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MAJOR GENERAL JOHN J. CLOSNER III

Major General John J. Closner Ill is chief of Air Force Reserve, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., and commander, Air Force Reserve, a field operating agency located at Robins Air Force Base, Ga. As chief of Air Force Reserve, General Closner serves as the principal adviser on Reserve matters to the Air Force chief of staff. As commander of Air Force Reserve, he has full responsibility for the supervision of all U.S. Air Force Reserve units around the world.

General Closner was born March 27, 1940, in Houston and graduated from Bayside High School, Long Island, N.Y., in 1958. He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Texas A&M University in 1962. The general completed Squadron Officer School in 1971, Air Command and Staff College in 1973, and Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 1976.

The general was commissioned through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Texas A&M University. He received wings after pilot training at Reese Air Force Base, Texas, and then completed F-100 fighter training at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. In August 1964 General Closner was assigned to the 494th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Royal Air Force Station Lakenheath, England, where he flew the F-100.

In June 1967 he was assigned to the 615th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Phan Rang Air Base, South Vietnam, as an instructor pilot. He flew 300 combat missions and also had assignments as a standardization and evaluation officer, ground training officer and flying training officer.

General Closner separated from active duty in July 1968 and flew for 18 months with Pan American Airlines. In February 1970 he joined the New Jersey Air National Guard as a full-time, civil service employee. He was assigned to the 177th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Atlantic City, where he flew the F-100 and F-105, and was chief of standardization and evaluation.

In January 1973 General Closner was assigned to the 507th Tactical Fighter Group, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla. He figured prominently in the command's first F-105 fighter conversion and served as chief of standardization and evaluation, and as an operations and training officer. He assumed command of the 465th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Tinker in November 1975.

In May 1978 the general became commander of the 917th Tactical Fighter Group at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., and flew A-37s. Two years later the unit was the first in the Air Force Reserve to convert to A-1Os. As commander, he also guided the activation of the first A-10 flight training school for the Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve. He served as commander of the Air Force Reserve's first F-16 wing, the 419th Tactical Fighter Wing, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, from July 1983 until July 1987, when he became commander of 10th Air Force, Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas. In July 19S9 he was assigned as deputy to the chief of Air Force Reserve, Air Force headquarters, and assumed his present duties in November 1990.

A command pilot with more than 5,000 flying hours, General Glasner has flown the A-10, A-37, F-16, F-100 and F-105. His military awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with 14 oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal and Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with three oak leaf clusters.

His civic affiliations include the Air Force Association, Reserve Officers Association, Bergstrom-Austin Community Council and Austin Military Affairs Council.

He was promoted to major general Nov. 1, 1990, with same date of rank.

(Current as of March 1991)

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COMMANDERS

DATES SERVED

Lt Gen Barton K. Yount

23 Jan 42 - 26 Sep 45

Maj Gen James P. Hodges

27 Sep 45 - 12 Apr 46

Lt Gen John K. Cannon

13 Apr 46 - 13 Oct 48

Lt Gen Robert W. Harper

14 Oct 48 - 30 Jun 54

Maj Gen Glenn O. Barcus

1 Jul 54 - 25 Jul 54

Lt Gen Charles T. Myers

26 Jul 54 - 31 Jul 58

Lt Gen Frederic H. Smith, Jr.

1 Aug 58 - 31 Jul 59

Lt Gen James E. Briggs

1 Aug 59 - 31 Jul 63

Lt Gen Robert W. Burns

1 Aug 63 - 10 Aug 64

Lt Gen William W. Momyer

11 Aug 64 - 30 Jun 66

Lt Gen Sam Maddux, Jr.

1 Jul 66 - 31 Aug 70

Lt Gen George B. Simler

1 Sep 70 - 8 Sep 72

Lt Gen William V. McBride

9 Sep 72 - 31 Aug 74

Lt Gen George H. McKee

1 Sep 74 - 28 Aug 75

Gen John W. Roberts

29 Aug 75 - 31 Mar 79

Gen Bennie L. Davis

1 Apr 79 - 28 Jul 81

Gen Thomas M. Ryan, Jr.

29 Jul 81 - 22 Jun 83

Gen Andrew P. Iosue

23 Jun 83 - 27 Aug 86

Lt Gen John A. Shaud

28 Aug 86 - 5 Jun 88

Lt Gen Robert C. Oaks

6 Jun 88 - 24 Jun 90

Lt Gen Joseph W. Ashy

25 Jun 90 - 10 Dec 92

Gen Henry Viccellio, Jr.

11 Dec 92 - 19 Jun 95

Gen Billy J. Boles

20 Jun 95 - 16 Mar 97

Gen Lloyd W. "Fig" Newton

17 Mar 97 - 21 Jun 00

Gen Hal M. Hornburg

22 Jun 00 - 9 Nov 01

Lt Gen John D. Hopper Jr.

10 Nov 01 - 14 Dec 01

Gen Donald G. Cook

15 Dec 01 - 16 Jun 05

Gen William R. Looney III

17 Jun 05 - 2 Jul 08

Gen Stephen R. Lorenz
 
3 Jul 08 - 17 Nov 10
 
Gen Edward A. Rice Jr.
 
18 Nov 10 - 9 Oct 13
 
Gen Robin Rand
 
10 Oct 13 - 21 July 15
 
Lt Gen Darryl Roberson
 
21 July 15 - 17 Nov 2017 
 
Lt. Gen. Steven Kwast
 
17 Nov 2017 - 26 July 2019 
 
Lt. Gen. Marshall B. "Brad" Webb 26 July 2019 - 20 May 2022
Lt. Gen. Brian S. Robinson 20 May 2022 - Present