Paul V. Hester

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Paul V. Hester
Hester pv.jpg
General Paul V. Hester
Born (1947-10-21) 21 October 1947 (age 77)
West Point, Mississippi [1]
AllegianceUnited States
Branch United States Air Force
Years of service1970–2007
Rank General
Commands Pacific Air Forces
Air Force Special Operations Command
United States Forces Japan
Fifth Air Force
53rd Wing
35th Fighter Wing
18th Operations Group
94th Tactical Fighter Squadron
Battles / wars Vietnam War
Awards Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Air Force Distinguished Service Medal (3)
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit (3)

Paul V. Hester (born 21 October 1947) is a retired United States Air Force (USAF) general. He served as Commander, Pacific Air Forces, and Air Component Commander for the Commander, United States Pacific Command from July 2004 to November 2007. He had responsibility for USAF activities spread over half the globe in a command that supports 55,500 Air Force personnel serving in Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, Japan and South Korea.

Contents

Military career

Hester was commissioned through the Reserve Officers' Training Corps program at the University of Mississippi. He earned his wings in December 1971 at Columbus AFB, Mississippi. A command pilot and combat veteran, Hester has more than 200 combat hours in Southeast Asia and has accumulated more than 2,900 flight hours during his career. Additionally, he served as an instructor in the A-7 Corsair, F-4 Phantom and F-15 Eagle in operational and training units. Hester commanded the 94th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 18th Operations Group, 35th Fighter Wing, 53rd Wing and United States Forces Japan and 5th Air Force at Yokota Air Base. He also served as Commander, Air Force Special Operations Command in Hurlburt Field, Florida.

Hester's staff tours include duty in the Directorate of Plans, as a member of the Commander's Action Group at Headquarters Tactical Air Command, Chief of the Air Force's Legislative Liaison Office at the United States House of Representatives, Division Chief in J-5 of the Joint Staff, Joint Chiefs of Staff representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and Director of Air Force Legislative Liaison for the Secretary and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force. He also served as the Air Component Commander and force provider to Joint Task Force-536 during Operation Unified Assistance in support of the South Asia tsunami relief effort.

Education

Assignments

  1. January 1971 – December 1971, student, pilot training, Columbus AFB, Mississippi
  2. January 1972 – December 1972, A-7D pilot, 333rd Tactical Fighter Training Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona
  3. January 1973 – July 1973, A-7D aircraft commander, 354th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Korat Royal Thai AFB, Thailand
  4. August 1973 – August 1974, A-7D aircraft commander, 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona
  5. September 1974 – December 1976, aide-de-camp and F-4 instructor, later, F-15 instructor, 311th, 555th and 461st Tactical Fighter Training Squadrons, Luke AFB, Arizona
  6. January 1977 – June 1979, F-15 instructor and flight examiner, 525th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Bitburg AB, West Germany
  7. July 1979 – July 1980, student, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
  8. August 1980 – August 1983, action officer, Forces Division, Directorate of Plans, later, member, Commander's Action Group, Headquarters Tactical Air Command, Langley AFB, Virginia
  9. September 1983 – November 1986, F-15 instructor and assistant operations officer, 27th Tactical Fighter Squadron, later, operations officer and Commander, 94th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Langley AFB, Virginia
  10. December 1986 – July 1989, Chief, Legislative Liaison Office, U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force for Legislative Liaison, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
  11. August 1989 – June 1990, student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
  12. July 1990 – July 1992, Vice Commander, 18th Tactical Fighter Wing, later, Commander, 18th Operations Group, Kadena AB, Japan
  13. August 1992 – June 1993, Senior Defense Fellow, Center for International Affairs, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
  14. July 1993 – July 1994, Chief, Weapons Technology Control Division, J-5, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, D.C.
  15. August 1994 – November 1995, Joint Chiefs of Staff representative to the Committee on Security and Cooperation in Europe, Vienna, Austria
  16. November 1995 – February 1997, Commander, 35th Fighter Wing, Misawa AB, Japan
  17. February 1997 – December 1997, Commander, 53rd Wing, Eglin AFB, Florida
  18. December 1997 – August 1999, Director, Legislative Liaison, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
  19. September 1999 – November 2001, Commander, U.S. Forces Japan, and Commander, 5th Air Force, Yokota AB, Japan
  20. January 2002 – July 2004, Commander, AFSOC, Hurlburt Field, Florida
  21. July 2004 – November 2007, Commander, Pacific Air Forces, and Air Component Commander for the Commander, U.S. Pacific Command, Hickam AFB, Hawaii

Awards and decorations

COMMAND PILOT WINGS.png US Air Force Command Pilot Badge
Joint Chiefs of Staff seal.svg Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
Defense Distinguished Service ribbon.svg Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Air Force Distinguished Service ribbon.svg
Air Force Distinguished Service Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters
US Defense Superior Service Medal ribbon.svg Defense Superior Service Medal
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Legion of Merit ribbon.svg
Legion of Merit with two bronze oak leaf clusters
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Meritorious Service ribbon.svg
Meritorious Service Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Air Medal ribbon.svg
Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation ribbon.svg Air Force Commendation Medal
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Outstanding Unit ribbon.svg
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with four oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal ribbon.svg Combat Readiness Medal
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg
National Defense Service Medal with two bronze service stars
AFEMRib.svg Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Vietnam Service Ribbon.svg
Vietnam Service Medal with one service star
Air Force Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon.svg Air Force Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Air Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon.svg
Air Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon with two oak leaf clusters
Silver oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Air Force Longevity Service ribbon.svg
Air Force Longevity Service Award with silver and three bronze oak leaf clusters
USAF Marksmanship ribbon.svg Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
Air Force Training Ribbon.svg Air Force Training Ribbon
JPN Zuiho-sho (WW2) 1Class BAR.svg Japanese Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure
Vietnam gallantry cross unit award-3d.svg Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
Vietnam Campaign Medal ribbon with 60- clasp.svg Vietnam Campaign Medal

Other achievements

References

  1. "West Point, Mississippi | West Point Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 15 December 2019.

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Air Force