Richard C. Johnston

Richard C. Johnston
Major General Richard C. Johnston in 2011
Born	1957
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Air Force
Years of service	1981–2014
Rank	Major General
Commands held	Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs 86th Airlift Wing 320th Air Expeditionary Wing
Battles/wars	Operation Urgent Furry Gulf War Operation Allied Force Kosovo War Iraq War
Awards	Defense Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit

Richard C. Johnston is a major general in the United States Air Force. Johnston began his Air Force career after being commissioned within the United States Air Force in 1982.^[1] During his career within Air Force, Johnston served on a various assignment including Deputy Director of Operations on United States Strategic Command, Deputy Air Force Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Programs and Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs. Johnston retired from active-duty within the Air Force in 2014 after serving for 29 years within the Air Force^[2]

Major General Richard C. Johnston is a Command Pilot with more than 4,300 flying hours on Tactical Airlift Aircraft.^[1]

Early life[]

Johnston pose with fellow Members of the 317th Airlift Group at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas.

Richard C. Johnston was born in Cloquet, Minnesota. His father Lyle was a World War II veteran who worked at the paper mill and his mother Armella worked for several years at the Cloquet Hospital. Johnston had four siblings.^[3] Johnston had his first flying experienced is at the Cloquet Airport from an acquintance named Mr. Arnie Odegaard whom according to Johnston "had a lot of patience and faith on him." After graduating with Bachelor of Arts on Criminal Justice from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Johnston went on enlisted to Officer Training School (OTS) in-order to get pursued his career within the United States Air Force.^[3] His purpose to joined the Air Force was that he wanted to fly the Lockheed C-130 Hercules and see the world.^[3]

In 1974 Johnston married his fellow Cloquet High School sweetheart Terry Randall. Together they had one daughter named Jennifer.^[3]

Major General Richard Johnston speaking at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Facility at Marietta, Georgia on June 26, 2013.

Air Force Career[]

Johnston was commissioned an officer in 1982.^[2] He was given command of the 317th Airlift Group and the 320th Air Expeditionary Wing during the Iraq War before being assigned to the United States Transportation Command in 2004. Later he was given command of the 86th Airlift Wing. In 2009 he was assigned to The Pentagon.^[2]

Awards he has received include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters, the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Aerial Achievement Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Outstanding Unit Award with valor device and two silver oak leaf clusters, the Combat Readiness Medal with four oak leaf clusters, the Southwest Asia Service Medal with two service stars, the Kosovo Campaign Medal, and the Humanitarian Service Medal.

Education[]

• B.A., Criminal Justice – University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
• Graduate – Squadron Officer School
• M.S., Operational Research and Business Management – University of Arkansas
• Graduate – United States Army Command and General Staff College
• Graduate – Air War College
• M.S., National Security Strategy – National War College
• Graduate, Black Sea Security Program – John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University
• Graduate, Program for Senior Managers in Government – John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University

Assignments[]

Major General Richard C. Johnston presents Senior Airman Jeremiah Hust from 317th Airlift Group with the honorary key to the newest Lockheed-Martin C-130J Hercules at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas on March 12, 2013.

• October 1981 - October 1982, student, undergraduate pilot training, Vance AFB, Okla.
• October 1982 - February 1983, C-130 pilot training, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
• February 1983 - June 1985, aircraft commander, 54th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, Andersen AFB, Guam
• June 1985 - June 1991, instructor pilot and evaluator pilot, 50th Tactical Airlift Squadron; assistant chief, Standardization and Evaluation, 314th Tactical Airlift Group; and executive officer, 314th Tactical Airlift Wing, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
• June 1991 - June 1993, Chief of Tactical Airlift Assignments and Chief of Rated Officer Assignments, Directorate of Personnel, Headquarters Military Airlift Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
• June 1993 - June 1994, student, Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
• June 1994 - June 1997, Chief of Mobility Forces Programming Branch, and later executive officer for the Director of Forces and then Director of Joint Matters, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
• June 1997 - February 2000, operations officer then Commander, 2nd Air Refueling Squadron, McGuire AFB, N.J.
• February 2000 - August 2001, Chief, Senior Officer Management Division, Directorate of Personnel, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
• August 2001 - June 2002, student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
• July 2002 - March 2004, Commander, 317th Airlift Group, Dyess AFB, Texas (November 2002 - June 2003, Commander, 320th Air Expeditionary Wing, Southwest Asia)
• March 2004 - August 2004, Deputy Director of Operations, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
• August 2004 - September 2005, executive officer to the Commander, USTRANSCOM, and to the Commander, Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
• September 2005 - March 2006, executive officer to the Commander, USTRANSCOM, Scott AFB, Ill.
• April 2006 - December 2007, Commander, 86th Airlift Wing, Ramstein AB, and Commander, Kaiserslautern Military Community, Germany
• December 2007 - September 2009, Director, Plans, Programs and Analyses, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein AB, Germany
• September 2009 - September 2011, Director, Air Force Strategic Planning, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
• September 2011 – present, Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs, Office of the Under Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, D.C.

Awards and decorations[]

Badge
	US Air Force Command Pilot Badge[1]
	Headquarters Air Force Badge[1]

Decorations
	Distinguished Service Medal[1]
	Defense Superior Service Medal[1]
	Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters [1]
	Bronze Star Medal[1]
	Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters [1]
	Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters [1]
	Aerial Achievement Medal[1]
	Air Force Commendation Medal[1]
	Air Force Achievement Medal[1]
	Joint Meritorious Unit Award with oak leaf cluster [1]
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with "V" device and two silver oak leaf clusters [1]
	Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal[1]
	Southwest Asia Service Medal with two bronze stars [1]
	Kosovo Campaign Medal[1]

Flight Information[]

Rating: Command pilot ^[1]

Flight hours: More than 4,300 hours ^[1]

Aircraft flown: C-130E/H/J, C-21A, C-37A, C-40B, KC-10A, and WC-130E/H ^[1]

Effective dates of promotion[]

Insignia	Rank	Date
	Second Lieutenant	October 16, 1981 [1]
	First Lieutenant	October 16, 1983 [1]
	Captain	October 16, 1985 [1]
	Major	February 1, 1994 [1]
	Lieutenant colonel	January 1, 1998 [1]
	Colonel	July 1, 2002 [1]
	Brigadier general	November 2, 2007 [1]
	Major general	November 17, 2010 [1]

References[]