Chief of Staff, South Carolina Air National Guard
Brigadier General Michael A. Hudson is currently Chief of Staff, South Carolina Air National Guard. He supervises the preparation of plans, policies, and programs for the Air National Guard units assigned to the state and advises and assists the Adjutant General in their execution. Previously, he served as Commander, 169th Fighter Wing, South Carolina Air National Guard. He was the senior officer responsible for organizing, training and equipping the largest operational F-16 wing in the Air National Guard. He was responsible for the care, morale and welfare of approximately 1,500 military and civilian personnel, including 1,300 Air National Guard and 150 Active Duty Airmen assigned to the 169th Fighter Wing in an "Active Associate" construct. As the Joint National Guard base commander, he hosted the largest Army National Guard flying operation in South Carolina.
Brigadier General Hudson graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of South Carolina. He was commissioned through Officer Training School and graduated from Undergraduate Pilot Training at Reese Air Force Base, Texas in 1984. He is a command pilot with more than 4,500 hours logged in AETC, PACAF, ACC and the ANG. He has flown 97 combat sorties in Operations Desert Storm, Northern and Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. In 2010, he served as deputy operations group commander at Joint Base Balad, Iraq.
1980 University of South Carolina, Bachelor of Science, Electrical
Engineering, Columbia, South Carolina
1984 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
1986 Houston Baptist University, Masters of Science, Management, Houston, Texas
1999 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
2002 Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
1. March 1983 - April 1984, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, 64th
Flying Training Wing, Reese Air Force Base, Texas
2. April 1984 - August 1984, Student, Pilot Instructor Training, 54th Flying
Training Squadron, Reese Air Force Base, Texas
3. August 1984 - January 1986, Instructor Pilot, T-38, 54th Flying Training
Squadron, Reese Air Force Base, Texas
4. January 1986 - May 1986, Check Pilot, Runway Supervisory Unit Controller,
T-38, 54th Flying Training Squadron, Reese Air Force Base, Texas
5. May 1986 - March 1987, Squadron Executive, Runway Supervisory Unit
Controller/Upgrader, T-38, 54th Flying Training Squadron, Reese Air Force Base,
Texas
6. March 1987 - May 1987, Student, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force
Base, Alabama
7. May 1987 - September 1987, Student, Lead-In Fighter Training Course, 479th
Tactical Training Wing, Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico
8. September 1987 - May 1988, Student, Operational Training Course, F-16, 56th
Tactical Training Wing, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida
9. May 1988 - May 1989, F-16 Pilot - Chief of Squadron Training, 80th Tactical
Fighter Squadron, Kunsan Air Base, Korea
10. May 1989 - February 1990, F-16 Pilot, Life Support Officer, 17th Tactical
Fighter Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina
11. February 1990 - November 1991, Flight Commander, 17th Fighter Squadron, Shaw
Air Force Base, South Carolina
12. November 1991 - June 1992, Headquarters Air Readiness Personnel Center,
Denver, Colorado
13. June 1992 - September 1997, Pilot Tactical Fighter, 157th Fighter Squadron,
McEntire Air National Guard Station, South Carolina
14. October 1997 - March 1999, Wing Flying Safety Officer, 169th Fighter Wing,
McEntire Air National Guard Station, South Carolina
15. April 1999 - March 2000, Operations Support Flight Commander, 169th
Operations Support Flight, McEntire Air National Guard Station, South Carolina
16. April 2000 - March 2003, Operations Officer, 157th Fighter Squadron,
McEntire Air National Guard Station, South Carolina
17. April 2003 - March 2007, Commander, 157th Fighter Squadron, McEntire Joint
National Guard Base, South Carolina
18. April 2007 - May 2010, Commander, 169th Operations Group, McEntire Joint
National Guard Base, South Carolina
19. May 2010 - August 2010, Deputy Commander, 332nd Expeditionary Operations
Group, Joint Base Balad, Iraq
20. August 2010 - March 2011, Commander, 169th Operations Group, McEntire Joint
National Guard Base, South Carolina
21. April 2011 - January 2012, Vice Commander, 169th Fighter Wing, McEntire
Joint National Guard base, South Carolina
22. January 2012 - July 2013, Commander, 169th Fighter Wing, McEntire Joint
National Guard Base, South Carolina
23. July 2013 - August 2013, Retired
24. August 2013 - Present, Chief of Staff, South Carolina Air National Guard,
McEntire Joint National Guard Base, South Carolina
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight Hours: 4,500
Aircraft Flown: T-38, F-16A/C/CJ
Pilot wings from: Reese Air Force Base, Texas
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal (with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
Air Medal (with 1 Silver Oak Leaf Cluster and 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Aerial Achievement Medal (with 3 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
Air Force Commendation Medal (with 4 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
Air Force Achievement Medal
Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
Combat Readiness Medal with (with 2 Silver Oak Leaf Clusters and 1Bronze Oak
Leaf Cluster)
National Defense Service Medal (with 1 Bronze Service Star)
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal (with 2 Bronze Service Stars)
Afghanistan Campaign Medal (with 1 Bronze Service Star)
Iraq Campaign Medal (with 2 Bronze Service Stars)
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Korean Defense Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Air Force Overseas Ribbon Short Tour (with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon (with Gold Border and 1 Bronze Oak Leaf
Cluster)
Air Force Longevity Service Award (with 1 Silver Oak Leaf Cluster and 1 Bronze
Oak Leaf Cluster)
Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with Silver Hourglass, M Device, and Numeral 2)
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon (with 1 Bronze Service Star)
Air Force Training Ribbon
Kuwait Liberation Medal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Kuwait Liberation Medal Government of Kuwait
Second Lieutenant 10 March 1983
First Lieutenant 10 March 1985
Captain 10 March 10 1987
Major 8 January 1997
Lieutenant Colonel 10 January 2001
Colonel 28 August 2008
Brigadier General 29 June 2013
(Current as of November 2013)