, mobilization assistant to the Chief of Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
16. March 2009 - March 2010, Deputy to the Chief of Air Force Reserve, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
17. March 2010 - present, Chief of Staff, U.S. Northern Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: More than 3,900
Aircraft flown: T-38A, A/T-38B, F-15A/B/C/D, F/A-18A/B/C/D, F-14A/B and F-16A/B/C/D
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Navy Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with three oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal
National Defense Service Medal with two bronze stars
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with "M" device
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1977 Top graduate, T-38 pilot instructor training
1984 Academic Trophy winner, USAF Fighter Weapons Instructor Course
1986 Champion Team flight lead, U.S. Air Force Air-to-Air Weapons Meet, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
1990 F/A-18 carrier landing qualification (daytime), USS Independence
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 2, 1976
First Lieutenant June 2, 1978
Captain June 2, 1980
Major July 1, 1987
Lieutenant Colonel June 2, 1997
Colonel March 30, 2001
Brigadier General Sept. 30, 2006
Major General June 9, 2009
(Current as of February 2012)