Brigadier General Robert C. Bolton
Brigadier General Robert C. Bolton is Chief of Staff, New Jersey Air National Guard which includes the 108th Wing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and the 177th Fighter Wing based at the Atlantic City International Airport, Egg Harbor Township. As Chief of Staff, he commands the New Jersey Air National Guard, exercises command and control over two subordinate flying wings performing fighter and air refueling missions, serves as principal advisor to the Adjutant General and the New Jersey National Guard Joint Staff regarding the execution of Air National Guard and Air Force policies and programs. He also oversees functions within the Joint Force Headquarters, the joint staff capacity for the development and execution of Defense Support of Civil Authorities activities and missions; General Bolton directs on-going reviews of missions, facilities, force structure, mobilization, readiness and strength within the New Jersey Air National Guard.
General Bolton was commissioned in 1983 through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at the University of Massachusetts. He was selected as a distinguished graduate of his undergraduate pilot training class in 1984. General Bolton was assigned as an F-15 Pilot and Replacement Training Unit Instructor while being assigned with active duty United States Air Force. In June 1990, he transferred to become an F-16 Instructor Pilot with 177th Fighter Wing, New Jersey Air National Guard. He was the wing point of contact responsible for conversion to Air Defense Fighter and the Air-to-Ground. General Bolton stepped in as unit's Alert Operations and Scheduling Officer in response to the September 11, 2001 events, flying many Homeland Defense missions. He served as the unit's Alert Detachment Commander for two and half years. General Bolton deployed in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM as unit's Assistant Operations Officer. He has also served in the Operations Group Commander and Wing Commander positions of the 177th Fighter Wing. He has served as the Commander of United States Air Forces in Jordan two years in a row for Eager Tiger, a multi-national joint force exercise.
EDUCATION
1983 Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts
1998 ACSC, by correspondence
1998 SOS, by in residence
2006 Air War College (AirWC), by correspondence
2014 SLOC, by in residence
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1983 - June 1984, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, 47th Flying Training Wing, Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas
2. June 1984 - October 1984, Student, Fighter Lead-In Training, 479th Tactical Training Wing, Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico
3. October 1984 - March 1985, Student, F-15, United States Air Force Operational Training Course, Luke Air Force Base, Arizona
4. March 1985 - July 1987, Aircraft Commander, F-15, 27th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia
5. July 1987 - December 1987, Student, Pilot Training, OV-10, 549th Tactical Air Support Training Squadron, Patrick Air Force Base, Florida
6. December 1987 - May 1988, Chief Weapons, 549th Tactical Air Support Training Squadron, Patrick Air Force Base, Florida
7. May 1988 - July 1988, Student, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
8. July 1988 - July 1989, Instructor Pilot, OV-10, 22nd Tactical Air Support Training Squadron, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona
9. July 1989 - June 1990, Standardization and Evaluation Flight Examiner, OV-10, 602nd Tactical Air Control Wing, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona
10. June 1990 - March 1991, Pilot, F-16, 177th Fighter Interceptor Group, Pleasantville, New Jersey
11. March 1991 - December 1992, Instructor Pilot, F-16, 119th Fighter Squadron, Pleasantville, New Jersey
12. January 1993 - December 1993, Officer-In-Charge, Weapons and Tactics, 177th Fighter Group, Pleasantville, New Jersey
13. January 1994 - December 1997, Officer-In-Charge, Weapons and Tactics, 177th Operations Support Flight, Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey
14. January 1998 - August 1998, Assistant Deputy Operations Officer, 119th Fighter Squadron, Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey
15. August 1998 - August 2000, Pilot, F-16, 177th Fighter Wing, Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey
16. August 2000 - April 2001, Assistant Director of Operations, 177th Fighter Wing, Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey
17. May 2001 - April 2004, Assistant Deputy Director of Operations, 119th Fighter Squadron, Atlantic City, New Jersey
18. May 2004 - October 2005, Detachment Commander, 177th Operations Group, Atlantic City, New Jersey
19. October 2005 - September 2006, Assistant Deputy Director of Operations, 119th Fighter Squadron, Atlantic City, New Jersey
20. September 2006 - February 2009, Operations Group Commander, 177th Operations Support Flight, Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey
21. February 2009 - May 2012, Wing Commander, 177th Fighter Wing, Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey
22. May 2012 - September 2016, Chief of Staff, Fort Dix, NJ
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight Hours: More than 4,200 hours
Aircraft Flown: F-15A/B/C/D, F-16A/B/C/D, OV-10, T-37, T-38
Pilot Wings: Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas
AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
1. Legion of Merit
2. Meritorious Service Medal
3. Air Medal
4. Aerial Achievement Medal
5. Air Force Commendation Medal
6. Air Force Achievement Medal with Silver Oak Leaf Cluster
7. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
8. Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
9. Combat Readiness Medal with three Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
10. National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Service Star
11. Iraq Campaign Medal
12. Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
13. Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon (with Gold Frame)
14. Air Force Longevity Service Award Ribbon with Silver Oak Leaf and Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
15. Armed Forces Reserve Medal with Bronze Hourglass and M Device
16. Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon with Bronze Service Star
17. Air Force Training Ribbon
18. New Jersey Ribbon of Honor with three Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
19. New Jersey Merit Award Ribbon (with Numeral 23)
20. New Jersey Desert Storm Support Ribbon
21. New Jersey State Service Ribbon
22. New Jersey Unit Strength Award Ribbon with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1984 Laughlin Air Force Base Undergraduate Pilot Training, Class 84-06, Distinguished Graduate
1989 Tactical Air Command Instructor Pilot of the Year
1992 177th Fighter Wing Company Grade Officer of the Year
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Jun. 16, 1983
First Lieutenant Jun. 16, 1985
Captain Jun. 16, 1987
Major Aug. 26, 1994
Lieutenant Colonel Nov. 24, 1998
Colonel Sep. 28, 2007
Brigadier General May 19, 2012
(Current as of February 2017)
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