U N I T E D   S T A T E S   A
I R   F O R C E

GENERAL WILLIAM J.
BEGERT

Retired Aug. 1, 2004.

Gen. William J. Begert is
Commander, Pacific Air Forces, and Air Component Commander for the
Commander, U.S. Pacific Command, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. He
has responsibility for Air Force activities spread over half the
globe in a command that supports 55,500 Air Force people serving
principally in Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, Japan and the Republic of
Korea.

General Begert graduated from the U.S. Air Force
Academy in 1968 and served as an instructor and evaluator pilot in
C-141, O-2 and C-5 aircraft early in his career. During the Vietnam
War, he was assigned as a forward air controller at Da Nang Air
Base, South Vietnam, where he flew more than 300 combat missions
over Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. He has more than 875 combat hours.
In earlier assignments, General Begert commanded a flying squadron
and two Air Force wings. He was Chief of the Mobility Forces
Division on the Air Staff. At Scott AFB, Ill., he served as Chief of
Staff as well as Director of Operations and Logistics for
Headquarters U.S. Transportation Command, and as Inspector General
for Headquarters Air Mobility Command. General Begert was the first
Commander of U.S. Air Force's Air Mobility Warfare Center at McGuire
AFB, N.J. He also served as the Vice Commander of U.S. Air Forces in
Europe during the air war over Serbia. Prior to his current
assignment, the general was the Assistant Vice Chief of Staff for
Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington,
D.C.

EDUCATION
1968 Bachelor of science degree,
U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1974 Squadron
Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1980 Master's degree in public
administration, University of Colorado
1981 Air Command and
Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1985 National War College, Fort
Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
1990 Management Program for
Executives, Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business, University
of Pittsburgh
1995 Program for Senior Executives in National and
International Security, John F. Kennedy School of Government,
Harvard University

ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 1968 -
August 1969, student, undergraduate pilot training, Randolph AFB,
Texas
2. September 1969 - March 1971, C-141 pilot and aircraft
commander, 20th Military Airlift Squadron, Dover AFB, Del.
3.
April 1971 - September 1971, French language student, Defense
Language Institute, Washington, D.C.
4. October 1971 - December
1971, combat crew training, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
5. January 1972
- January 1973, O-2A forward air controller and flight examiner
pilot, 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron, Da Nang Air Base, South
Vietnam
6. February 1973 - June 1977, C-5 pilot and flight
examiner, 9th Military Airlift Squadron, 436th Military Airlift
Wing, Dover AFB, Del.
7. July 1977 - June 1978, military studies
instructor, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
8.
July 1978 - July 1980, Air Officer Commanding, Cadet Squadron 20,
U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
9. August 1980 -
June 1981, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.

10. July 1981 - December 1982, C-5 Aircraft Commander and Wing
Executive Officer, 436th Military Airlift Wing, Dover AFB, Del.

11. January 1983 - July 1984, Squadron Commander, 3rd Military
Airlift Squadron, Dover AFB, Del.
12. August 1984 - May 1985,
student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington,
D.C.
13. June 1985 - May 1986, Mobility Forces Programmer,
Directorate of Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington,
D.C.
14. June 1986 - April 1987, Deputy Chief, Mobility Forces
Division, Directorate of Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force,
Washington, D.C.
15. May 1987 - January 1988, Chief, Mobility
Forces Division and Chairman, Mobility Panel, Directorate of
Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
16.
February 1988 - August 1989, Vice Commander, 436th Military Airlift
Wing, Dover AFB, Del.
17. September 1989 - May 1990, Commander,
436th Military Airlift Wing, Dover AFB, Del.
18. June 1990 -
June 1991, Commander, 60th Military Airlift Wing, Travis AFB, Calif.

19. July 1991 - November 1992, Chief of Staff, Headquarters U.S.
Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
20. December 1992 - July
1994, Inspector general, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott
AFB, Ill.
21. July 1994 - March 1995, Commander, U.S. Air Force
Air Mobility Warfare Center, Air Mobility Command, McGuire AFB, N.J.

22. March 1995 - August 1997, Director of Operations and
Logistics, J3 and J4, Headquarters U.S. Transportation Command,
Scott AFB, Ill.
23. August 1997 - August 1999, Vice Commander,
Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein Air Base, Germany

24. August 1999 - May 2001, Assistant Vice Chief of Staff,
Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
25. May 2001 -
present, Commander, Pacific Air Forces, and Air Component Commander
for the Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Command, Hickam AFB,
Hawaii

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot,
parachutist
Flight hours: More than 6,900
Aircraft flown: C-5,
C-21, C-37, C-40, C-130, C-141, KC-10, KC-135, O-2A, T-37, T-38 and
T-41

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense
Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service
Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with oak
leaf cluster
Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf
cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air
Medal with 11 oak leaf clusters

EFFECTIVE DATES OF
PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 5, 1968
First Lieutenant
Dec. 5, 1969
Captain June 5, 1971
Major April 19,
1979
Lieutenant Colonel Dec. 1, 1982
Colonel Dec. 1,
1986
Brigadier General Oct. 1, 1992
Major General Sept. 1,
1995
Lieutenant General Aug. 9, 1997
General May 1, 2001

(Current as of June
2004)