Brigadier General Richard W. Ash is the Assistant Adjutant General for Air, Kentucky Air National Guard, Frankfort, Kentucky. As Assistant Adjutant General for Air, he represents the Governor and the Adjutant General of Kentucky as the principal advisor on matters pertaining to the Kentucky Air National Guard. He serves as the commander of Headquarters, Kentucky Air National Guard who has command and control responsibility of all Air National Guard units in Kentucky. He is responsible to the Adjutant General of Kentucky for the overall management of the flying unit within the state.
The General began his military career when he received his commission as a second lieutenant through the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) in 1976. After an initial active duty tour under the Palace Option Program, General Ash entered the Kentucky Air National Guard where he served approximately two years as a Civil Engineering Officer. He then attended Undergraduate Navigator Training at Mather AFB, CA and served as a Weapons Systems Officer in the RF-4C until January 1981. After completing Undergraduate Pilot Training at Vance AFB, OK he returned to Kentucky and continued to fly the RF-4C until August 1988. With a change to an airlift mission, he flew the C-130B, E & H until he was assigned to the state headquarters in September 1995. He is a command pilot with over 8,000 flying hours, military and civilian combined.
1975 Bachelor of Science degree, University of Louisville,
Louisville, Kentucky
1976 Masters of Engineering degree, University of Louisville, Louisville,
Kentucky
1977 Squadron Officer School
1984 Air Command and Staff College
1995 Air War College
2002 Director Mobility Forces Course
2002 CAPSTONE 2002-4
1. July 1976 - February 1978, base civil engineering officer,
123d Civil Engineer Flight, Kentucky Air National Guard, Louisville, KY
2. February 1978 - September 1978, student, undergraduate navigator training,
323d Flying Training Wing, Mather Air Force Base, CA
3. September 1978 - March 1979, tactical reconnaissance training, RF-4C, 33d
Tactical Reconnaissance Training Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base, SC
4. March 1979 - July 1980, C flight member, RF-4C, 165th Tactical Reconnaissance
Squadron, Kentucky Air National Guard, Louisville, KY
5. July 1980 - November 1981, student, undergraduate pilot training, 71st
Student Squadron, Vance Air Force Base, OK
6. November 1981 - June 1982, tactical reconnaissance training, RF-4C, 33d
Tactical Reconnaissance Training Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base, SC
7. June 1982 - July 1986, D flight member, RF-4C, 165th Tactical Reconnaissance
Squadron, Kentucky Air National Guard, Louisville, KY
8. July 1986 - August 1988, Flight Commander, RF-4C, 165th Tactical
Reconnaissance Squadron, Kentucky Air National Guard, Louisville, KY
9. August 1988 - December 1988, pilot qualification, C-130E, 34th Tactical
Training Squadron, Little Rock Air Force Base, Little Rock, AR
10. December 1988 - January 1995, Flight Commander, C-130B/H, 165th Tactical
Airlift Squadron, Kentucky Air National Guard, Louisville, KY
11. January 1995 - September 1995, Commander, 123d Operations Support Flight,
Kentucky Air National Guard, Louisville, KY
12. September 1995 - February 1999, Operations Staff Officer, Headquarters,
Kentucky Air National Guard, Frankfort, KY
13. February 1999 - Present, Assistant Adjutant General for Air, Headquarters,
Kentucky Air National Guard, Frankfort, KY
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: More than 8,000
Aircraft flown (military): T-37, T-38, RF-4C, C-130E, C-130B and C-130H
Aircraft flown (civilian): Boeing 727 and MD-80
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award with one device
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with seven oak leaf clusters
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with one oak leaf cluster
Combat Readiness Medal with five devices
National Defense Service Medal with service star
Armed Forces Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Air Force Longevity Service Ribbon with five oak leaf clusters
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with hourglass device and 'M' device
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon with service star
Air Force Training Ribbon
North Atlantic Treaty Organization Medal
Kentucky Distinguished Service Medal
Kentucky Service Ribbon with four oak leaf clusters
Captain, American Airlines
Selected outstanding engineering student by Society of American
Military Engineers, 1974-1975.
Registered Professional Engineer.
President, Kentucky National Guard Association, 1989.
Outstanding Leadership Award, Undergraduate Pilot Training, 1981.
Flight Commanders Award, Undergraduate Pilot Training, 1981.
First Air National Guard officer to command the 'Delta Squadron' in early 1994
when it was composed of active, guard and reserve forces. This squadron was an
active duty fast response airlift unit that could be called up for any mission
during the early cold war years.
Air Transport Pilot with multi-engine instrument rating.
Co-chairman, Southeast Region Airspace and Range Council.
Senior Director, ANG Crises Action Team, 15 Oct. to 15 Nov. 2001.
Director, AF Crises Action Team, 16 Nov. 2001 to 15 Mar. 2002.
Combined Forces Air Component Commander (CFAC) for JFC War Game Unified Quest
2003.
Selected by Chief National Guard Bureau for the National Guard Assistant Program
(NGAP) to HQAF/XOO.
Second Lieutenant Jan 16, 1976
First Lieutenant Feb 12, 1978
Captain Jul 12, 1980
Major Nov 24, 1985
Lieutenant Colonel Apr 14, 1991
Colonel Jun 9, 1996
Brigadier General Oct 29, 1999
(Current as of July 2003)
The date of publication indicated on this biography reflects the most recent update. It does not necessarily reflect the date of printing.