Maj. Gen. F.C. "Pink" Williams is the Senior U.S. Defense Official; Chief, Office of Military Cooperation; and Defense Attaché, Cairo, U.S. Central Command, Cairo, Egypt. He is the principle military official at the American Embassy in Cairo and the Department of Defense representative to the U.S. embassy country team and host nation. As Chief, Office of Military Cooperation, Egypt, he overseas a budget of $1.3 billion and six divisions responsible for all aspects of the security assistance mission in Egypt. The office provides advice and assistance to Egypt on a wide range of military procurement and training issues, serves as a liaison between the Egyptian Ministry of Defense and U.S. Central Command, and provides administrative and logistical support to more than 2,100 military and civilian personnel and their families stationed in Egypt.
General Williams entered the Air Force in 1971 after earning his commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Colorado State University. He received his wings as a distinguished graduate from pilot training at Columbus Air Force Base, Miss. A career fighter pilot, he has instructed at the USAF Fighter Weapons School as well as in the USAF Aggressor Program.
The general has commanded a fighter squadron, an operations group, a fighter wing and an air expeditionary wing. He has commanded forces in operations Provide Comfort, Deny Flight and Northern Watch, and served as Deputy Commander, Joint Task Force-Lebanon. He has twice served in Operation Iraqi Freedom: During the invasion of Iraq he was the Director, Air Component Coordination Element, in support of the Coalition Forces Special Operations Component Commander, and later he commanded the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing at Balad Air Base, Iraq. A command pilot, General Williams has more than 4,700 flying hours in fighter aircraft, including missions in Bosnia and Iraq.
EDUCATION
1971 Bachelor of Science degree in engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins
1983 USAF Fighter Weapons Instructor Course, Nellis AFB, Nev.
1985 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
1995 Air War College, by correspondence
2002 Joint Force Air Component Commander Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2003 National Security Leadership Course, Syracuse University, N.Y.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. November 1971 - November 1972, student, undergraduate pilot training, Columbus AFB, Miss.
2. December 1972 - July 1973, student, F-4 training, 426th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron, Luke AFB, Ariz.
3. August 1973 - April 1976, F-4 aircraft commander, 526th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, West Germany
4. May 1976 - May 1977, F-4 instructor pilot and flight examiner, 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, Kunsan AB, South Korea
5. June 1977 - September 1980, F-5 instructor pilot, 65th Aggressor Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
6. November 1980 - January 1982, F-16 instructor pilot, 16th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron, Hill AFB, Utah
7. February 1982 - February 1983, F-16 instructor pilot, Technical Assistance Field Team, Egypt
8. March 1983 - November 1985, F-16 instructor pilot and Chief, Aerial Attack Division, USAF Fighter Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
9. December 1985 - July 1988, Chief, Weapons and Tactics, 86th Tactical Fighter Wing, later, assistant operations officer, 526th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Ramstein AB, Germany
10. August 1988 - December 1990, F-16 instructor pilot, 161st Tactical Fighter Training Squadron, McConnell AFB, Kan.
11. January 1991 - August 1992, Chief, Weapons and Tactics, 944th Tactical Fighter Group, Luke AFB, Ariz.
12. September 1992 - October 1995, Commander, 302nd Fighter Squadron, Luke AFB, Ariz.
13. November 1995 - April 1997, Commander, 944th Operations Group, later, Vice Commander, 944th Fighter Wing, Luke AFB, Ariz.
14. May 1997 - February 1999, Vice Commander, 419th Fighter Wing, Hill AFB, Utah
15. February 1999 - August 2002, Commander, 419th Fighter Wing, Hill AFB, Utah
16. September 2002 - April 2005, mobilization assistant to the Commander, 12th Air Force, Air Combat Command, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz. (February 2003 - May 2003, Director, Air Component Coordination Element, Coalition Forces Special Operations Component Headquarters, Southwest Asia; April 2004 - June 2004, Commander, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, Balad AB, Iraq)
17. April 2005 - September 2005, mobilization assistant to the Commander, 7th Air Force, Pacific Air Forces, Osan AB, South Korea
18. September 2005 - June 2008, mobilization assistant to the Chief of Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
19. July 2008 - present, Senior U.S. Defense Official; Chief, Office of Military Cooperation; and Defense Attaché, Cairo, U.S. Central Command, Cairo, Egypt
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: More than 4,700
Aircraft flown: F-4C/D/E/F, F-5E and F-16A/B/C/D
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal with silver and three bronze oak leaf clusters
Southwest Asia Service Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 4, 1971
First Lieutenant June 4, 1973
Captain Nov. 6, 1975
Major Sept. 1, 1983
Lieutenant Colonel June 4, 1992
Colonel Aug. 1, 1996
Brigadier General July 7, 2001
Major General June 30, 2004
(Current as of April 2009)