BRIGADIER GENERAL ANDREW E. SALAS
Retired April 01, 2019
Brig. Gen. Andrew E. Salas served as the Special Assistant to the Chief, National Guard Bureau for Diversity, Washington, D.C. He was responsible for the strategic direction, implementation, and alignment of the National Guard Bureau's integrated global diversity and inclusion initiatives to achieve the highest state of military readiness of over 458,000 Soldiers, Airmen, and civilians.
General Salas enlisted in the New Mexico Air National Guard in 1980 and earned his commission from the Academy of Military Science in 1987. He has served in maintenance, support, joint counterdrug task force, political-military, mission support, equal opportunity and safety positions in N.M., NGB and Headquarters Air Force. He has commanded the communications flight, mission support flight, mission support group, and expeditionary mission support group (Iraq). General Salas has also served as the state of New Mexico's Adjutant General. Prior to his current assignment, he served as the ANG Assistant to the Commander, 12th Air Force (Air Forces Southern), Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.
EDUCATION
1985 Bachelor of Science in Electronics Technology, Chapman College, Orange, Calif.
1990 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1997 Joint Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2002 Air War College, by correspondence
2003 Master of Science in International Studies and Civil-Military Relations, Naval Post-Graduate School, Monterey, Calif.
2014 General and Flag Officer Homeland Security Executive Seminar, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
2019 Continuous Process Improvement for Executives (CPIE), Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. February 1987 - January 1989, Chief of Maintenance, 150th Maintenance Squadron, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
2. January 1989 - January 1990, Commander, 150th Communications Flight, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
3. February 1990 - October 1990, Commander, 150th Mission Support Flight, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
4. November 1990 - July 1991, Drug Demand Reduction Officer, Joint Force Headquarters, New Mexico ANG, Santa Fe, N.M.
5. July 1991 - February 1992, State Equal Employment Officer, Joint Force Headquarters, New Mexico ANG, Santa Fe, N.M.
6. February 1992 - January 2004, Counter Drug Coordinator, Joint Force Headquarters, New Mexico ANG, Santa Fe, N.M.
7. January 2004 - March 2008, Commander, 150th Mission Support Group, Kirtland AFB, N.M. (April 2005 - July 2005, Commander, 332nd Expeditionary Support Group, Balad AB, Iraq)
8. April 2008 - August 2009, Director of Staff, Joint Force Headquarters, New Mexico ANG, Santa Fe, N.M.
9. August 2009 - May 2010, Vice Commander, 150th Fighter Wing, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
10. June 2010 - April 2012, Director of Support, Joint Force Headquarters, New Mexico ANG, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
11. May 2012 - July 2012, Assistant Adjutant General - Air, New Mexico National Guard, Joint Force Headquarters, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
12. July 2012 - July 2017, The Adjutant General, New Mexico, Santa Fe, N.M
13. July 2017 - January 2018, ANG Assistant to the Commander, 24th Air Force, Air Force Space Command, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Army Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1980 Honor Graduate, U.S. Air Force Basic Military Training School
1981 Honor Graduate, Weapon Control Systems Technical School
1987 Citizen Soldier Award Recipient, Academy of Military Science
1990 Commander, U.S. Air Force Mission Support Flight of the Year
1993 National Image Meritorious Service Award
1997 Top Third Graduate, Joint Air Command and Staff College
2002 Excellent Graduate, Air War College
2003 Top Graduate, Naval Post Graduate School
2006 National Guard Association of the United States Distinguished Service Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Feb. 12, 1987
First Lieutenant April 1, 1989
Captain April 9, 1991
Major May 6, 1995
Lieutenant Colonel June 12, 1999
Colonel June 27, 2003
Brigadier General April 9, 2014
(Current as of September 2019)
