Robin Rand
Robin Rand | |
|---|---|
Air Force Distinguished Service Medal (3) Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit (3) Bronze Star Medal |
Robin Rand (born 1956) is a retired United States Air Force general and former commander of Air Force Global Strike Command.[1] He also concurrently served as the commander of Air Forces Strategic, United States Strategic Command, a command that provides combat-ready forces to conduct strategic nuclear deterrence and global strike operations in support of combatant commanders.[2] Rand's post made him responsible for the United States' three intercontinental ballistic missile wings, the two B-52 wings, and the only B-2 wing with two B-1 wings and a weapon's storage complex to be added in FY16, approximately one-third of the nation's nuclear deterrent.[3]
Early life
Rand is a son of Philip Allen Rand, an Air Force colonel who was an airport director in Klamath Falls, Oregon.[4] Rand lived in Klamath Falls for a period in the 1960s,[1] before attending General William Mitchell High School in Colorado,[5] and was commissioned in 1979 after graduating from the United States Air Force Academy.
Military career
Rand's previous commands include the
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
.
Rand formerly served as the commander of
Edward A. Rice on October 10, 2013.[9] In early 2015, Rand was nominated and confirmed by the Senate to serve as the first four star commander of the Global Strike Command.[10][11] He assumed command of Global Strike Command on July 28, 2015, and of Air Forces Strategic Air Command on September 30, 2017. Rand retired effective September 1, 2018.[12]
Rand was a command pilot with more than 5,000 flying hours, including more than 470 combat hours. He has primarily flown the F-16, T-38, and T-37.
Education
- 1974 Graduated from General William Mitchell High School, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
- 1979 Bachelor of Science degree in aviation science, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
- 1982 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base.
- 1986 Air Command and Staff College, by seminar
- 1988 Master of Science degree in aeronautical science, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida.
- 1990 United States Air Force Fighter Weapons Instructor Course, Nellis Air Force Base.
- 1998 Master of Arts degree in national security policy, Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island.
Military assignments
- July 1979 – July 1980, student pilot, undergraduate pilot training, Williams Air Force Base.
- August 1980 – December 1980, T-37 pilot, pilot instructor training, Randolph Air Force Base.
- January 1981 – May 1984, T-37 instructor pilot, 82nd Flying Training Wing, Williams Air Force Base.
- May 1984 – July 1984, AT-38 pilot, fighter lead-in training, Holloman Air Force Base.
- August 1984 – January 1985, F-16 pilot, F-16 training, 63rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, MacDill Air Force Base.
- February 1985 – December 1986, F-16 pilot, 612th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Torrejón Air Base, Spain.
- December 1986 – June 1988, air liaison officer, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Bamberg, West Germany.
- July 1988 – October 1988, F-16 pilot, F-16 training, 311th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Luke Air Force Base.
- October 1988 – December 1989, F-16 flight examiner, 432nd Tactical Fighter Wing, Misawa Air Base, Japan.
- January 1990 – April 1990, F-16 pilot, USAF Fighter Weapons Instructor Course, Nellis Air Force Base.
- April 1990 – July 1992, F-16 weapons officer, 13th Fighter Squadron; and weapons and tactics flight commander, 432nd Operations Support Squadron, Misawa Air Base, Japan.
- August 1992 – September 1994, F-16 operations officer, USAF Weapons School, Nellis Air Force Base.
- September 1994 – July 1997, operations officer and Commander, 36th Fighter Squadron, Osan Air Base, South Korea.
- August 1997 – June 1998, student, Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island.
- June 1998 – May 2000, policy planner, Directorate for Strategic Plans and Policy (J5), Joint Staff, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.(Joint assignment).
- May 2000 – March 2001, Deputy Commander, 56th Operations Group, Luke Air Force Base.
- April 2001 – April 2003, Commandant, USAF Weapons School, Nellis Air Force Base.
- May 2003 – May 2004, Commander, 8th Fighter Wing, Kunsan Air Base, South Korea.
- June 2004 – June 2006, Commander, 56th Fighter Wing, Luke Air Force Base.
- July 2006 – July 2007, Commander, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, Balad Air Base, Iraq (Joint assignment).
