BRIGADIER GENERAL RICHARD W. JOHNSON

Special Assistant to the Director, Air National Guard

Brigadier General Richard W. Johnson is the Special Assistant to the Director, Air National Guard.

Previously, he served four years as the Commander, 124th Wing of the Idaho Air National Guard, Boise, Idaho. As such, he was responsible for the operational readiness of the 189 Airlift Squadron, 190th Fighter Squadron, 124th Air Support Operational Squadron, 266 Range Squadron, and 16 support units with a total of more than 1,400 Air National Guard members. The 124th Wing, based at Gowen Field (Boise Air Terminal) in Boise, Idaho, is a reserve component of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command and Air Mobility Command.

General Johnson enlisted in the Idaho Air National Guard in 1972 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant later that year. While working on two bachelor degrees, he was learning to fly two combat aircraft, the F-102 and RF-4C. After completing his training and schooling, he accepted a fulltime Air National Guard position as an instructor pilot. He later returned to the wing's traditional force serving in the 189th Airlift Squadron flying C-130 cargo aircraft. He then held various 124th Wing and Headquarters Idaho Air National Guard key officer assignments. General Johnson has served the United States Air Force by taking part in numerous overseas operations including Operation Desert Shield, Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Lifeline and Aerospace Expeditionary Force deployments.

EDUCATION:

1975 Boise State University, Bachelor of Science, Mathematics, Boise, Idaho
1978 Boise State University, Bachelor of Business Administration, Accounting, Boise, Idaho
1997 Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama

ASSIGNMENTS:

1. December 1972 - March 1973, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Reese Air Force Base, Texas
2. March 1973 - August 1974, Student, Combat Crew Training, F-102, Ellington Field, Texas
3. August 1974 - October 1975, Pilot, F-102,190th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho
4. October 1975 - May 1983, Pilot, RF-4C, 190th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho
5. May 1983 - October 1987, Instructor Pilot, RF-4C 190th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho
6. October 1987 - February 1991, Chief, Standardization and Evaluation, 124th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho
7. February 1991 - October 1992, Safety Officer, 189th Tactical Reconnaissance Training Flight, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho
8. October 1992 - June 1996, Evaluation Pilot, C-26, 124th Operations Support Squadron, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho
9. June 1996 - June 1997, Student, Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
10. June 1997 - May 1998, Flight Commander, C-130, 189th Airlift Squadron, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho
11. May 1998 - October 2001, Director of Operations, Headquarters, Idaho Air National Guard, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho
12. October 2001 - January 2004, Vice Commander, 124th Wing, Idaho Air National Guard, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho
13. January 2004 - May 2008, Commander, 124th Wing, Idaho Air National Guard, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho
14. May 2008 - Present, Special Assistant to the Director, Air National Guard, Arlington, Virginia

FLIGHT INFORMATION:

Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: 6,021.7
Aircraft flown: F-102, RF-4C, C-131, C-26, C-130, A-10
Pilot Wings from: Reese Air Force Base, Texas

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:

Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
Combat Readiness Medal (with 1 Silver Oak Leaf Cluster and 1 Gold Oak Leaf Cluster)
National Defense Service Medal (with 2 Bronze Service Stars)
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal (with 1 Bronze Service Star)
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Air Force Expeditionary Service Medal (with Gold Border and 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Longevity Service Award Ribbon (with 1 Silver Oak Leaf Cluster and 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with Gold Hour Glass)
Small Arms Marksmanship Ribbon
Air Force Training Ribbon

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:

Second Lieutenant 19 October 1972
First Lieutenant 19 October 1975
Captain 3 February 1978
Major 5 May 1984
Lieutenant Colonel 28 February 1991
Colonel 30 March 2000
Brigadier General 22 June 2006

(Current as of May 2009)