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| Information > Biographies > LIEUTENANT GENERAL BRUCE L. FISTER |
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LIEUTENANT GENERAL BRUCE L. FISTER
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Retired Oct. 1, 1996.
Lieutenant General Bruce L. Fister is commander, 15th Air Force, Travis Air Force Base, Calif. The command is responsible for approximately 50 percent of the Air Force's air mobility assets and mission. The 15th Air Force provides rapid and flexible Global Reach for America from six major Air Force bases in the United States as well as several other locations throughout the Pacific - active, Reserve and Air National Guard. More than 40,000 people operate and support airlift, tanker and aeromedical aircraft as part of 15th Air Force.
The general entered the Air Force in 1964 as a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. During his 12 months in Southeast Asia as a C-123 pilot he flew 220 combat missions. He has been deeply involved in acquiring new airlift capabilities such as the stretch C-141, C-130, C-5 and C-141 simulators, and development of new airlift tactics. The general was the test manager for the Advanced Medium Short Take-off and Landing Transport Program, a predecessor to the C-17. He was the Joint Special Operations Task Force air component commander for Urgent Fury in Grenada and Deputy Joint Special Operations Task Force commander for Operation Just Cause in Panama. He has commanded a squadron, a wing and most recently, Air Force Special Operations Command.
EDUCATION
1964 Bachelor of arts degree in military science, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1970 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1973 Master's degree in aeromechanical engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
1977 Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
1978 National Security Management Course
1983 Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1987 Senior Officials in National Security Course, Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, Cambridge, Mass.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1964 - September 1965, student, pilot training, Reese Air Force Base, Texas
2. September 1965 - May 1967, C-141 pilot, 20th Military Airlift Squadron, Dover Air Force Base, Del.
3. May 1967 - May 1968, C-123 pilot, 310th Air Commando Squadron, Nha Trang Air Base, and subsequently, Phan Rang Air Base, South Vietnam
4. May 1968 - June 1971, C-141 pilot, 41st Military Airlift Squadron, and aide to the commander, 437th Airlift Wing, Charleston Air Force Base, S.C.
5. June 1971 - April 1973, student, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
6. April 1973 - August 1976, operational test manager, test and evaluation division, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans, Headquarters Military Airlift Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill.
7. August 1976 - January 1977, student, Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
8. January 1977 - February 1978, C-130E flight commander, 32nd Tactical Airlift Squadron, Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark.
9. February 1978 - April 1979, chief, combat plans exercises branch, 314th Tactical Airlift Group, Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark.
10. April 1979 - July 1981, assistant operations officer, and later, operations officer, 16th Tactical Airlift Training Squadron, Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark.
11. July 1981 - August 1982, commander, 50th Tactical Airlift Squadron, Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark.
12. August 1982 - June 1983, student, Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
13. June 1983 - October 1983, deputy director of operations, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.
14. October 1983 - May 1985, commander, Detachment 2, 23rd Air Force, Fort Bragg, N.C.
15. May 1985 - June 1988, vice commander, later commander, 435th Military Airlift Wing, Rhein-Main Air Base, West Germany
16. June 1988 - June 1989, assistant to the deputy chief of staff for operations, Headquarters Military Airlift Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill.
17. June 1989 - June 1991, deputy commanding general, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.
18. June 1991 - July 1994, commander, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
19. August 1994 - present, commander, 15th Air Force, Travis Air Force Base, Calif.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot and basic parachutist
Flight hours: More than 6,000
Aircraft flown: C-123, C-141, C-9, T-29, MH-60, MH-53, and nearly all models of the C-130
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Distinguished Flying Cross
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Jun 3, 1964
First Lieutenant Dec 3, 1965
Captain Dec 3, 1967
Major Feb 1, 1975
Lieutenant Colonel Apr 1, 1979
Colonel Oct 1, 1983
Brigadier General Mar 1, 1989
Major General Oct 1, 1991
Lieutenant General Aug 1, 1994
(Current as of February 1995)
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