Brigadier General Harold E. Keistler is assistant adjutant general for air
and also serves as commander of the Illinois Air National Guard. He is responsible
for the command, control and operations of plans and programs affecting over
3,400 Illinois Air National Guard personnel located at Scott Air Force Base
Peoria and Springfield. His broad range of responsibilities include insuring
combat readiness and mission capability of three major flying units comprised
of tanker, tactical airlift and fighter aircraft and five mission support
units. General Keistler also supervises a full-time force of over 900 federal
and state employees.
The general received his commission from Officer Training School in 1969 and completed undergraduate pilot training the following year. His first assignment was with the 18th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., as an F-101B Interceptor pilot. His follow-on assignment was the 20th Tactical Support Squadron, Da Nang Air Base, Vietnam, conducting forward air control missions. He completed his combat tour in December 1972 and was reassigned to Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. where he was honorably discharged in May of 1974. In 1975 he joined the Illinois Air National Guard in September of 1975 and has served in various command and staff assignments. In August 1990, the general commanded the Tanker Task Force at Moron Air Base, Spain during Operation Desert Shield. In December 1990, he was mobilized for Operation Desert Storm, serving as wing commander of the 1712th Air Refueling Wing (provisional), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Most recently, he was mobilized in February 2003 for Operation Iraqi Freedom, serving as commander of the 492nd Air Expeditionary Group, Lajes Field, Azores, providing air refueling support to both combat and strategic airlift aircraft, prior to assuming his current position. The general was responsible for the Base Realignment and Closure Committee (BRAC) directed relocation of the 126th Air Refueling Wing from O'Hare International Airport Air Reserve Station, Chicago, Illinois to Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.
1968 Bachelor's degree in music education, Southern Illinois
University, Ill.
1974 Squadron Officer School
1978 Air Command and Staff College
1982 Air War College
1. March 1969 - May 1970, student, undergraduate pilot training,
Webb Air Force Base, Tex.
2. May 1970 - October 1970, student, combat crew training, Tyndall Air
Force Base, Fla.
3. October 1970 - July 1971, F-101B pilot, 18th Fighter Interceptor Squadron,
Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D.
4. December 1971 - December 1972, O-2A pilot, 20th Tactical Support Squadron,
Da Nang Air Base, Vietnam
5. December 1972 - April 1973, F-101B pilot, 4756th Combat Crew Training
Squadron, Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.
6. April 1973 - May 1974, safety officer, Air Defense Weapons Center,
Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.
7. September 1975 - May 1976, O-2A pilot, 169th Tactical Air Support
Squadron, Peoria Air National Guard Base, Ill.
8. May 1976 - November 1977, weapons and tactics officer, 169th Tactical
Air Support Squadron, Peoria Air National Guard Base, Ill.
9. November 1977 - July 1978, chief of safety, 182nd Tactical Air Support
Group, Peoria Air National Guard Base, Ill.
10. July 1978 - November 1980, chief of standardization and evaluation,
182nd Tactical Air Support Group, Peoria Air National Guard Base, Ill.
11. November 1980 - October 1983, commander, 182nd Direct Air Support
Squadron, Peoria Air National Guard Base, Ill.
12. October 1983- October 1986, commander, 169th Tactical Air Support Squadron,
Peoria Air National Guard Base, Ill.
13. October 1986 - November 1986, director o f air operations, Headquarters,
Illinois Air National Guard, O'Hare International Airport Air Reserve
Station, Ill.
14. November 1986 - January 1988, KC-135E pilot, 108th Air Refueling
Squadron, O'Hare International Airport Air Reserve Station, Ill.
15. January 1988 - May 1988, assistant deputy director of operations,
126th Air Refueling Wing, O'Hare International Airport Air Reserve Station,
Ill.
16. May 1988 - January 1989, deputy director of operations, 126th Air
Refueling Wing, O'Hare International Airport Air Reserve Station, Ill.
17. January 1989 - August 1990, commander, 126th Air Refueling Wing,
O'Hare International Airport Air Reserve Station, Ill.
18. August 1990 - October 1990, commander, Tanker Task Force, Moron Air
Base, Spain
19. October 1990 - December 1990, commander, 126th Air Refueling Wing,
O'Hare International Airport Air Reserve Station, Ill.
20. December 1990 - May 1991, commander, 1712th Air Refueling Wing (Provisional),
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
21. May 1991 - February 2003, commander, 126th Air Refueling Wing, Scott
Air Force Base, Ill.
22. February 2003 - July 2003, commander, 492nd Air Expeditionary Group,
Lajes Field, Azores
23. July 2003 - November 2003, commander, 126th Air Refueling Wing, Scott
Air Force Base, Ill.
24. December 2003 - present, assistant adjutant general for air also
serving as commander of the Illinois Air National Guard, Department of Military
Affairs, Joint Force Headquarters, Springfield, Ill.
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight Hours: More than 6,000
Aircraft Flown: T-41, T-38, T-37, F-101B, O-2A, C-131E, OA-37B, KC-135E
Legion of Merit
Distinguished Flying Cross
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Medal with six oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Combat Readiness Medal with two oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with service star
Vietnam Service Medal with two service stars
Southwest Asia Service Medal with two service stars
Humanitarian Service Medal
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with valor device
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with palm device
Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Kuwait Liberation Medal, Saudi Arabia
Kuwait Liberation Medal, Kuwait
Second Lieutenant Mar 31, 1969
First Lieutenant Mar 31 1972
Captain Mar 31, 1974
Major Aug 26, 1978
Lieutenant Colonel Sep 12, 1982
Colonel Jun 27, 1988
Brigadier General May 15, 1991
(Current as of August 2004)
The date of publication indicated on this biography reflects the most recent update. It does not necessarily reflect the date of printing.