Brig. Gen. Barbra S. Buls is the Commander, Air National Guard Readiness Center, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. She leads an Air Directorate staff of over 1,700 Airmen to formulate plans, policies, programs, and execution of the Air National Guard’s $13 Billion annual appropriation enabling mission readiness of 107,700 military and civilian personnel in 90 Wings and 175 geographically separated units throughout the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. Brig Gen Buls is a principal advisor to the Director, Air National Guard for field level resourcing, planning, and execution
General Buls was commissioned in 1992 through the Air National Guard Academy of Military Science following her 1986 enlistment. General Buls is an accomplished commander and senior aircraft maintenance officer. She has served in a variety of assignments on the National Guard Bureau and Headquarters Air Force Staff and joint assignments at United States Strategic Command and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
General Buls has deployed in support of multiple major operations including Operation PROVIDE COMFORT/NORTHERN WATCH, SOUTHERN WATCH, ENDURING FREDOM, NOBLE EAGLE, FREEDOM’S SENTINEL and Operation INHERENT RESOLVE. Her civilian experience includes more than 20 years of executive leadership and management in the health insurance industry and certification as a Six Sigma Black Belt. Prior to her current assignment, the general was the Deputy Commander, NATO Mission Iraq, responsible for advising senior Iraqi military and civilian Ministry of Defense leaders in support of the Government of Iraq effort to increase ministerial and institutional Defense Force capacity.
EDUCATION
1990 Bachelor of Science, Business Administration, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
1997 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base (AFB), Ala.
2004 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2010 Master of Science, National Resource Strategy, Eisenhower-Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Washington, D.C.
2012 National Security Studies Management Course, Syracuse University, N.Y.
2013 CJCS Level IV Antiterrorism Executive Training, Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, Va.
2014 Director of Mobility Forces, Course Audit, Kirkland AFB, N.M.
2016 Nuclear 300, Advanced Nuclear Concepts, Air Force Institute of Technology, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
2016 Space Operations Course, Peterson AFB, Colo.
2017 Joint Cyberspace Operations Planning Course, United States Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb.
2017 Nuclear 400, Senior Leader Nuclear Management, Air Force Institute of Technology, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
2018 National Security Senior Managers Course, Elliot School of International Affairs, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
2021 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler Business School, Chapel Hill
2021 Senior Leader Orientation Course, Arlington, Va.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1986 - August 1986, Honor Graduate, Basic Military Training, Lackland AFB, Texas
2. August 1986 - December 1986, Student, Ground Radio Operator Course, Offutt AFB, Neb.
3. December 1986 - June 1992, Ground Radio Operator, Communications Squadron, 114th Tactical Fighter Wing, Joe Foss Field Air National Guard Base (ANGB), S.D.
4. June 1992 - July 1992, Student, ANG Academy of Military Science, McGhee-Tyson ANGB, Tenn.
5. July 1992 - April 1993, Officer in Charger (OIC), Munitions Maintenance, 114th Consolidated Maintenance Squadron, Joe Foss Field ANGB, S.D.
6. April 1993 - July 1993, Student, Aircraft Maintenance Munitions Officer Course, Sheppard AFB, Texas
7. July 1993 - July 1994, OIC, Munitions Maintenance, 114th Consolidated Maintenance Squadron, Joe Foss Field ANGB, S.D.
8. July 1994 - June 1997, OIC, Equipment Maintenance Flight, 114th Maintenance Squadron, Joe Foss Field ANGB, S.D.
9. July 1997 - July 1999, OIC, Organizational Maintenance, 114th Aircraft Generation Squadron, Joe Foss Field ANGB, S.D.
10. July 1999 - April 2006, Maintenance Officer, 155th Aircraft Generation Squadron / Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Lincoln ANGB, Neb.
11. April 2006 - July 2009, Commander, Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 155th Air Refueling Wing, Lincoln ANGB, Neb.
12. July 2009 - June 2010, Student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, Ft. McNair, Washington, D.C.
13. June 2010 - June 2011, Action Officer, Joint Officer Management, NGB/J1, and Director’s Action Group, NGB/CF, Staff Fellowship Program, Arlington, Va.
14. June 2011 - September 2012, Director, Human Resources, Air National Guard Readiness Center (ANGRC), Joint Base (JB) Andrews, Md.
15. October 2012 - October 2014, Commander, 155th Maintenance Group, Lincoln ANGB, Neb. (July 2014 - January 2015, Air Reserve Component Advisor, U.S. Air Forces Central, Al Udeid AB, Qatar)
16. October 2014 - September 2015, State Director of Operations, Joint Force Headquarters, Nebraska ANGB, Neb. (July 2014 - January 2015, Air Reserve Component Advisor, U.S. Air Forces Central, Al Udeid AB, Qatar)
17. September 2015 - June 2018, Air National Guard Advisor to the Commander, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb.
18. June 2018 - September 2018, Principal Deputy Director, Installations and Logistics, NGB/A4, ANGRC, JB Andrews, Md.
19. September 2018 - June 2020, Vice Commander, ANGRC, and Commander, 201st Mission Support Squadron, JB Andrews, Md.
20. July 2020 - March 2021, Director, Office of Equal Opportunity Compliance, Temple Hall Army Readiness Center, Arlington, Va.
21. April 2021 - March 2023, Special Assistant to the Chief, National Guard Bureau, for Equal Opportunity Compliance, Arlington, Va.
22. April 2023 - December 2023, Director, Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, NGB A4, JB Andrews, Md.
23. January 2024 - October 2024, Deputy Commander, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Mission Iraq, Baghdad, Iraq
24. November 2024 - Present, Commander, ANGRC, JB Andrews, Md.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 2015 - June 2018, Air National Guard Advisor to the Commander, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb., as a colonel
2. January 2024 - October 2024, Deputy Commander, NATO Mission Iraq, Baghdad, Iraq, as a brigadier general
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal
Air and Space Achievement Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant July 30, 1992
First Lieutenant Sept. 10, 1994
Captain Oct. 5, 1996
Major Oct. 14, 2000
Lieutenant Colonel April 2, 2006
Colonel June 8, 2011
Brigadier General April 1, 2021
(Current as of March 2025)