Maj. Gen. Aaron Vangelisti is the Special Assistant to the Commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command for Reserve Matters, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. As the Special Assistant to the Commander, he supports the NORAD mission to continuously provide warning of an aerospace attack on North America and maintain continental aerospace control, to include peacetime air sovereignty and appropriate aerospace defense measures in response to hostile actions against North America. He also supports USNORTHCOM's mission of homeland defense and civil support, specifically to conduct operations to deter, prevent, and defeat threats and aggression in the United States, its territories and interests within the assigned area of responsibility. During periods of significant national crisis, and as directed by the President or Secretary of Defense, he provides Reserve component military assistance to civil authorities to include consequence management operations.

Maj. Gen. Vangelisti entered military service in 1987 as an enlisted Airman. Upon his commissioning from the Academy of Military Science in 1990, he attended Air Force Undergraduate Pilot Training and served in the Air National Guard until joining the Air Force Reserve in 2003. He has served in numerous command and staff positions throughout his career to include command at the squadron, group and wing level, as well as operational staff assignments to joint, combatant command, and major command staff. He commanded more than 140 Airmen from 22 different active and Air Reserve Component units in support of Operation Unified Protector as the 313th Expeditionary Operations Group Commander. 

Maj. Gen. Vangelisti is a command pilot with more than 3,600 military flying hours, including more than 220 combat flying hours while serving in numerous overseas contingency operations. In his civilian capacity, the general is an airline pilot with a global airline. 

EDUCATION 
1992 Bachelor of Science, Professional Aviation, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla., by correspondence 
1996 Master of Business Administration, University of Alaska, Fairbanks 
1999 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence 
2003 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence 
2005 Contingency Wartime Planners Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 
2006 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence 
2009 Director of Mobility Forces Course, U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. 
2009 Reserve Component National Security Course, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. 
2012 Commander Air Force Forces Staff Course, U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center, JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. 
2014 Leadership Development Program, Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, N.C. 
2017 Enterprise Perspective Seminar, Alan L. Freed Associates, Capitol Hill Club, Washington D.C. 
2020 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 

ASSIGNMENTS 
1. February 1987–April 1990, KC-135E Crew Chief, 161st Air Refueling Wing, Phoenix Air National Guard Base, Ariz. 
2. June 1990–June 1991, Student Pilot, Williams Air Force Base, Ariz. 
3. December 1991–May 1996, Active Guard and Reserve KC-135E/D/R Co-pilot/Aircraft Commander, 168th Air Refueling Wing, Alaska Air National Guard, Eielson AFB, Alaska 
4. June 1996–March 2003, KC-135E/R Instructor Pilot, 161st Air Refueling Wing, Phoenix Air National Guard Base, Ariz. 
5. April 2003–July 2004, Flight Commander, 64th Air Refueling Squadron, Portland International Airport, Ore. (January–March 2004, Operations Staff Officer, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces Europe, Ramstein Air Base, Germany) 
6. August 2004–October 2004, Director of Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces Europe, Ramstein AB, Germany 
7. November 2004–September 2006, Commander, 64th Air Refueling Squadron, Portland IAP, Ore. 
8. October 2006–May 2008, Air Operations Staff Officer, Special Operations Command Pacific, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii 
9. June 2008–May 2009, Vice Commander, 927th Air Refueling Wing, MacDill AFB, Fla. 
10. June 2009–October 2011, Operations Group Commander, 161st Air Refueling Wing, Phoenix ANGB, Ariz. (May 2011–July 2011, 313th Expeditionary Operations Group Commander, Moron AB, Spain) 
11. November 2011–May 2015, Vice Commander, (February 2011–June 2012 and January–July 2014, Interim Wing Commander), 433rd Airlift Wing, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas 
12. May 2015–March 2017, Vice Commander, Headquarters 4th Air Force, March Air Reserve Base, Calif. (Deployed February 2016–June 2016, Deputy Director of Mobility Forces, Air Forces Central, Southwest Asia) 
13. March 2017–January 2018, Mobilization Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff, Manpower, Personnel and Services, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Va. 
14. January 2018–May 2020, Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center, JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. 
15. May 2020–May 2021, Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, 18th Air Force, Scott AFB, Ill. 
16. May 2021–July 2022, Mobilization Assistant to the Director of Operations, Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration, Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill. 
17. August 2022–present, Special Assistant to the Commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command for Reserve Matters, Peterson AFB, Colo.

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS 
1. October 2006–May 2008, Air Operations Staff Officer (SOJ5), Special Operations Command Pacific, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii, as a lieutenant colonel 
2. February 2016–June 2016, Deputy Director of Mobility Forces, Air Forces Central, Southwest Asia, as a colonel 

FLIGHT INFORMATION 
Rating:  command pilot 
Flight Hours:  more than 3,600 military, 9,000 total 
Aircraft Flown:  T-37, T-38, KC-135A/E/D/R, C-5A, Boeing 737/757/767 and Airbus A-320/319 

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS 
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters 
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters 
Aerial Achievement Medal 
Joint Service Commendation Medal 
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters 
Army Commendation Medal 
Army Achievement Medal 
Combat Readiness Medal with silver and four bronze oak leaf clusters 
National Defense Service Medal with bronze service star 
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal 
Kosovo Campaign Medal 
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal 
Armed Forces Service Medal 
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with “M” device 
Unit NATO medal with bronze service star 

(Current as of October 2022)