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BRIGADIER GENERAL MARK T. MATTHEWS

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Brig. Gen. Mark T. Matthews is Commander, 48th Fighter Wing, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England. He is responsible for the Air Force’s Statue of Liberty Wing, which has both a numerical designation and an official name. The Liberty Wing consists of approximately 5,000 active-duty military members, 2,000 British and U.S. civilians, geographically separated support units at nearby RAF Feltwell, and three combat-ready squadrons of F-15E Strike Eagle and F-15C Eagle fighter aircraft.

General Matthews was born in Raleigh, N.C., graduating from Garner High School, N.C., in 1973. He entered the Air Force in 1977 with a commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy, earning a bachelor of science degree in engineering sciences as an honor graduate. A distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force F-15 Fighter Weapons School, General Matthews was a member of the initial cadre to stand-up F-15s in Alaska before attending graduate school and his assignment to Headquarters U.S. Air Force.

As a member of the Checkmate Division, General Matthews was one of the authors of Rapid Thunder, the initial planning effort that evolved into the Desert Storm air campaign against Iraq. General Matthews later served as operations officer and Commander of the 435th Fighter Squadron, training pilots of the Taiwan air force. He has served as group commander, operations director and as a member of the Joint Staff. Prior to his current position, the general was Deputy Director for Operational Plans and Joint Matters, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.


EDUCATION
1977 Bachelor of science degree in engineering sciences, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1982 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1987 Air Command and Staff College
1987 Master of science degree in operations research, Princeton University, Princeton, N.J.
1997 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2001 Seminar XXI , Massachusetts Institute of Technology


ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 1977 - August 1978, student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Vance AFB, Okla.
2. January 1979 - July 1982, F-15A/C aircraft commander, 94th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Langley AFB, Va.
3. July 1982 - January 1983, F-15A instructor pilot, 43rd TFS, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
4. January 1983 - June 1983, F-15A student, U.S. Air Force Fighter Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
5. June 1983 - August 1984, Chief, F-15A Weapons and Tactics, 43rd TFS, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
6. September 1984 - August 1985, Chief, F-15A Weapons and Tactics, 21st Tactical Fighter Wing, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
7. September 1985 - January 1987, graduate student, Princeton University, Princeton, N.J.
8. February 1987 - October 1987, plans and programs research systems analyst, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
9. November 1987 - April 1992, air-to-air capabilities and war strategies analyst, Checkmate Division, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
10. April 1992 - August 1993, AT-38B instructor, 435th Fighter Squadron, later, Chief of Safety, 49th Fighter Wing, Holloman AFB, N.M.
11. August 1993 - June 1996, operations officer, later, Commander, 435th Fighter Squadron, Holloman AFB, N.M.
12. July 1996 - May 1997, student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
13. June 1997 - June 1999, Deputy Commander, later, Commander, 607th Air Operations Group, Osan Air Base, Korea
14. June 1999 - May 2002, Assistant Deputy Director for Global Operations, Joint Staff, Washington D.C.
15. June 2002 - July 2003, Deputy Director for Operational Plans and Joint Matters, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
16. August 2003 - present, Commander, 48th Fighter Wing, RAF Lakenheath, England


FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: 2,200 hours
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-38, F-15A/C, AT-38B, F-16C and F-15E


MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Combat Readiness Medal


EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Jun 1, 1977
First Lieutenant Jun 1, 1979
Captain Jun 1, 1981
Major Feb 1, 1988
Lieutenant Colonel Apr 1, 1992
Colonel Dec 1, 1997
Brigadier General Oct 1, 2003


(Current as of November 2003)





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