Brigadier General Manuel A. Guzman is the assistant adjutant general for Air and commander of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard. In this capacity he is responsible for executing mission readiness of assigned units, and he supervises the chief of staff, commanders of the 156th Airlift Wing, 140th Air Defense Squadron, 141st Air Control Squadron and Headquarters' staff.
The general graduated from Texas A&M University in 1965. He joined the United States Marine Corps and attended Naval Air Training in Pensacola, Florida, receiving his pilot wings in 1967. He served as combat pilot in Southeast Asia from October 1967 through November 1968, where he flew over one hundred combat missions. He also served as ground forward air controller with the 27th Marines for a period of 4 months. Following his tour of duty in Vietnam, he returned to the Naval Training Command as flight instructor. In 1970, he joined the Puerto Rico Air National Guard and became a F-104 Pilot in the 198th Tactical Fighter Squadron.
General Guzman held several important positions within the Puerto Rico Air National Guard. These were as follows: commander of the 198th Tactical Fighter Squadron, deputy commander for operations, air operations staff officer at HQ Puerto Rico Air National Guard, and as commander of the 156th Tactical Fighter Wing. He is a command pilot with more than 5,500 flying hours.
1965 BBA in Marketing, Texas A&M University, College Station TX
1972 Squadron Officer School, by correspondence
1975 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
1986 National Security Management Course, by correspondence
1. April 1965 - July 1966, Flight Training on T-34/T-2, Naval Air Station
Pensacola, FL
2. July 1966 - February 1967, Advance F-9 Training, Naval Air Station Beeville,
Texas
3. February 1967 - October 1967, A-4 Pilot, Air Group 33 MCAS, El Toro,
California
4. October 1967 - December 1967, A-4 Combat Pilot, Marine Air Group, 12, Chulai
Air Base, Republic of Vietnam
5. December 1967 - April 1968, A-4 Combat Pilot, MCAS Iwakuni, Japan
6. April 1968 - June 1968, A-4 Combat Pilot, Marine Air Group 12, Chulai Air
Base, Republic of Vietnam
7. June 1968 - September 1968, Ground Forward air Controller, 2nd BN, 27th
Marines, Republic of Vietnam
8. September 1968 - November 1968, A-4 Combat Pilot, Marine Air Group 12, Chulai
Air Base, Republic of Vietnam
9. November 1968 - August 1970, T-2 Flight Instructor Naval Air Station
Meridian, MS
10. August 1970 - August 1974, F-104/C-54 Tactical Fighter Pilot, 198th Fighter
Squadron, Mu'iz, Air National Guard Base, Puerto Rico
11. August 1974 - November 1975, F-104/C-131 pilot and Chief Stan/Evaluation,
198th Fighter Squadron, Mu'iz, Air National Guard Base, Puerto Rico
12. November 1975 - March 1976, A-7 Conversion Training Course, Student Squadron
Davis Monthan, Air Force Base, Arizona
13. March 1976 - January 1979, A-7/C-131 pilot and Squadron Operations Officer,
198th Fighter Squadron, Mu'iz, Air National Guard Base, Puerto Rico
14. January 1979 - May 1980, A-7 pilot and Commander, 198th Fighter Squadron, Mu'iz, Air National Guard Base, Puerto Rico
15. May 1980 - May 1982, A-7 pilot and Deputy Commander for Operations, 156th
Fighter Wing, Mu'iz, Air National Guard Base, Puerto Rico
16. May 1982 - May 1984, A-7 pilot and Group Operations and Training Officer,
156th Fighter Wing, Mu'iz, Air National Guard Base, Puerto Rico
17. May 1984 - May 1985, A-7 pilot and Operations Plan Officer, 156th Fighter
Wing, Mu'iz, Air National Guard Base, Puerto Rico
18. May 1985 - September 1986, A-7 pilot and Commander 198th Fighter Squadron, Mu'iz, Air National Guard Base, Puerto Rico
19. September 1986 - September 1987, A-7 pilot and Deputy Commander for
Operations, 156th Fighter Wing, Mu'iz, Air National Guard Base, Puerto Rico
20. September 1987 - September 1988, A-7 pilot and Air Operations Staff Officer,
HQ PRANG, San Juan, Puerto Rico
21. September 1988 - July 1992, A-7 pilot and Commander, 156th Fighter Wing, Mu'iz, Air National Guard Base, Puerto Rico
22. July 1992 - October 1992, F-16 Air National Guard Conversion Training, 162nd
Student Squadron, Tucson, Arizona
23. October 1992 - March 1995, F-16/C-26 pilot and Commander, 156th Fighter
Wing, Mu'iz Air National Guard Base, Puerto Rico
24. March 1995 - April 2001, Retired Awaiting Pay, HQ ARPC, Denver, Colorado
25. April 2001 - Present, Assistant Adjutant General, HQ PRANG, San Juan, Puerto
Rico
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: More than 5,500 including 100 combat missions
Aircrafts flown: T-34, T-2, F-9, A-4, F-104, C-54, C-131, A-7, F-16 and C-26
Pilot wings from: Naval Air Station, Pensacola, FL
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Medal with 7 devices
Air Force Commendation Medal with 1 device
Navy Commendation Medal
Combat Readiness Medal with 2 devices
National Defense Service Medal with 1 device
Air Force Longevity Service Award with 7 devices
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with 2 devices
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
Air Force Training Ribbon
Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Republic of Vietnam Service Medal with 2 devices
Puerto Rico National Guard Merit Cross Medal
Puerto Rico National Guard Service Medal
Puerto Rico National Guard Community Service Ribbon
Puerto Rico National Guard Active Duty for Training Ribbon
Commercial Pilot, American Eagle
Second Lieutenant Jan 1, 1965
First Lieutenant Jul 1, 1966 (Marine Reserves)
Captain Jul 1, 1967 (Marine Reserves)
First Lieutenant Aug 19, 1970
Captain Feb 1, 1972
Major Feb 10, 1976
Lieutenant Colonel May 3, 1980
Colonel December 18, 1987
Brigadier General September 26, 2001
(Current as of June 2002)
The date of publication indicated on this biography reflects the most recent update. It does not necessarily reflect the date of printing.