MAJOR GENERAL THOMAS J. OWENS, II
Maj. Gen. Thomas J. Owens II is the Air National Guard Assistant to the Commander, Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale Air Force Base, La. The command organizes, trains, equips and maintains combat-ready forces that provide strategic deterrence, global strike and combat support to USSTRATCOM and other geographic combatant commands. The command is comprised of more than 33,700 professionals operating at two Numbered Air Forces and 11 active-duty, ANG and Air Force Reserve wings. Weapons systems assigned to the command include Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, B-1, B-2 and B-52 bombers, UH-1N helicopters, the E-4B National Airborne Operations Center aircraft and the Nuclear Command, Control and Communications systems.
General Owens received his commission in 1985 as a Distinguished Graduate of the ANG Academy of Military Science, Knoxville, Tenn. After completion of pilot training, General Owens served in numerous operational assignments flying the A-10, F-16, HC-130 and HH-60G in the New York ANG. He has flown in operations DESERT SHIELD, DESERT STORM, PROVIDE COMFORT, NORTHERN WATCH, SOUTHERN WATCH, NOBLE EAGLE, IRAQI FREEDOM and ENDURING FREEDOM. General Owens is a command pilot with more than 3,900 flying hours, including more than 450 combat hours during 120 F-16 combat sorties over Southwest Asia. His commands include the 138th Fighter Squadron, 174th Operations Group and the 106th Rescue Wing. Prior to his current assignment, the General served as the Assistant Adjutant General for Air, New York National Guard.
EDUCATION
1983 Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.
1984 Master of Engineering, Electrical, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.
1993 Squadron Officer School, by correspondence
1998 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2001 Master of Business Administration, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.
2002 Air War College, by correspondence
2006 National Security Fellow, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
2011 Joint Task Force Commanders Course, Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2013 Advanced Joint Professional Military Education, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
2016 Dual Status Commanders Course, Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2016 National Security Studies Management Course, Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y.
2017 CAPSTONE, National Defense University, Ft. Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2017 Senior Leader Orientation Course, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
2019 General and Flag Officer Homeland Security Executive Seminar, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
2019 Regional Studies Seminar - China, North Korea, Russia, Washington, D.C.
2020 Continuous Process Improvement for Executives (CPIE), San Antonio, TX
ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 1985 - November 1985, Officer Candidate, Academy of Military Science, Knoxville, Tenn.
2. November 1985 - November 1986, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Reese AFB, Lubbock, Texas
3. November 1986 - March 1987, Student, Fighter Lead-in Training, 479th Tactical Training Wing, Holloman AFB, N.M.
4. March 1987 - July 1987, Student, A-10 Replacement Training, Barksdale AFB, Shreveport, La.
5. July 1987 - June 1989, Aircraft Commander, A-10, 174th Tactical Fighter Wing, Syracuse, N.Y.
6. June 1989 - January 1991, Aircraft Commander, F-16, 174th Tactical Fighter Wing, Syracuse, N.Y.
7. January 1991 - April 1991, Aircraft Commander, F-16, Al Kharj Air Base, Saudi Arabia
8. April 1991 - January 1997, Aircraft Commander/Instructor, F-16, 174th Fighter Wing, Syracuse, N.Y.
9. January 1997 - June 1997, Student, F-16 Fighter Weapons Instructor Course, Nellis AFB, Nev.
10. June 1997 - August 1999, Squadron Weapons Officer, Chief of Standards and Evaluation, 174th Fighter Wing, Syracuse, N.Y.
11. August 1999 - May 2000, Operations Officer, 138th Fighter Squadron, Syracuse, N.Y.
12. May 2000 - May 2001, Chief Weapons and Tactics, 174th Operations Support Squadron, Syracuse, N.Y., Fulltime MBA Student, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.
13. May 2001 - May 2003, Commander, 138th Fighter Squadron, Syracuse, N.Y.
14. May 2003 - June 2005, Commander, 174th Operations Group, Syracuse, N.Y.
15. June 2005 - June 2006, Air Force National Security Fellow, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
16. June 2006 - September 2006, Assistant Vice Commander, 174th Fighter Wing, Syracuse, N.Y.
17. September 2006 - January 2007, Deputy Operations Group Commander, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, Balad Air Base, Iraq
18. January 2007 - September 2009, Assistant Vice Commander, 174th Fighter Wing, Syracuse, N.Y.
19. September 2009 - March 2016, Commander, 106th Rescue Wing, Westhampton Beach, N.Y.
20. April 2016 - November 2017, Assistant Adjutant General - Air, New York National Guard, Latham, N.Y., (January 2017 - April 2017, Mobilization Assistant to NORAD Director of Operations, Peterson AFB, Colo.)
21. November 2017 - Present, Air National Guard Assistant to Commander, Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB, La.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: More than 3,900
Aircraft flown: A-10, F-16A/B/C/D, HC-130, HH-60G, MQ-1, T-37, T-38
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with seven oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Nov. 7, 1985
First Lieutenant Nov. 7, 1987
Captain March 17, 1990
Major March 30, 1994
Lieutenant Colonel May 27, 1999
Colonel July 22, 2004
Brigadier General April 1, 2016
Major General May 15, 2019
(Current as of February 2021)
