Brigadier General
James K. Robinson is chief of staff, Headquarters, Alaska Air National Guard
(AKANG), Ft. Richardson, Alaska. His responsibilities include both daily operations
of the Headquarters staff and directing the Air Guard participation in the Joint
Forces Headquarters, Alaska.
He enlisted in the Alaska Air National Guard in August of 1978 and was commissioned in April 1980 as a second lieutenant in 1980 and received his pilot wings at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas in June 1981. His first operational assignment was as a C-130 pilot with the 144th Tactical Airlift Squadron at Kulis Air National Guard Base, Alaska. He was upgraded to aircraft commander as a second lieutenant and then upgraded to C-130 instructor pilot. General Robinson has been a traditional guard member his entire military career. In addition to his civil and military flying, he has performed as a command post controller, drop zone officer, assistant director of operations for the 144th Airlift Squadron, commander, 176th Aircraft Generation Squadron, and commander, 176th Operations Group. He is a command pilot with more than 5,000 military flying hours. His total flying time is over 15,000 hours. During his career with the Alaska Air National Guard, he has visited over 50 countries, flown literally around the world, and deployed to Panama 19 times. He participated in Operations Provide Relief and Restore Hope. He served as mission commander, Balance Magic, the first ever deployment of Special Forces to Mongolia for joint air land and air drop operations. He deployed to Pakistan (AEF 7-8) in support of Operation Enduring Freedom where he was the commander, 438th Air Expeditionary Group.
1992 Squadron Officers School, Correspondence
1996 Air Command and Staff College, Correspondence
1996 Bachelor of Science, Aviation Technology, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University
1998 Air War College, Seminar
1999 Army War College, In-residence, Carlisle, Pennsylvania
1999 Masters of Public Administration, Shippensburg University, Pennsylvania
1. April 1980 - June 1981, student, United States Air Force Pilot Training,
Laughlin Air Force Base, Del Rio, Tex.
2. July 1981 - October 1981, student, C-130 Initial Qualification, Little Rock
Air Force Base, Ark.
3. October 1981 - May 1992, C-130 instructor/examiner pilot, Kulis Air National
Guard Base, Anchorage, Alaska
4. May 1992 - September 1995, stan/eval pilot, Kulis Air National Guard Base,
Anchorage, Alaska
5. September 1995- January 1997, assistant operations officer, Kulis Air National
Guard Base, Anchorage, Alaska
6. January 1997 - June 1998, commander, 176th Aircraft Generation Squadron,
Kulis Air National Guard Base, Anchorage, Alaska
7. June 1998 - June 1999, student, Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Penn.
8. June 1999 - Present, director of operations, Headquarters Alaska Air National
Guard,
9. Fort Richardson, Anchorage, Alaska
10. June 2003 - June 2004, commander, 176th Operations Group, Kulis Air National
Guard Base, Alaska
11. June 2004 - Present, chief of staff, Headquarters Alaska Air National Guard,
Fort Richardson, Anchorage, Alaska
Bronze Star
Meritorious Service Medal with one device
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with one device
Air Force Achievement Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Combat Readiness Medal with 6 devices
Humanitarian Service Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Alaska Domestic Emergency Ribbon with one device
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight Hours: 5,000
Aircraft Flown: C-130E/H, HC-130, HH-60, KC-135R
Second Lieutenant April 1980
First Lieutenant April 1983
Captain May 1986
Major June 1992
Lieutenant Colonel February 1997
Colonel October 2000
Brigadier General July 2004
(Current as of February 2005)
The date of publication indicated on this biography reflects the most recent update. It does not necessarily reflect the date of printing.