Commanding General, Air Combat Command

Gen. James M. "Mike" Holmes is the Commander, Air Combat Command, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia.  As the commander, he is responsible for organizing, training, equipping and maintaining combat-ready forces for rapid deployment and employment while ensuring strategic air defense forces are ready to meet the challenges of peacetime air sovereignty and wartime defense. The command operates more than 1,300 aircraft, 34 wings, 19 bases, and more than 70 operating locations worldwide with 94,000 active-duty and civilian personnel. When mobilized, the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve contribute more than 700 aircraft and 49,000 people to ACC. As the Combat Air Forces lead agent, ACC develops strategy, doctrine, concepts, tactics, and procedures for air- and space-power employment. The command provides conventional and information warfare forces to all unified commands to ensure air, space and information superiority for warfighters and national decision-makers. The command can also be called upon to assist national agencies with intelligence, surveillance and crisis response capabilities.

General Holmes entered the Air Force through Officer Training School in 1981 after receiving a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Tennessee. He has commanded the 27th Fighter Squadron, the 14th Operations Group, the 4th Fighter Wing and the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing. He has served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and on headquarters staffs of the United States Air Force, U.S. European Command and Pacific Air Forces. Prior to his current position, he served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. 

He is a command pilot with more than 4,000 hours, including more than 500 combat hours in the F-15A/B/C/D/E, and has also flown the T-38, T-37 and T-1A.

EDUCATION 
1981 Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
1986 F-15 Fighter Weapons Instructor Course, U.S. Air Force Fighter Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev. 
1987 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1993 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1993 Master of Arts degree in history, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
1994 Master of Airpower Arts and Sciences degree, School of Advanced Airpower Studies, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1995 Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va. 
2000 Air War College, by correspondence
2001 Master’s degree in national defense studies, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
2006 National Defense Studies Fellow, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, N.Y.
2007 Joint Force Air Component Commander Course, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 
2010 AFSO21 Executive Leadership Course, University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
2011 Coalition Force Maritime Component Commander Course, Naval War College, Bahrain 
2013 Joint Flag Officer Warfighting Course, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.

ASSIGNMENTS 
1. September 1981 - August 1982, student, undergraduate pilot training, Columbus AFB, Miss. 
2. September 1982 - November 1982, student, fighter lead-in training, Holloman AFB, N.M.
3. November 1982 - April 1983, student, F-15 conversion training, Luke AFB, Ariz.
4. May 1983 - December 1985, F-15 instructor pilot and Assistant Squadron and Wing Weapons Officer, 71st Tactical Fighter Squadron, Langley AFB, Va. 
5. January 1986 - May 1986, student, USAF F-15 Fighter Weapons Instructor Course, Nellis AFB, Nev.
6. May 1986 - May 1989, F-15 Chief of Weapons and Tactics, 44th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Japan
7. May 1989 - June 1992, F-15 Chief of Weapons and Tactics, Assistant Chief of Wing Weapons and Tactics, Flight Commander and Assistant Operations Officer, 7th Tactical Fighter Squadron and 9th Fighter Squadron, Holloman AFB, N.M.
8. July 1992 - June 1993, student, Air Command and Staff College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
9. July 1993 - June 1994, student, School for Advanced Airpower Studies, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
10. July 1994 - October 1996, Air Operations Officer and Crisis Action Planner, Operations Directorate, Headquarters U.S. European Command, Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany
11. October 1996 - December 1997, Assistant Operations Officer, 27th Fighter Squadron, Langley AFB, Va.
12. January 1998 - May 1999, Operations Officer, 71st Fighter Squadron, Langley AFB, Va.
13. May 1999 - July 2000, Commander, 27th Fighter Squadron, Langley AFB, Va.
14. July 2000 - July 2001, student, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
15. July 2001 - August 2002, Chief, Strategy, Concepts and Doctrine Division, Directorate of Operational Plans and Joint Matters, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
16. August 2002 - July 2004, Commander, 14th Operations Group, Columbus AFB, Miss.
17. August 2004 - September 2006, Commander, 4th Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
18. September 2006 - June 2007, Chief, Checkmate, Directorate of Operational Plans and Joint Matters, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
19. July 2007 - December 2007, Director of Strategic Plans, Programs and International Affairs, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
20. December 2007 - March 2008, Special Assistant to the Director of Operational Planning, Policy and Strategy, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
21. March 2008 - April 2009, Commander, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing, Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan
22. April 2009 - July 2009, Special Assistant to the Assistant Vice Chief of Staff, and Director, Air Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
23. July 2009 - August 2011, Principal Director for Middle East Policy, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
24. August 2011 - January 2012, Director, Strategic Planning, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington D.C.
25. January 2012 – July 2013, Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
26. August 2013 - July 2014 Vice Commander, Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas
27. August 2014 - Mar 2017 Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Requirements, Headquarters
U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
28. March 2017 - present, Commander, Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va.

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS 
1. July 1994 - October 1996, Air Operations Officer and Crisis Action Planner, Operations Directorate, Headquarters U.S. European Command, Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany, as a major
2. March 2008 - April 2009, Commander, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing and Senior Airfield Authority, Bagram AB, Afghanistan, as a brigadier general
3. July 2009 - August 2011, Principal Director for Middle East Policy, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Office of the Seceretary of Defense, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a brigadier general 

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: More than 4,000, 
Aircraft flown: F-15A/B/C/D/E, T/AT-38, T-37 and T-1A

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS 
Distinguished Service Medal 
Defense Superior Service Medal 
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster 
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters 
Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters 
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster 
Army Commendation Medal

EFFECTIVE  DATES OF PROMOTION 
Second Lieutenant  Aug. 28, 1981
First Lieutenant  Aug. 28, 1983
Captain  Aug. 28, 1985
Major  May 1, 1993
Lieutenant Colonel  Jan. 1, 1998
Colonel  July 1, 2002
Brigadier General  May 2, 2008 
Major General  Jan. 28, 2011
Lieutenant General  Aug. 2, 2013
General  March 10, 2017