Assistant Adjutant General - Air, California National Guard
Brigadier General Randall R. Ball is Assistant Adjutant General- Air, California National Guard. He monitors mission effectiveness and a wide range of programs and activities involving five major field-level organizations comprised of nearly 5,000 military and civilian personnel serving at ten locations within California. In this role, General Ball oversees development of operationally trained, equipped and mission ready forces for supporting national defense requirements worldwide, as well as emergency response, relief, and recovery operations throughout California.
General Ball was commissioned in 1980 as a Distinguished Graduate from the Air National Guard Academy of Military Science. He graduated from Undergraduate Pilot Training at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona in 1982. General Ball served as a forward air controller, flying the O-2 Skymaster, prior to qualification and unit conversion to the F-4. General Ball flew the F-4 from 1982 to 1993 with the 163rd Tactical Fighter Group serving as Chief of Scheduling and Assistant Chief of Standardization and Evaluation. He also served as a flight lead, instructor pilot, and evaluator pilot in the F-4. He flew the KC-135 Stratotanker from 1993 through 2006 as an instructor and evaluator. In 2002, he served as Commander, 900th Expeditionary Refueling Squadron at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, supporting Operation NORTHERN WATCH. In 2003 he commanded the 398th Expeditionary Refueling Squadron at Souda Bay Naval Air Station, Crete, providing air refueling for Joint Forces in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. During his last assignment as Commander, 163rd Reconnaissance Wing, March Air Reserve Base General Ball flew the Predator remotely piloted aircraft in support of CENTCOM Combat Air Patrols. General Ball is a Command Pilot with over 5,000 hours in the T-37, T-38, AT-38, O-2A/B, F-4 C/D/E, RF-4C, KC-135E/R, T-53 and MQ-1 aircraft.
1984 University of Redlands, Bachelor of Science, Business Administration,
Redlands, California
1991 Squadron Officer School, by correspondence
1995 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2001 Air War College, by correspondence
1. September 1980 - October 1981, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, 82nd
Student Squadron, Williams Air Force Base, Arizona
2. October 1981 - December 1981, Student, Basic Lead-In Training Course, 479th
Tactical Training Wing, Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico
3. December 1981 - October 1982, Student, United States Air Force Operational
Training Course, 307th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Homestead Air Force Base,
Florida
4. October 1982 - October 1983, Unit Weapon Systems Officer, 196th Tactical
Fighter Squadron, March Air Force Base, California
5. October 1983 - June 1984, Fighter Pilot Systems Operator, 196th Tactical
Fighter Squadron, March Air Force Base, California
6. June 1984 - January 1990, Tactical Fighter Pilot, 196th Tactical Fighter
Squadron, March Air Force Base, California
7. January 1990 - December 1992, Assistant Chief of Standardization and
Evaluations, 163rd Tactical Reconnaissance Group, March Air Force Base,
California
8. January 1993 - December 1995, Assistant Chief of Standardization and
Evaluations, 163rd Operations Group, March Air Force Base, California
9. January 1996 - December 1996, Squadron Assistant Operations Officer, 196th
Air Refueling Squadron, March Air Reserve Base, California
10. January 1997 - September 1997, Commander, 196th Air Refueling Squadron,
March Air Reserve Base, California
11. September 1997 - September 2004, Commander, 163rd Operations Group, March
Air Reserve Base, California
12. September 2004 - September 2006, Commander, 163rd Air Refueling Wing, March
Air Reserve Base, California
13. September 2006 - July 2009, Commander, 163rd Operations Group, March Air
Reserve Base, California
14. July 2009 - March 2013, Wing Commander, 163rd Reconnaissance Wing, March Air
Reserve Base, California
15. March 2013 - Present, Assistant Adjutant General- Air, California National
Guard, Joint Force Headquarters, Sacramento, California
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight Hours: More than 5,000
Aircraft Flown: T-37, T-38, AT-38, O-2A/B, F-4 C/D/E, RF-4C, KC-135E/R, T-53,
MQ-1
Pilot Wings From: Williams Air Force Base, Arizona
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal (with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (with 1 Silver Oak Leaf Cluster and 1 Bronze
Oak Leaf Cluster)
Combat Readiness Medal (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
National Defense Service Medal (with 2 Bronze Service Stars)
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (with 3 Bronze Service Stars)
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal (with 2 Bronze Service Stars)
Air Force Longevity Service Award Ribbon (with 1 Silver Oak Leaf Cluster and
3Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with Gold Hourglass, M Device, and Numeral 3)
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
Air Force Training Ribbon
California National Guard Governor's Outstanding Unit Citation (with 1 Bronze
Oak Leaf Cluster)
California National Guard Good Conduct Medal (with 1 Bronze Star)
California National Guard State Service Medal (with 1 Gold and 1 Silver Redwood
Cluster)
California National Guard Federal Service Ribbon
California National Guard State Service Ribbon
California National Guard Drill Attendance Ribbon (with 2 Bronze Service Stars)
Second Lieutenant 18 September 1980
First Lieutenant 18 December 1982
Captain 4 November 1984
Major 2 February 1992
Lieutenant Colonel 25 April 1996
Colonel 21 March 2002
Brigadier General 31 March 2013
(Current as of February 2014)