Carrol H. "Howie" Chandler

General, U.S. Air Force

Carrol H. "Howie" Chandler was born on 16 March 1952.

Chandler was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force in 1974 after graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy. He has commanded a numbered air force, two fighter wings, a support group and a fighter squadron.

His previous staff assignments include two tours at Headquarters Pacific Air Forces and at the Pentagon, as well as tours at Headquarters U.S. Pacific Command, Headquarters U.S. Military Training Mission in Saudi Arabia and Headquarters Allied Air Forces Southern Europe. He also served as Commander of Alaskan Command, Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command Region, 11th Air Force and Joint Task Force - Alaska with headquarters at Elmendorf AFB, AK.

On 30 November 2007, Chandler was promoted to the four-star rank of General and assigned as Commander, Pacific Air Forces (COMPACAF). In August 2009 he was selected as Vice Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force (VCSAF).

General Chandler retired from the Air Force on 1 March 2011. During his service, he became a Command Pilot with over 3,900 flying hours in the T-38, F-15 and F-16 aircraft.

Education

1974 Bachelor of Science degree, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO

1978 Master of Arts degree in M, Webster University

1978 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL

1982 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence

1992 National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, DC

1997 Executive Program for General Officers of the Russian Federation and the U.S. John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

2003 Navy Senior Leader Business Course, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Assignments

1. June 1974 - September 1975, student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin AFB, TX.

2. October 1975 - December 1978, T-38 Instructor Pilot and Flight Examiner, Laughlin AFB.

3. December 1978 - November 1981, Instructor Pilot and Assistant Operations Officer, 560th Flying Training Squadron, Randolph AFB, TX.

4. November 1981 - November 1983, Squadron Standardization Officer, Flight Commander and Wing Flight Examiner, 67th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan.

5. November 1983 - May 1985, Chief, Air-to-Air Tactics Branch, Directorate of Standardization and Evaluation, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Hickam AFB, HI.

6. May 1985 - September 1985, Aide-de-Camp to the Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, HI.

7. September 1985 - January 1987, Air Force Aide-de-Camp to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Joint Staff, Washington, DC.

8. January 1987 - August 1987, Assistant Operations Officer, 44th Tactical Fighter Squadron, and Chief, Standardization and Evaluation Division, 18th Wing, Kadena AB, Japan.

9. August 1987 - June 1988, Operations Officer, 67th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan.

10. June 1988 - January 1990, Commander, 44th Fighter Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan.

11. January 1990 - August 1991, Chief, Operations Inspection Division, Office of the Inspector General, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Hickam AFB, HI.

12. June 1992 - August 1994, Chief, Air Force Division, Headquarters U.S. Military Training Mission, and Senior U.S. Air Force Adviser to the Royal Saudi Air Force, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

13. August 1994 - May 1995, Commander, 554th Support Group, Nellis AFB, NV.

14. May 1995 - April 1996, Commander, 33rd Fighter Wing, Eglin AFB, FL.

15. April 1996 - July 1998, Commander, 56th Fighter Wing, Luke AFB, AZ.

16. August 1998 - November 1999, Chief of Staff, Headquarters Allied Air Forces Southern Europe, Naples, Italy.

17. November 1999 - March 2000, Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations, A-3 Division, Headquarters Allied Air Forces Southern Europe, Naples, Italy.

18. April 2000 - October 2000, Director for Expeditionary Aerospace Force Implementation, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington.

19. October 2000 - May 2001, Director of Operational Plans, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington.

20. May 2001 - September 2002, Director of Aerospace Operations, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, VA.

21. September 2002 - May 2003, Commander, Alaskan Command, Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command Region and 11th Air Force, Elmendorf AFB, AK.

22. May 2003 - October 2005, Commander, Alaskan Command, Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command Region, 11th Air Force and Joint Task Force - Alaska, Elmendorf AFB, AK.

23. October 2005 - November 2007, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington.

24. November 2007 - August 2009, Commander, Pacific Air Forces; Air Component Commander for U.S. Pacific Command; and Executive Director, Pacific Air Combat Operations Staff, Hickam AFB, HI.

25. August 2009-present, Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, Washington.

Promotion Dates

Second Lieutenant - 5 June 1974

First Lieutenant - 5 June 1976

Captain - 5 June 1978

Major - 1 August 1984

Lieutenant Colonel - 1 May 1987

Colonel - 1 April 1991

Brigadier General - 22 February 1997

Major General - 1 February 2000

Lieutenant General - 1 November 2002

General - 30 November 2007

Medals and Awards

Defense Distinguished Service Medal

Air Force Distinguished Service Medal (2 Awards)

Defense Superior Service Medal (2 Awards)

Legion of Merit

Defense Meritorious Service Medal (2 Awards)

Meritorious Service Medal (6 Awards)

Air Force Commendation Medal

Combat Readiness Medal (2 Awards)

Southwest Asia Service Medal with Bronze Service Star

NATO Medal (Yugoslavia)

Badges

Command Pilot
Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge

In Retirement

In 2012 he joined Pratt & Whitney as Vice President, Business Development.

Personal

General Chandler lives in the Washington, DC, area with his wife and three children. His eldest son is Carl, his daughter and middle child is named Rosemarie, and the youngest child is named Thomas.