Maj. Gen. John H. Bordelon is the Chief of Staff, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. NORAD is a binational, Canada and United States command. As the NORAD Chief of Staff, he directs a joint staff to coordinate command responsibilities for Aerospace Warning for North America and Attack Assessment and Aerospace Control for North America. As the USNORTHCOM Chief of Staff, he directs a joint staff in order to deter, prevent and defeat threats and aggression aimed at the United States and its territories and interests within USNORTHCOM's assigned areas of responsibility. Additional duties involve coordinating and directing military assistance to civil authorities, including civil support and consequence management operations when authorized by the Secretary of Defense or President of the United States.
General Bordelon received his commission from Officer Training School after graduating from Northwestern State University, Natchitoches, La. Following pilot training and active service, he entered the Air Force Reserve unit program. His duties in the Reserve program have included weapons officer, instructor pilot, flight commander and combat deployment detachment commander. He has also commanded a fighter squadron and an expeditionary operations group. He also served as Vice Commander of the 926th Fighter Wing, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, La.
During operations Iraqi Freedom, Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom and Horn of Africa, the general served as Director, Combined Air and Space Operations Center, Southwest Asia. He is a command pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours in a variety of aircraft, including combat hours in Vietnam, Bosnia and Iraq. As a civilian, he is an airplane pilot with the Department of Justice.
EDUCATION
1971 Bachelor's degree in business administration, Northwestern State University, Natchitoches, La.
1976 USAF Fighter Weapons Instructor Course, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.
1995 Air War College, by seminar
2004 Capstone, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2006 National Security Decision Making Seminar
2006 Joint Flag Officer Warfighting Course
ASSIGNMENTS
1. November 1972 - March 1973, student, undergraduate pilot training, Del Rio, Texas
2. March 1973 - November 1974, student, F-4E Replacement Training Unit, 309th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Homestead AFB, Fla.
3. November 1974 - December 1975, aircraft commander, 8th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Holloman AFB, N.M.
4. December 1975 - January 1976, instructor pilot, 421st Tactical Fighter Squadron, Royal Thai Air Base, Udorn, Thailand
5. February 1976 - May 1978, squadron weapons officer, 4th and 421st Tactical Fighter Squadrons, Hill AFB, Utah
6. June 1978 - July 1980, fighter weapons instructor, 414th Fighter Weapons Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
7. July 1980 - July 1996, pilot, instructor pilot, flight commander and Commander, 47th Fighter Squadron, Barksdale AFB, La.
8. August 1996 - July 2000, Vice Commander, 926th Fighter Wing, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, La.
9. July 2000 - January 2003, mobilization assistant to the Commander, Air Force Command and Control and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center, Langley AFB, Va.
10. January 2003 - December 2005, mobilization assistant to the Commander, 8th Air Force, Barksdale AFB, La.
11. January 2006 - May 2008, mobilization assistant to the Commander, 7th Air Force, Pacific Air Forces, Osan Air Base, South Korea
12. June 2008 - present, Chief of Staff, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: 4,000 military flying hours
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-38, F-4C/D/E, A-37 and A-10
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal
Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with "V" device
Combat Readiness Medal with silver oak leaf cluster
National Defense Service Medal with two bronze stars
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with "M" device
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Nov. 24, 1971
First Lieutenant Nov. 24, 1973
Captain Nov. 11, 1978
Major Dec. 2, 1985
Lieutenant Colonel Dec. 2, 1992
Colonel July 1, 1997
Brigadier General June 1, 2002
Major General Sept. 1, 2005
(Current as of August 2009)