BRIGADIER GENERAL JEREMIAH J. CRUZ
Brig Gen Jeremiah J. Cruz is the Assistant Adjutant General – Air, for the California Air National Guard. He is Responsible for the operational and administrative control of all state-Air missions involving more than 4,900 Airmen statewide. The California Air National Guard is the second largest in the 54 states and territories. California is comprised of five Wings including the 129th Rescue Wing, 144th Fighter Wing, 146th Airlift Wing, 163rd Attack Wing, and the 195th Wing. Utilizing personnel and assets including F-15Cs, F-16s, MQ-9s, HC-130s, C-130Js, HH-60s, Guardian Angel Search and Rescue, Tier-1 Security Forces, a Tier-1 Homeland Response Force, mobile kitchens, emergency facilities and shelters, and a Wing providing intelligence, cyber, and communications satellite support.
Brig Gen Cruz graduated from the University of California Berkeley with a Bachelor’s in Astrophysics and earned his Air Force commission through the U.C. Berkeley Air Force ROTC program May 1998. He also earned his Master’s in Business Administration while serving on Active Duty. After receiving his pilot-wings from Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training at Sheppard AFB, Texas, he served as an A-10A/C Evaluator and Instructor pilot during multiple assignments in the Active Duty Air Force and Air Force Reserves. Brig Gen Cruz joined the Air National Guard in September of 2012 where he served as a MQ-1 pilot and Director of Inspections at the 163rd Attack Wing then moved to Sacramento to serve as CA State-Air Inspector General at Joint Force Headquarters. Following his JFHQ staff tour, Brig Gen Cruz was assigned to the 144th Fighter Wing where he served as the Force Support Squadron Commander, Operations Group Commander, Vice Wing Commander, and Wing Commander.
Brig Gen Cruz’s combat experience includes deployments to Tallil Iraq and Al Jabber Kuwait in the A-10 in support of Operations IRAQI FREEDOM and SOUTHERN WATCH. He deployed on the ground with the 82nd Airborne in Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM as Chief Joint Terminal Air Controller and Jump Battalion Air Liaison Officer. Brig Gen Cruz also piloted the MQ-1 in Afghanistan while physically located in Southern California. During his career he has been stationed at eight different bases and fourteen different Squadrons in the Active Duty, Reserves, and Guard. He has held multiple positions at the Battalion, Brigade, Flight, Squadron, Group, Wing, and Joint Force Headquarters levels. Brig Gen Cruz is a command pilot with more than 2200 flying hours, including 76 combat hours in the A-10. In his civilian capacity, Brig Gen Cruz is a Pilot for a major airline. Prior to his current position, Brig Gen Cruz served as the California Chief of Staff, Air.
EDUCATION
1998 Bachelor of Science, Astrophysics, University of California, Berkley, Calif.
2001 Joint Firepower Control Course, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.
2004 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2006 Master in Business Administration, University of Phoenix, Ariz.
2007 Air Force Flight Safety Officer Course, N.M.
2009 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2014 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1998 - March 1999, Adjutant 60th OSS, Travis Air Force Base, Calif.
2. March 1999 - May 2000, Student, Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training, Sheppard AFB, Texas
3. May 2000 - September 2000, Student, Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals, Randolph AFB, Texas
4. September 2000 - April 2001, Student, A-10 Formal Training Unit, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
5. April 2001 - April 2004, 74th Fighter Squadron, A-10 Flight Lead, Chief Training, Chief Joint Terminal Air Controller (JTAC), Jump-BALO, Pope AFB, Fayetteville, N.C.
6. April 2004 - March 2005, 354th Fighter Squadron, A-10 Flight Lead, Chief JTAC, Chief BALO, Davis-Monthan AFB, Tucson Ariz.
7. March 2005 - April 2006, 355th Fighter Wing, Deputy Chief of Wing Inspections, Chief of Wing OPSEC, Chief of Wing Military Deception, Davis-Monthan AFB, Tucson Ariz.
8. April 2006 - August 2006, 354th Fighter Squadron, A-10 Operational Instructor Pilot, Flight Commander, Forward Air Controller-Air, Davis-Monthan AFB, Tucson Ariz.
9. August 2006 - May 2008, 357th Fighter Squadron, A-10 Evaluator Pilot, Formal Training Unit (FTU) Instructor Pilot, Chief of STAN/EVAL, Chief of Flight Safety, Functional Check Flight (FCF) Pilot, Davis-Monthan AFB, Tucson Ariz.
10. May 2008 - November 2009, 45th Fighter Squadron, A-10 Evaluator Pilot, FTU Instructor Pilot, Chief of STAN/EVAL, Chief of Flight Safety, SANDY, Davis-Monthan AFB, Tucson Ariz.
11. November 2009 - September 2012, 514th Flight Test Squadron, A-10 Evaluator/Instructor Pilot, FCF Test Pilot, Hill AFB, Utah
12. September 2012 - September 2014, 163d Attack Wing, Director of Inspections, MQ-1 Command Pilot, March ARB, Calif.
13. October 2014 - May 2016, State-Air Inspector General, CA NG JFHQ, Sacramento, Calif.
14. May 2016 - July 2018, 144th Fighter Wing, Force Support Squadron Commander, Fresno Air National Guard Station, Calif.
15. August 2018 - July 2019, 144th Fighter Wing, Vice Wing Commander, Fresno ANGS, Calif.
16. December 2018 - July 2019, 144th Fighter Wing, Operations Group Commander, Fresno ANGS, Calif.
17. April 2019 - January 2021, 144th Fighter Wing, Commander Fresno ANGS, Calif.
18. January 2021 - March 2021, CAANG A3 Director of State Operations, California Air National Guard, Sacramento, Calif.
19. March 2021 - October 2022, Chief of Staff, Air, California Air National Guard, Sacramento, Calif.
20. December 2022 - Present, Assistant Adjutant General – Air, California Air National Guard, Sacramento, Calif.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 2200, including more than 70 combat hour
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-38, AT-38, A-10A, OA-10A, A-10C, MQ-1
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor Device with five oak leave clusters
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 22, 1998
First Lieutenant June 22, 2000
Captain June 22, 2002
Major April 1, 2008
Lieutenant Colonel Oct. 30, 2013
Colonel Nov. 8, 2018
Brigadier General Dec. 10, 2022
(Current as of June 2024)
