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First Name: William

Last Name: Looney

Birthplace:

Gender: Male

Branch: Air Force (1947 - present)



Middle Name: R.



Date of Birth: 1949



Rank: General

Years Served: 1972-2008
William R. Looney III

   
Graduate, U.S. Air Force Academy, Class of 1972

Biography:

William R. Looney III

General, U.S. Air Force

William R. Looney III was born in 1949.

Looney graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1972, where he commanded the Cadet Wing in his final year. He has commanded a flight, a fighter squadron, two fighter wings, an air expeditionary force, a military college, a warfare center, a numbered air force and two acquisition centers.

On 1 August 2005, Looney was promoted to the four-star rank of General and assigned as Commander, Air Education and Training Command, at Randolph AFB, TX. As Commander, he is responsible for the recruiting, training and education of Air Force personnel. His command includes the Air Force Recruiting Service, two numbered air forces and Air University. Air Education and Training Command consists of 13 bases, more than 92,000 active duty, reserve, guard, civilians and contractors, and 1,750 trainer, fighter and mobility aircraft.

General Looney retired from the Air Force on 1 August 2008. He flew 62 combat hours in the F-15 in support of Operation Southern Watch and Commanded Joint Task Force 86-2 in support of Operation Uphold Democracy. During his service, he became a Command Pilot with over 4,000 flying hours, including 2,500 hours in the F-15. Other aircraft flown include the AC-130, T-38, T-37, and C-21.

Education:

1972 Bachelor of Science degree, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO
1977 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL
1979 Master's degree in Management, Central Michigan University
1983 Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, VA
1990 National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, DC
1993 Executive Warfare Course, Eglin AFB, FL
1997 Joint Flag Officer Warfighting Course, Maxwell AFB, AL
1997 Joint Force Air Component Commander Course, Maxwell AFB, AL
1997 National Security Leadership Course, Syracuse University and Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
1998 Undergraduate Space and Missile Training Staff Course, Vandenberg AFB, CA
1999 National and International Security Seminar, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Assignments:

June 1972 - August 1973, student, undergraduate pilot training, Sheppard AFB, TX.
August 1973 - December 1974, AC-130 gunship pilot, Ubon Royal Thai AFB, Thailand.
January 1975 - April 1978, T-38 Instructor Pilot, 50th Flying Training Squadron, Columbus AFB, MS.
April 1978 - April 1979, participant, Air Staff Training Program, Directorate of Personnel Plans, the Pentagon, Washington, DC.
April 1979 - December 1979, student, F-15 training, Luke AFB, AZ.
January 1980 - February 1983, Instructor Pilot, Flight Commander and Assistant Operations Officer, 94th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Langley AFB, VA.
February 1983 - July 1983, student, Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, VA.
July 1983 - June 1985, Aide-de-Camp to Deputy Commander in Chief, U.S. European Command, Stuttgart, West Germany.
July 1985 - November 1986, Chief of Wing Plans, 36th Tactical Fighter Wing, Bitburg Air Base, West Germany.
November 1986 - January 1988, Operations Officer, 22nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, Bitburg AB, West Germany.
January 1988 - June 1989, Commander, 22nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, Bitburg AB, West Germany.
July 1989 - June 1990, student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington.
June 1990 - July 1992, Conventional Negotiations Branch Chief, Directorate of Strategic Plans and Policy, Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington.
July 1992 - June 1993, Vice Commander, Air Forces Iceland, Keflavik Naval Air Station, Iceland.
June 1993 - May 1995, Commander, 33rd Fighter Wing, Eglin AFB, FL.
May 1995 - July 1996, Commander, 1st Fighter Wing, Langley Air Force Base, and Air Expeditionary Force II, Azraq, Jordan.
July 1996 - June 1998, Commandant, Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, VA.
June 1998 - May 1999, Commander, Space Warfare Center, Schriever AFB, CO.
May 1999 - June 2000, Director of Operations, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, CO.
June 2000 - May 2002, Commander, 14th Air Force, and Component Commander, Space Air Forces, U.S. Space Command, Vandenberg AFB, CA.
May 2002 - December 2003, Commander, Electronic Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Hanscom AFB, MA.
December 2003 - June 2005, Commander, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH.
June 2005 - present, Commander, Air Education and Training Command, Randolph AFB, TX.

Promotion Dates

Second Lieutenant - 7 June 1972
First Lieutenant - 7 June 1974
Captain - 7 June 1976
Major - 1 November 1981
Lieutenant Colonel - 1 March 1986
Colonel - 1 March 1991
Brigadier General - 1 March 1996
Major General - 1 May 1999
Lieutenant General - 1 June 2002
General - 1 August 2005

Medals and Awards

Distinguished Service Medal (2 Awards)
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit (2 Awards)
Defense Meritorious Service Medal (2 Awards)
Meritorious Service Medal (4 Awards)
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal (2 Awards)
Air Force Achievement Medal
Combat Readiness Medal (2 Awards)
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Air and Space Campaign Medal

Badges

Command Pilot Badge
Parachutist Badge
Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge

Honors

2008 Inducted into the Order of the Sword, U.S. Air Force, Air Education and Training Command



Honoree ID: 772   Created by: MHOH

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