Brigadier General Herbert H. Hurst, Jr., the director of operations for the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, serves as the Director of the Joint Staff, Joint Forces Headquarters, Pennsylvania National Guard, headquartered at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania. His duties are to advise the adjutant general and component commanders on military matters pertaining to army and air operations within the Commonwealth, assisting them in their responsibilities for the operational readiness of one of the largest National Guard organizations in the country. He directs the activities of assigned headquarters staff personnel. The general advocates nationally for the modernization of equipment and facilities necessary to support over 15,000 Army Guardsmen located throughout the Commonwealth, including infrastructure upgrades vital to the successful bed down of the first Stryker Brigade assigned to the National Guard. In addition, he advocates for modernization of the fourth largest Air National Guard in the country, consisting of over 4,000 Air Guardsmen assigned to three operational wings representing four major commands. General Hurst assists in the development and implementation of federal and state plans aimed to facilitate absorbing Pennsylvania National Guard units into the Total Force.
General Hurst received his commission as a distinguished graduate of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps upon graduation from Duke University in 1971. His active duty military experience began with Undergraduate Pilot Training at Columbus Air Force Base, and included assignments as an instructor pilot in the Air Training Command and as both a combat-ready forward air controller and an aircraft maintenance officer in the Tactical Air Command. He was awarded a regular Air Force commission in 1976. During his twenty-plus year career in the Air National Guard, the general has served as a commander at flight, squadron, and wing level. General Hurst has also served in a dual-hat capacity on the Air Staff as the Air National Guard assistant to the director of Global Power Programs, Secretary of the Air Force Office of Acquisitions, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Prior to his assignment to Headquarters, Pennsylvania Air National Guard, General Hurst served as commander of two air wings, the 111th Fighter Wing, flying A-10 aircraft at Willow Grove Air Reserve Station, Pennsylvania and the 193rd Special Operations Wing, operating EC-130J aircraft from Middletown, Pennsylvania. His more than 4300 hours of military flying time includes 27 combat sorties accumulated during multiple overseas deployments in the A-10.
1971, Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics, Duke University, Durham, N.C
1976, Squadron Officers School, by correspondence
1977, Masters degree in Business Administration, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Miss.
1978, Accelerated Aircraft Maintenance Officer Course, Chanute Air Force Base, Ill.
1980, Air Command and Staff College, by seminar
1994, Air War College, by correspondence
1. July 1972 - July 1973, student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, 14th Flying Training Wing, Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.
2. July 1973 - August 1973, student, United States Air Force Survival Training, Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash.
3. August 1973 - November 1973, student, United States Air Force Pilot Instructor Training, Randolph Air Force Base, Tex.
4. November 1973 - November 1975, instructor pilot T-37, 37th Flying Training Squadron, Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.
5. November 1975 - August 1977, check section pilot T-37, 37th Flying Training Squadron, Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.
6. August 1977 - August 1977, student, United States Air Force Air-Ground Operations School, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
7. August 1977 - November 1977, student, Operational Training Course OV-10, Patrick Air Force Base, Fla.
8. November 1977 - October 1978, forward air controller OV-10, 23rd Tactical Air Control Squadron, Bergstrom Air Force Base, Tex.
9. October 1978 - June 1980, officer in charge, Quality Control/Aircraft Maintenance officer, Pilot OV-10, 4502nd Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Bergstrom Air Force Base, Tex.
10. June 1980 - November 1980, special assistant to the deputy commander for Logistics, 602nd Tactical Air Control Wing, Bergstrom Air Force Base, Tex.
11. November 1980 - August 1982, inactive status, Headquarters, Air Reserve Personnel Center (NARS), Denver, Colo.
12. August 1982 - April 1985, quality control officer/aircraft maintenance staff officer, pilot OA-37, 111th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Pennsylvania Air National Guard, Willow Grove Air Reserve Station, Penn.
13. April 1985 - April 1987, forward air controller OA-37, 103rd Tactical Air Control Squadron, Pennsylvania Air National Guard, Willow Grove Air Reserve Station, Penn.
14. April 1987 - July 1989, flight commander, forward air controller OA-37/OA-10, 103rd Tactical Air Support Squadron, Pennsylvania Air National Guard, Willow Grove Air Reserve Station, Penn.
15. July 1989 - March 1992, operations officer, 103rd Tactical Air Support Squadron, Pennsylvania Air National Guard, Willow Grove Air Reserve Station, Penn.
16. March 1992 - June 1994, commander, 103rd Fighter Squadron, Pennsylvania Air National Guard, Willow Grove Air Reserve Station, Penn.
17. June 1994 - April 1996, operations group vice commander, 111th Fighter Wing, Pennsylvania Air National Guard, Willow Grove Air Reserve Station, Penn.
18. April 1996 - June 1999, vice commander, 111th Fighter Wing, Pennsylvania Air National Guard, Willow Grove Air Reserve Station, Penn.
19. June 1999 - April 2001, commander, 111th Fighter Wing, Pennsylvania Air National Guard, Willow Grove Air Reserve Station, Penn.
20. April 2001 - July 2002, director of operations, Headquarters, Pennsylvania Air National Guard, Fort Indiantown Gap, Annville, Penn.
21. July 2002 - October 2003, chief of staff, Headquarters, Pennsylvania Air National Guard, Fort Indiantown Gap, Annville, Penn.
22. April 2003 – April 2005, Air National Guard assistant to the director of Global Power Programs, Secretary of the Air Force Office of Acquisitions, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
23. October 2003 - April 2004, director of operations, Headquarters, Pennsylvania Air National Guard, Fort Indiantown Gap, Annville, Penn.
24. April 2004 - November 2004, commander, 193rd Special Operations Wing, Middletown, Penn.
25. November 2004 - Present, director of operations, Joint Staff, Headquarters, Pennsylvania National Guard, Fort Indiantown Gap, Annville, Penn.
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: 4350 hours
Aircraft flown: T-41, T-37, T-38, OV-10, O-2, A-37, A-10, KC-135
Pilot wings awarded from: Columbus Air Force Base, MS
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with 2 devices
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with 3 devices
Combat Readiness Medal with 6 devices
National Defense Service Medal with 2 devices
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal with 1 device
Air Force Longevity Service Award with 6 devices
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with “M” device with 2 devices
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon (Pistol)
Air Force Training Ribbon
Pennsylvania Distinguished Service Medal with 1 device
Pennsylvania Meritorious Service Medal
Pennsylvania Governors Unit Citation
Pennsylvania 20-Year Service Medal with 1 device
Pennsylvania Major General Thomas R White, Jr. Medal
Pennsylvania General Thomas J. Stewart Medal
Airline Captain
National Guard Association of the United States
National Guard Association of Pennsylvania
Air Force Association
Executive Board Officer of the Independent Pilots Association
Trustee of the IPA Foundation
Second Lieutenant Jun 9, 1971
First Lieutenant Jan 14, 1974
Captain Jul 14, 1979
Major Jul 14, 1986
Lieutenant Colonel Dec 8, 1990
Colonel May 17, 1996
Brigadier General Jun 1, 2002
(Current as of February 2006)
The date of publication indicated on this biography reflects the most recent update. It does not necessarily reflect the date of printing.