- August 2007 – August 2009, Principal Director for Middle East Policy, Office of the Secretary of Defense, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C. (Joint assignment)
- August 2009 – November 2011, Director, Legislative Liaison, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force; and Special Assistant to the Vice Chief of Staff, Headquarters Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
- December 2011 – September 2013, Commander, 12th Air Force, U.S. Southern Command, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. (Joint assignment)
- October 2013 – March 2015, Commander, Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas
- March 2015 – September 2017, Commander of Air Force Global Strike Command
- September 2017 – September 2018, Commander, Air Force Global Strike Command, and Commander, Air Forces Strategic, U.S. Strategic Command, Barksdale Air Force Base.
Awards and decorations
Rand's awards and decorations are as follows:[6]
|
US Air Force Command Pilot Badge |
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Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge |
|
Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
|
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Headquarters Air Force Badge |
  |
Air Force Distinguished Service Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters
|
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Defense Superior Service Medal |
 |
Legion of Merit with two bronze oak leaf clusters |
|
Bronze Star Medal |
|
Defense Meritorious Service Medal |
 |
Meritorious Service Medal with four bronze oak leaf clusters |
 |
Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters |
|
Aerial Achievement Medal |
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Joint Service Commendation Medal
|
|
Air Force Commendation Medal
|
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Joint Service Achievement Medal
|
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Air Force Achievement Medal
|
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Joint Meritorious Unit Award |
 |
Air Force Meritorious Unit Award with one bronze oak leaf cluster
|
  |
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with one silver and three bronze oak leaf clusters
|
|
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award
|
 |
Combat Readiness Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters |
  |
National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star |
 |
campaign stars
|
|
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal |
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Korea Defense Service Medal |
 |
Air Force Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon with two bronze oak leaf clusters |
 |
Air Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon with two bronze oak leaf clusters |
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Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with gold frame
|
 |
Air Force Longevity Service Award with one silver and three bronze oak leaf clusters
|
|
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Air Force Longevity Service Award (second ribbon to denote tenth award)
|
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Air Force Training Ribbon
|
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Order of National Security Merit Sam-Il Medal (Republic of Korea)
|
|
Grand Cross of the Air Force Cross of Aeronautical Merit (Colombia) |
|
Grand Officer of the Order of Aeronautical Merit (Brazil) |
|
SICOFAA Legion of Merit, Grand Cross[13] |
- 2007 Joseph A. Moller Trophy, Air Combat Command's Outstanding Wing Commander.[6]
Effective dates of promotion
| Insignia | Rank | Date |
|---|---|---|
 |
General | October 10, 2013 |
 |
Lieutenant general | Sept. 1, 2011 |
 |
Major general | June 1, 2009 |
 |
Brigadier general | January 1, 2006 |
 |
Colonel | February 1, 2001 |
 |
Lieutenant colonel | February 1, 1995 |
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Major | July 1, 1990 |
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Captain | May 30, 1983 |
 |
First lieutenant |
May 30, 1981 |
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Second lieutenant |
May 30, 1979 |
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Robin Rand.
- ^ a b Dave Martinez (19 November 2013). "Local Air Force man named four-star general". Herald and News.
- ^ AFGSC units page. Afgsc.af.mil. Retrieved on 2018-06-05.
- ^ AIR FORCE GLOBAL STRIKE COMMAND Archived 2013-02-17 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Phillip Rand Obituary (2011) Herald and News".
- ^ "Unit History | Mitchell High J.R.O.T.C."
- ^ a b c "GENERAL ROBIN RAND > U.S. Air Force > Biography Display". Af.mil. Retrieved October 12, 2013.
- ^ "General officer nominations, assignments announced | Air Force Times". airforcetimes.com. Retrieved October 12, 2013.
- ^ "Rand Approved as AETC Commander". Airforcemag.com. 5 August 2013. Retrieved October 12, 2013.
- ^ Sig Christenson (10 October 2013). "Rice retires in Randolph ceremony – San Antonio Express-News". Mysanantonio.com. Retrieved October 12, 2013.
- ^ Brian Everstine (26 February 2015). "Rand nominated to be first four-star Global Strike chief". Air Force Times.
- ^ Brian Everstine (30 March 2015). "Rand confirmed as first 4-star to lead Global Strike Command". Air Force Times.
- ^ "GENERAL ROBIN RAND > U.S. Air Force > Biography Display". www.af.mil.
- ^ "El Libro Cronológico del Sistema de Cooperación entre las Fuerzas Aéreas Americanas" (PDF). SICOFAA. 2015. p. 35. Retrieved 6 March 2020.