Brigadier General Kenneth M. Jefferson is chief of staff for the Headquarters South Carolina Air National Guard. The General is responsible for operational readiness and strategic planning for the S.C. Air National Guard located at McEntire Joint National Guard Base, Eastover, SC. As the chief of staff, he represents the Governor and the Adjutant General of South Carolina as the principal advisor on matters pertaining to the South Carolina Air National Guard. He also serves as Deputy Joint Force Headquarters Commander and as a designated Joint Task Force Commander responsible for planning and executing National Guard operations in response to natural disasters and other contingencies within South Carolina.
General Jefferson earned his commission as a Distinguished Graduate of the University of South Carolina Air Force ROTC Program in 1975. He received a Masters in Business Administration from Golden Gate University in San Francisco, California. He completed pilot training at Craig Air Force Base, AL in 1977. He served as Fighter Lead-In Instructor flying AT-38Bs at Holloman Air Force Base NM until leaving the USAF in 1982. General Jefferson joined the "Swamp Foxes" of the South Carolina Air National Guard in September 1982 as an A-7D pilot. In 1983 he began flying F-16 aircraft. General Jefferson deployed to Saudi Arabia in December 1990 in support of Operation Desert Shield/Storm flying over 45 combat sorties in the F-16. Other assignments in the South Carolina Air National Guard include Director of Operations, Headquarters South Carolina Air National Guard, 169th Fighter Wing Vice-Commander, 169th Operations Support Flight Commander, 157th Fighter Squadron Flight Commander, Standardization and Evaluation Flight Examiner, and Flight Safety Officer. He is a command pilot with over 3,500 USAF flight hours.
1975 Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering, University of South Carolina
1979 Masters in Business Administration and Management, Golden Gate University
1997 Air War College
1. May 1976 - June 1977, undergraduate pilot training, Craig Air Force Base, AL
2. June 1977 - October 1977, flight lead-in training, Holloman Air Force Base, NM
3. November 1977 - April 1978, operational training, Luke Air Force Base, AL
4. May 1978 - March 1980, aircraft commander, 430 Tactical Fighter Squadron, Nellis Air Force Base, NV
5. April 1980-September 1982, 434TFTS instructor pilot, Holloman Air Force Base, NM
6. October 1982 - April 1995, aircraft commander, 157th Fighter Squadron, McEntire Air National Guard Base, SC
7. May 1995 - June 1996, flight commander, 157 Fighter Squadron
8. July 1996 - September 1997, OSF commander, 169th Fighter Wing
9. October 1997 - March 2000, director of Operations, Headquarters, South Carolina Air National Guard
10. April 2000 - May 2004, vice commander, 169th Fighter Wing, South Carolina Air National Guard
11. June 2004 - October 2005, director of operations, South Carolina Air National Guard
12. October 2005 - Present, chief of staff, South Carolina Air National Guard
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: More than 3,500
Aircraft Flown: T-37, T-38, F-4, AT-38, F-16
Distinguished Flying Cross
Meritorious Service Medal with 1 oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with 5 oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with 22 oak leaf clusters
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor device and 4 oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal with 6 oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with 1 bronze star
Southwest Asia Service Medal with 2 oak leaf clusters
Air Force Longevity Service Award Ribbon with 5 oak leaf clusters
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with "M" device
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon with 1 bronze staf
Air Force Training Ribbon
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabian Government)
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)
South Carolina Exceptional Service Medal
South Carolina Active State Service Medal (20 years)
Pilot, US Airways
Second Lieutenant, 14 July 1975
First Lieutenant, 31 May 1977
Captain, 14 January 1980
Major, 14 July 1989
Lieutenant Colonel, 01 October 1995
Colonel, 30 March 2001
Brigadier General, 28 October 2005
(Current as of April 2006)
The date of publication indicated on this biography reflects the most recent update. It does not necessarily reflect the date of printing.