Gilmary Michael Hostage III
General, U.S. Air Force

Gilmary Michael Hostage received his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force as a distinguished graduate of the AFROTC program at Duke University, Durham, NC, in 1977.

A distinguished graduate of pilot training in 1979, he has served as Aide-de-Camp to the Chief of Staff of the Air Force; Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force; Joint Staff Political-Military Planner, and Director of Requirements and Integration at Joint Forces Command. 

He has served as Air Education and Training Command's Director of Air, Space and Information Operations as well as their Director for Plans and Programs, and Assistant Director of Operations for Air Combat Command. He has commanded a fighter squadron, operations group and three wings: the 388th Fighter Wing, Hill AFB, UT; 363rd Air Expeditionary Wing, Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia; and 552nd Air Control Wing, Tinker AFB, OK.

His last two assignments were as Vice Commander, Pacific Air Forces, Hickam AFB, HI (March 2008- August 2009, and Commander, U.S. Air Forces Central Command, Southwest Asia, August 2009 - 3 August 2011.

In August 2011, Hostage was promoted to the four-star rank of General and assigned as Commander, Air Combat Command at Langley AFB, VA.

General Hostage is a graduate of the USAF Fighter Weapons School, and a Command Pilot with over 4,000 flying hours. He has flown combat missions in multiple aircraft, logging more than 600 combat hours in operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn. The aircraft he has flown includes the T-38, F-15A/B/C/D, F-16A/B/C/D/CJ, E-3B/C AWACS, MC-12W and T-6A.

Education

1977 Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC.
1984 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL.
1985 Air Command and Staff College, by seminar
1993 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1999 National Security Management Course, Syracuse University, NY.
2003 Combined Force Air Component Commander Course, Maxwell AFB, AL.
2004 Joint Flag Officer Warfighting Course, Maxwell AFB, AL.
2007 Combined Force Maritime Component Commander Course, Newport, RI.

Assignments

1. February 1978 - July 1979, student, undergraduate pilot training, Vance AFB, OK.
2. July 1979 - July 1982, T-38 instructor pilot, Vance AFB, OK.
3. July 1982 - January 1983, pilot, F-16A Replacement Training Unit, MacDill AFB, FL.
4. January 1983 - January 1985, operational fighter pilot, 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, Hill AFB, UT.
5. January 1985 - June 1985, student, USAF Fighter Weapons School, Nellis AFB, NV.
6. June 1985 - June 1986, squadron weapons officer, 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, Kunsan AB, South Korea
7. June 1986 - July 1987, F-16C operational test pilot, 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron, Detachment 1, Luke AFB, AZ.
8. July 1987 - May 1989, aide to the Air Force Chief of Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, DC.
9. May 1989 - September 1989, student, F-15C Conversion Training Course, Tyndall AFB, FL.
10. September 1989 - August 1992, assistant operations officer, 27th Tactical Fighter Squadron; operations officer, 71st Tactical Fighter Squadron; and Commander, 71st Fighter Squadron, Langley AFB, VA.
11. August 1992 - June 1993, student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, AL.
12. June 1993 - June 1995, political-military planner, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, DC.
13. June 1995 - June 1997, Commander, 56th Operations Group, Luke AFB, Ariz.
14. June 1997 - April 1998, Assistant Director of Operations, Headquarters ACC, Langley AFB, VA.
15. April 1998 - January 2000, Commander, 388th Fighter Wing, Hill AFB, UT.
16. January 2000 - July 2001, senior military assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington.
17. July 2001 - August 2002, Commander, 363rd Air Expeditionary Wing, Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia
18. August 2002 - March 2004, Commander, 552nd Air Control Wing, Tinker AFB, OK.
19. March 2004 - October 2004, Director of Plans and Programs, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Randolph AFB, TX.
20. October 2004 - June 2006, Director of Intelligence and Air, Space and Information Operations (A2/3), Headquarters AETC, Randolph AFB, TX.
21, June 2006 - March 2008, Director of Requirements and Integration (J8), Headquarters U.S. Joint Forces Command, Norfolk, VA.
22. March 2008 - August 2009, Vice Commander, Pacific Air Forces, Hickam AFB, HI.
23. August 2009 - 3 August 2011, Commander, U.S. Air Forces Central Command, Southwest Asia.
24. August 2011 - Present, Commander, Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, VA.

Summary of Joint Assignments

1. June 1993 - June 1995, political-military planner, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, DC, as a Colonel
2. July 2001 - August 2002, Commander, 363rd Air Expeditionary Wing, Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia, as a Brigadier General
3. June 2006 - March 2008, Director of Requirements and Integration (J8), Headquarters U.S. Joint Forces Command, Norfolk, VA, as a Major General

Medals and Awards

Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit (5 Awards)
Distinguished Flying Cross
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal (3 Awards)
Air Medal (7 Awards)
Aerial Achievement Medal (4 Awards)
Air Force Commendation Medal (2 Awards)
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (4 Awards)
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award (3 Awards)
Combat Readiness Medal (2 Awards)
National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal with Bronze Star
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Government of Kuwait)

Badges

Command Pilot Badge
Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge

Promotion Dates

Second Lieutenant 7 November 1977
First Lieutenant 7 November 1979
Captain 7 November 1981
Major 1 March 1987
Lieutenant Colonel 1 April 1990
Colonel 1 February 1994
Brigadier General 1 January 2002
Major General 1 August 2005
Lieutenant General 5 August 2009

Personal

His wife's name is Kathy.