MAJOR GENERAL PAUL D. JOHNSON
Maj. Gen. Paul D. Johnson is the Air National Guard Assistant to the Commander, Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central), Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, and Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. In this position, He assists with the development of contingency plans and the execution of air operations for the 21-nation U.S. Central Command area of responsibility covering Central and Southwest Asia.
General Johnson was commissioned in 1988 as an Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps Distinguished Graduate of the University of Maryland. Following assignment as a T-37B Instructor and Evaluator Pilot, he was a Distinguished Graduate of F-15 training. He served as Flight Commander at Langley AFB, VA, and as Instructor Pilot in the Massachusetts Air National Guard. General Johnson joined the Maryland Air National Guard in 2000 and converted to the A-10. He is a command pilot with over 5,500 flying hours and has flown over 880 combat hours during 248 combat sorties in the F-15 and A-10. General Johnson has served as Instructor Pilot, Evaluator Pilot, Chief of Current Operations, Chief of Wing Safety, Director of Operations, Group Commander and Vice Wing Commander. General Johnson also served on National Guard Bureau staff as Chief, Operations Plans and Execution Division. Prior to his current assignment, General Johnson was the Air National Guard Assistant to the Director, Air and Cyberspace Operations, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces and the Commander of the 175th Wing, Maryland Air National Guard.
EDUCATION
1988 Bachelor of Science, Aerospace Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park
1995 Master of Aeronautical Science, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla.
2001 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence
2005 Flight Safety Officer/Aircraft Mishap Investigation Course, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
2008 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2013 Reserve Component National Security Course, National Defense University, Washington, D.C.
2014 Cyber Executive Development Graduate Experience, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
2014 Cyber Operations Fundamentals Course, by correspondence
2014 Homeland Protection Course, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Mass.
2015 FEMA Field Force Command and Planning, Baltimore, Md.
2017 Joint Task Force Commander Training Course, Peterson AFB, Colo.
2018 Level IV Antiterrorism Executive Seminar, Washington, D.C.
2018 Regional Seminar- China/East Asia & Middle East Seminar, Alan S. Freed Associates, Washington, D.C.
2018 Senior Leader Orientation Course, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland & Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas
2019 Dual Status Commander Qualification Course, Peterson AFB, Colo.
2019 Joint Air Component Coordination Element Director Course, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
2019 Safety and Accident Investigation Board President Course, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
2020 Continuous Process Improvement for Executives, San Antonio, Texas
2021 Combined/Joint Air and Space Operations Senior Staff Course, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2021 Regional Seminar- U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Alan S. Freed Associates, Washington, D.C.
2022 National Security Studies Management Course, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y.
2022 Regional Seminar- Middle East and South Asia, Alan S. Freed Associates, Washington, D.C.
2023 Combined Force Air Component Commander Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2023 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Chapel Hill, N.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1989 - June 1990, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Reese Air Force Base, Texas
2. June 1990 - November 1990, Student, T-37 Pilot Instructor Training, Randolph AFB, Texas
3. December 1990 - March 1995, Instructor Pilot, Check Pilot, Evaluator Pilot and Assistant Flight Commander, T-37, 35th Flying Training Squadron, Reese AFB, Texas
4. April 1995 - September 1995, Student, F-15 Basic Operational Training Course, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
5. October 1995 - December 1998, Plans Officer and Flight Commander, 94th Fighter Squadron, Langley AFB, Va.
6. January 1999 - March 2000, Instructor Pilot and Chief of Current Operations, 101st Fighter Squadron, Otis Air National Guard Base, Mass.
7. April 2000 - August 2000, Student, A-10 Basic Operational Training Course, Barksdale AFB, La.
8. September 2000 - August 2005, Chief of Current Operations, 104th Fighter Squadron, Warfield ANGB, Md.
9. September 2005 - June 2010, Chief of Safety, 175th Wing, Warfield ANGB, Md.
10. July 2010 - June 2013, Director of Operations, 104th Fighter Squadron, Warfield ANGB, Md.
11. July 2013 - May 2016, Commander, 175th Operations Group, Warfield ANGB, Md.
12. January 2015 - August 2015, Chief, Operational Plans and Execution Division, Air National Guard Readiness Center, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
13. June 2017 - January 2018, Vice Commander, 175th Wing, Warfield ANGB, Md.
14. January 2018 - January 2022, Commander, 175th Wing, Warfield ANGB, Md.
15. January 2022 - March 2022, Chief of Staff, Baltimore, Md.
16. May 2021 - April 2022, Air National Guard Assistant to the Director A-3, US Pacific Air Forces, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
17. March 2022 - Present, Air National Guard Assistant to the Commander, United States Air Forces Central Command, Shaw AFB, S.C.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: Over 5,500 including more than 880 combat hours
Aircraft flown: A-10A/C, F-15 A/B/C/D, AT-38B, T-37B, T-38A
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with twelve oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal
Air and Space Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Combat Action Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Aug. 30, 1988
First Lieutenant Jan. 14, 1991
Captain Jan. 24, 1993
Major Jan. 14, 2000
Lieutenant Colonel June 13, 2004
Colonel May 22, 2014
Brigadier General Jan. 16, 2018
Major General March 21, 2022
(Current as of September 2024)
