Gen. Steven S. Nordhaus serves as the 30th Chief of the National Guard Bureau and as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In this capacity, he serves as a military adviser to the President, Secretary of Defense, National Security Council and is the Department of Defense’s official channel of communication to the Governors and State Adjutants General on all matters pertaining to the National Guard. He is responsible for ensuring the more than 430,000 Army and Air National Guard personnel are accessible, capable and ready to protect the homeland and provide combat ready resources to the Army and Air Force.
Gen. Nordhaus graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering. He has flown combat missions in operations Southern Watch, Vigilant Warrior, Northern Watch, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
Prior to becoming the Chief, National Guard Bureau on Oct. 2, 2024, Gen. Nordhaus was the Commander, Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region; Commander, 1st Air Force (U.S. Air Forces Northern and U.S. Air Forces Space), Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida.
EDUCATION
1989 Bachelor of Science, Engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1996 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2002 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2006 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2013 Fellow, National Security Studies Management Course, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y.
2014 Master of Science, Organizational Leadership, Columbia Southern University, Orange Beach, Ala.
2014 Fellow, General and Flag Officer Homeland Security Executive Seminar, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
2016 Fellow, Capstone General and Flag Officer Course, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2017 Fellow, Program for Senior Executives in National and International Security, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
2019 Advanced Senior Leader Development Seminar, Warrenton, Va.
2019 Combined Force Air Component Commander's Course, LeMay Center for Doctrine Development and Education, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2021 National and International Security Leadership Seminar, Alan L. Freed Associates, Alexandria, Va.
2022 Enterprise Perspective Seminar (EPS), Alan L. Freed Associates, Washington D.C.
2022 Leading Strategically, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2022 Senior Joint Information Operations Applications Course, LeMay Center for Doctrine Development and Education, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 1989 - October 1990, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas
2. October 1990 - December 1990, Student, Fighter Lead-in Training, Holloman AFB, N.M.
3. January 1991 - August 1991, Student, F-16 Replacement Training Unit, MacDill AFB, Fla.
4. September 1991 - August 1992, F-16 Pilot, 309th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Homestead AFB, Fla.
5. September 1992 - July 1996, F-16 Flight Lead, Instructor, Evaluator Pilot, 79th Fighter Squadron, Shaw AFB, S.C.
6. July 1996 - August 1997, F-16 Instructor and Evaluator Pilot, Assistant Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, Kunsan Air Base, Korea
7. September 1997 - September 1998, F-16 Instructor and Evaluator Pilot, Flight Commander, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho
8. September 1998 - October 2002, F-16 Instructor and Evaluator Pilot, Flight Commander, 112th Fighter Squadron, Toledo Air National Guard Base, Ohio
9. November 2002 - November 2006, Commander, 112th Fighter Squadron, Toledo ANGB, Ohio
10. November 2006 - July 2009, Air Sovereignty Alert Detachment Commander, 180th Fighter Wing, Toledo ANGB, Ohio
11. July 2009 - January 2011, Vice Commander, 180th Fighter Wing, Toledo ANGB, Ohio
12. January 2011 - December 2013, Commander, 180th Fighter Wing, Toledo ANGB, Ohio
13. December 2013 - March 2015, Executive Assistant to Chief of the National Guard Bureau, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
14. March 2015 - January 2017, Deputy Director of Operations, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
15. February 2017 - November 2019, Commander, Air National Guard Readiness Center, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
16. November 2019 - August 2022, Director, Operations, NGB J-3/4/7, Washington, D.C.
17. September 2022 - March 2023, Special Assistant to the Director, ANG, Va.
18. March 2023 - October 2024, Commander, 1st Air Force, Tyndall AFB, FL
19. October 2024 - Present, Chief, National Guard Bureau, Washington, D.C.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 3,000
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-38, F-16A, F-16C/D Block 30/40/42/50/52, F-35A
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with oak leaf cluster
Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 31, 1989
First Lieutenant May 31, 1991
Captain May 31, 1993
Major Dec. 16, 1998
Lieutenant Colonel May 20, 2003
Colonel March 19, 2010
Brigadier General July 27, 2015
Major General July 19, 2018
Lieutenant General March 31, 2023
General Oct. 2, 2024
(Current as of October 2024)
The date of publication indicated on this biography reflects the most recent update. It does not necessarily reflect the date of printing.