MAJOR GENERAL STEVEN E. FOSTER

Air National Guard Assistant to the Commander, Air Forces Central

Major General Steven E. Foster is the Air National Guard Assistant to the Commander, Air Forces Central, Shaw Air Force Base, North Carolina. He is responsible for assisting in the development of contingency plans and the conduct of air operations in a 20-nation area of responsibility covering Central and Southwest Asia. He assists the Commander, 9th Air Force, Air Combat Command in maintaining the readiness of the seven wings and two direct reporting units in the eastern United States assigned to 9th Air Force and its more than 350 aircraft, and 24,000 active-duty and civilian personnel and the 14 Ninth-Air-Force-gained National Guard and Air Force Reserve units.

General Foster is a 1977 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. He has served as an O-2A, A-10, and F-16 Aircraft Commander and as a Flight Evaluator in the A-10 and O-2A. General Foster was the 9th Air Force Aerial Demonstration Pilot from 1984 -1986.

General Foster previously served in a variety of operational, staff and command positions throughout the Wisconsin Air National Guard culminating as the Chief of Staff, Wisconsin Air National Guard. He has held command positions at the Flight, Squadron and Wing level. As Commander, 115th Fighter Wing, General Foster lead the unit through their first Operational Readiness Inspection in the F-16 while also sitting alert for Operation Noble Eagle and received an overall rating of excellent. He flew one of the unit's first sorties orbiting Chicago on 12 September 2001 and is a command pilot with over 3800 flying hours. General Steven E. Foster's most recent assignment was Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. He was the principal advisor to the commander and his staff on wartime and peacetime operational capabilities of the National Guard.

EDUCATION:

1977 United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado
1986 Webster University, Master of Business Administration, Saint Louis, Missouri
1999 Air War College, by correspondence
2010 Combined Force Air Component Commander's Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama

ASSIGNMENTS:

1. July 1977 - October 1978, Student, 14th Flying Training Wing, Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi
2. October 1978 - April 1979, 549th Tactical Air Support Training Squadron, Patirck Air Force Base, Florida
3. April 1979 - October 1979, Pilot, 0-2, 24th Composite Squadron, Howard Air Force Base, Republic of Panama
4. October 1979 - May 1980, Forward Air Controller, 24th Composite Squadron, Howard Air Force Base, Panama
5. May 1980 - March 1982, Battalion Air Liaison Officer, 24th Composite Squadron, Howard Air Force Base, Panama
6. March 1982 - July 1982, Student, 479th Tactical training Wing, Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico
7. July 1982 - November 1982, Student, 355th Tactical Training wing, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona
8. November 1982 - October 1983, Aircraft Commander, A-10, 75th Tactical Fighter Squadron, England Air Force Base, Louisiana
9. October 1983 - December 1983, Student, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
10. December 1983 - April 1984, Aircraft Commander, A-10, 75th Tactical fighter Squadron, England Air Force Base, Louisiana
11. April 1984 - October 1985, Flight Commander, A-10, 75th Tactical fighter Squadron, England Air Force Base, Louisiana
12. October 1985 - August 1986, Demonstration Pilot, A-10, 75th Tactical fighter Squadron, England Air Force Base, Louisiana
13. August 1986 - April 1987, Standardization/Evaluation Flight Examiner, 75th Tactical fighter Squadron, England Air Force Base, Louisiana
14. April 1987 - April 1989, Fighter Requirements Manager, A-10, Headquarters, Tactical Fighter Requirements, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia
15. April 1989 - October 1991, Reserve, Air Force Personnel Center, Denver, Colorado
16. October 1991 - October 1992, Instructor Pilot, 176th Fighter Squadron, Truax Field, Madison, Wisconsin
17. October 1992 - October 1994, Instructor Pilot, 176th Fighter Squadron, Truax Field, Madison, Wisconsin
18. October 1994 - August 1995, Weapons and Tactics Officer, 115th Operations Support Flight, Wisconsin Air National Guard, Madison, Wisconsin
19. September 1995 - July 1998, Commander, B Flight, 176th Fighter Squadron, Wisconsin Air National Guard, Madison, Wisconsin
20. July 1998 - December 1999, Commander, 176th Fighter Squadron, Wisconsin Air National Guard, Madison, Wisconsin
21. December 1999 - December 2002, Director of Operations, Headquarters, Wisconsin Air National Guard, Madison, Wisconsin
22. December 2002 - December 2003, Commander, 115th Fighter Wing, Truax Field, Madison, Wisconsin
23. December 2003 - May 2005, Chief of Staff, Wisconsin Air National Guard, Headquarters, Wisconsin Air National Guard, Madison, Wisconsin
24. June 2005 - February 2007, Mobilization Assistant to the Director of Plans, J5, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
25. February 2007 - April 2010, Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
26. April 2010 - Present, Air National Guard Assistant to the Commander, Air Forces Central, Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina

FLIGHT INFORMATION:

Rating: Command Pilot
Flight Hours: More than 3,800
Aircraft Flown: T-37, T-38, O-2A, A-10, F-16C/D

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:

Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal (with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
Army Commendation Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (with Valor and 4 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Combat Readiness Medal (with 1 Silver and 4 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
National Defense Service Medal (with 2 Bronze Service Stars)
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Air Force Overseas Ribbon - Long
Air Force Longevity Service Award Ribbon (with 1 Silver and 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with Bronze Hourglass and M Device)
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship (with 1 Bronze Star)
Air Force Training Ribbon

CIVILIAN OCCUPATION:

MD-11 Pilot for Federal Express

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:

Second Lieutenant 01 June 1977
First Lieutenant 01 June 1979
Captain 01 June 1981
Major 01 June 1991
Lieutenant Colonel 14 September 1996
Colonel 06 October 2000
Brigadier General 08 October 2004
Major General 01 March 2007

(Current as of February 2012)