MAJOR GENERAL WILLIAM J. LUTZ

  Retired May 2006

Major General William J. Lutz was the assistant adjutant general for Air, also served as commander, Mississippi Air National Guard. He was responsible to the adjutant general for directing Air National Guard operations and establishing policy to ensure mission readiness of an air refueling wing, an airlift wing, a combat communications squadron and a combat readiness training center, which includes air control and civil engineering squadrons. General Lutz was also responsible for coordination, implementation and compliance with Air Force and National Guard Bureau policies within the state.

General Lutz entered the Air Force after graduating from the Reserve Officer Training Corps at Mississippi State University in 1968. Upon completion of pilot training at Webb Air Force Base, Texas, he served combat tours in Laos and Vietnam as a forward air controller. He served tours instructing air to ground gunnery and air ground operations at the 1st Special Operations Wing, and flew the A-7D for the 355th Fighter Wing, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. General Lutz joined the Mississippi Air National Guard as a pilot in 1979. He commanded a flying squadron, group, and wing. General Lutz served as chief of staff at Headquarters Mississippi Air National Guard and served a three-year tour as Air National Guard Assistant to the commander of Air Force Materiel Command, before assuming his last assignment. His command pilot experience totals more than 8,000 flying hours including over 900 combat missions and 1950 combat hours.

EDUCATION:

1968 Bachelor of science degree in business administration, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Miss.
1975 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., Correspondence
1982 Juris Doctorate, Mississippi College School of Law, Jackson, Miss.
1985 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., Correspondence
1989 National Security Management, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C., Correspondence

ASSIGNMENTS:

1. January 1968 - March 1968, inactive, United States Air Force Reserve
2. March 1968 - March 1969, student, undergraduate pilot training, Webb Air Force Base, Tex.
3. April 1969 - July 1969, pilot and forward air controller, O-1, 597 Special Operations Training Squadron, Hulbert Field, Fla.
4. July 1969 - May 1970, pilot and forward air controller, O-1, 21st Tactical Air Support Squadron, Cam Ranh Bay Air Base, Vietnam
5. May 1970 - October 1971, pilot, O-1 and AT-28, and forward air controller, Detachment 1, 56 Special Operations Wing, Udorn Royal Thai Air Base, Thailand
6. October 1971 - August 1973, squadron instructor pilot, AT-28, 4407 Combat Crew Training Squadron, Hurlbert Field, Fla.
7. August 1973 - June 1975, aircraft commander, A-7D, 357th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.
8. June 1975 - January 1978, instructor, United States Air Force Air Ground Operations School, 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlbert Field, Fla.
9. January 1978 - April 1978, inactive, United States Air Force Reserve
10. April 1978 - May 1979, air operations officer, Headquarters, Air Reserve Processing Center, Denver, Colo.
11. May 1979 - June 1979, inactive, United States Air Force Reserve
12. June 1979 - October 1983, pilot, C-130E, 183 Tactical Airlift Squadron, Mississippi Air National Guard, Jackson, Miss.
13. October 1983 - September 1986, chief, aircrew training, pilot, C-130H, 172 Military Airlift Group, Mississippi Air National Guard, Jackson, Miss.
14. September 1986 - February 1987, aircraft commander, C-141B, 183 Airlift Squadron, Mississippi Air National Guard, Jackson, Miss.
15. February 1987 - August 1987, command post controller, 172 Military Airlift Group, Mississippi Air National Guard, Jackson, Miss.
16. August 1987 - January 1990, instructor pilot, C-141B, 172 Airlift Group, Mississippi Air National Guard, Jackson, Miss.
17. January 1990 - August 1991, operations officer, 183 Airlift Squadron, Mississippi Air National Guard, Jackson, Miss.
18. August 1991 - December 1992, commander, 183 Airlift Squadron, Mississippi Air National Guard, Jackson, Miss.
19. December 1992 - April 1993, commander, 172 Operations Group, Mississippi Air National Guard, Jackson, Miss.
20. May 1993 - April 1996, vice commander, 172 Airlift Wing, Mississippi Air National Guard, Jackson, Miss.
21. April 1996 - March 1998, commander, 172 Airlift Wing, Mississippi Air National Guard, Jackson, Miss.
22. March 1998 - November 2001, chief of staff, Headquarters Mississippi Air National Guard, Jackson, Miss.
23. November 2001 - October 2004, Air National Guard assistant to the commander, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
24. February 2004 - May 2006, assistant adjutant general for Air also serving as commander, Mississippi Air National Guard, Jackson, Miss.

FLIGHT INFORMATION:

Rating: Command pilot
Flight Hours: More than 8,000
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-38, O-1, AT-28, T-33, A-7D, T-39, C-130E/H, and C-141B

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:

Air Force Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Distinguished Flying Cross with "V" device and three oak leaf clusters
Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with 30 oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal Presidential Unit Citation with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with valor device and eight oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal with seven oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with one service star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Vietnam Service Medal with six service stars
Southwest Asia Service Medal with three service stars
Humanitarian Service Medal
Air Force Overseas Short Tour Ribbon
Air Force Overseas Long Tour Ribbon
Air Force Longevity Service Award Ribbon with six oak leaf clusters
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with one hour glass device
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
Air Force Training Ribbon
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with palm device
Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Kuwait Liberation Medal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Kuwait Liberation Medal, Government of Kuwait
Mississippi Magnolia Medal
Mississippi War Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Mississippi Service School Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Mississippi Longevity Medal with three oak leaf clusters

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:

Second Lieutenant 27 January 1968
First Lieutenant 20 September 1969
Captain 20 March 1971
Major 20 July 1982
Lieutenant Colonel 16 September 1987
Colonel 6 June 1993
Brigadier General 10 October 1998
Major General 26 September 2001

(Current as of November 2008)