Brigadier General Robert H. Harkins III is the
assistant adjutant general for the Colorado Air National Guard, Buckley Air
Force Base, Colo. As the commander, General Harkins commands and directs
manning, training, and employment of Air National Guard resources, a force of
over 1,500 officers and airmen.
General Harkins began his military career by receiving a commission through Officer Training School in 1969, followed immediately by Undergraduate Navigator Training. He began his flying career assigned to C-130s at Langley Air Force Base, Va., and within a year was transferred to Ubon Royal Thai Air Base, Thailand, as an instructor navigator on the AC-130 'Spectre' gunship. He flew 120 combat missions logging 443 hours of combat time over South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. His last assignment prior to joining the Colorado Air National Guard in 1981 was as a project pilot at the USAF Tactical Air Warfare Center flying operational test and evaluation missions for new weapons systems on the F-4E, F-4D, and RF-4C.
1969 Bachelor of science degree in animal science, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
1975 Squadron Officer School, by correspondence
1987 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
1995 Air War College, by correspondence
1. December 1969 - November 1970, undergraduate navigator training, 3540th Navigator Training Squadron, Mather Air Force Base, Calif.
2. November 1970 - April 1972, C-130 navigator, 37th Tactical Airlift Squadron, Langley Air Force Base, Va.
3. April 1972 - June 1972, student, AC-130 aircrew upgrade, 4582nd Student Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
4. June 1972 - June 1973, AC-130 instructor navigator, 16th Special Operations Squadron, Ubon Royal Thai Air Base, Thailand
5. June 1973 - September 1974, C-130 instructor navigator, 16th Tactical Airlift Squadron, Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark.
6. September 1974 - September 1975, undergraduate pilot training, 71st Student Squadron, Vance Air Force Base, Okla.
7. September 1975 - December 1975, student, fighter lead-in course, 465th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Holloman Air Force Base, N.M.
8. December 1975 - August 1976, F-4 pilot, 13th Tactical Fighter Squadron, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.
9. August 1976 - January 1979, F-4 pilot, 58th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
10. January 1979 - September 1980, F-4 project pilot, 4485th Test Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
11. September 1980 - April 1981, inactive status, Headquarters Air Reserve Personnel Center, NARS, Lowry Air Force Base, Colo.
12. April 1981 - July 1990, operations staff officer, 154th Tactical Control Group, Buckley Air National Guard Base, Colo.
13. July 1990 - July 1991, chief, training and tactics division, 154th Tactical Control Group, Buckley Air National Guard Base, Colo.
14. July 1991 - January 1995, chief, plans & programs division, 154th Tactical Control Group, Buckley Air National Guard Base, Colo.
15. January 1995 - January 1996, director of operations, 154th Tactical Control Group, Buckley Air National Guard Base, Colo.
16. January 1996 - October 1998, executive assistant, Headquarters, Colorado Air National Guard,
Aurora, Colo.
17. October 1998 - September 2000, chief of staff, Headquarters, Colorado Air National Guard,
Aurora, Colo.
18. September 2000 - present, assistant adjutant general, Headquarters, Colorado
Air National Guard, Aurora, Colo.
Ratings: Pilot and Navigator
Flight hours: 1,000 (pilot), 1,500 (navigator)
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-38, F-4E, F-4D, and RF-4C (pilot); C-130, AC-130 (navigator)
Pilot wings from: Vance Air Force Base, Okla.
Navigator wings from: Mather Air Force Base, Calif.
Distinguished Flying Cross with one device
Meritorious Service Medal with one device
Air Medal with seven devices
Air Force Commendation Medal with three devices
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor with two devices
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award
Combat Readiness Medal
National Defense Service Medal with one device
Vietnam Service Medal
Air Force Longevity Service Award Ribbon with six devices
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with one device
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon with one device
Air Force Training Ribbon
Vietnam Gallantry Cross with device
Vietnam Campaign Medal
Colorado Long Service Medal with one device
Colorado Foreign Deployment Service Ribbon
Second Lieutenant Dec 22, 1969
First Lieutenant Jun 22, 1971
Captain Dec 22, 1972
Major Dec 22, 1983
Lieutenant Colonel Dec 22, 1990
Colonel Apr 28 1995
Brigadier General Sep 11, 1998
(Current as of November 2000)
The date of publication indicated on this biography reflects the most recent update. It does not necessarily reflect the date of printing.