Lt Gen Eric E. Fiel, USAF (ret.)

Lt. Gen. Eric E. Fiel is the Commander, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla. The command is the Air Force component of U.S. Special Operations Command. AFSOC provides Air Force special operations forces for worldwide deployment and assignment to unified combatant commanders. The command has approximately 16,000 active-duty, Reserve, Air National Guard and civilian professionals.

General Fiel entered the Air Force in 1981 as a graduate of Officer Training School. He has held a variety of assignments and has commanded at the squadron, group and wing levels. Additionally, he has held a variety of staff positions at major command, unified command, Air Staff and Secretary of the Air Force levels. Prior to his current assignment, he was the Vice Commander, Headquarters U.S. Special Operations Command, Washington, D.C..

General Fiel has significant experience in combat and leadership positions in major joint contingency operations. He commanded a special operations squadron during Bosnia and Kosovo operations. From September 2001 to March 2003, he was forward-deployed as the Joint Special Operations Air Component Commander in Operation Enduring Freedom. From May 2006 to April 2008, he was forward-deployed as a Task Force Commander multiple times for operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

EDUCATION
1980 Bachelor of Science degree in Management, University of Buffalo, N.Y. 1984 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.

1989 Master’s degree in Management, Troy State University

1992 Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan. 1992 Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.

2001 Master’s degree in strategic studies, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 2005 National Security Management Course, Syracuse University, N.Y.

2008 Navy Senior Leader Business Course, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

ASSIGNMENTS
1.  July 1981 – July 1982, student, undergraduate navigator training and electronic warfare officer training, 323rd Flying Training Wing, Mather AFB, Calif.

2.  August 1982 – July 1984, MC-130E EWO instructor and executive officer, 8th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.

3.  August 1984 – July 1985, standardization and evaluation EWO, 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Fla.

4.  August 1985 – August 1986, executive officer, 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Fla.

5.  September 1986 – September 1987, Air Staff Training Program, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Washington, D.C.

6.  September 1987 – September 1988, Chief, MC-130E Standardization and Evaluation, Headquarters 23rd Air Force, Hurlburt Field, Fla.

7.  September 1988 – September 1989, Chief, Electronic Combat Division, Headquarters 23rd Air Force, Hurlburt Field, Fla.

8.  September 1989 – February 1990, executive officer to the Vice Commander, 23rd Air Force, Hurlburt Field, Fla.

9.  February 1990 – May 1991, aide-de-camp to the Commander, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.

10.  June 1991 – June 1992, student, Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.

11. June 1992 – September 1992, student, Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.

12.  September 1992 – April 1994, Chief, North Asia Air Defense Division, Joint Intelligence Center Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

13.  April 1994 – August 1995, Chief, Crisis Management Division, Joint Intelligence Center Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

14.  September 1995 – January 1997, Director of Operations, 18th Flight Test Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.

15.  February 1997 – September 1999, Assistant Director of Operations, Director of Operations and Commander, 4th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.

16.  September 1999 – July 2000, Deputy Commander, 16th Operations Group, Hurlburt Field, Fla.

17.  August 2000 – June 2001, student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.

18.  July 2001 – April 2003, Commander, Aviation Tactics Evaluation Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.

19.  April 2003 – May 2005, Commander, 58th Special Operations Wing, Kirtland AFB, N.M.

20.  June 2005 – December 2005, Director of Operations, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.

21.  December 2005 – April 2006, Commander, Air Force Special Operations Forces, Hurlburt Field, Fla.

22.  April 2006 – April 2008, Deputy Commanding General, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.

23.  May 2008 – September 2009, Director, Center for Force Structure, Requirements, Resources and Strategic Assessments, Headquarters U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.

24.  October 2009 – June 2010, Chief of Staff, Headquarters U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.

25.  June 2010 – June 2011, Vice Commander, Headquarters U.S. Special Operations Command, Washington, D.C. 26, June 2011 – present, Commander, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1.  September 1992 – August 1995, Chief, North Asia Air Defense Division and Chief, Crisis Management Division, Joint Intelligence Center Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, as a major

2.  July 2001 – April 2003, Commander, Aviation Tactics Evaluation Group, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C., as a colonel

3.  April 2006 – April 2008, Deputy Commanding General, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C., as a brigadier general

4.  May 2008 – September 2009, Director, Center for Force Structure, Requirements, Resources and Strategic Assessments, Headquarters, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Fla., as a brigadier general and major general

5.  October 2009 – June 2010, Chief of Staff, Headquarters U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Fla., as a major general

6.  June 2010 – June 2011, Vice Commander, Headquarters U.S. Special Operations Command, Washington, D.C.

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Master navigator Flight hours: More than 2,000

Aircraft flown: T-43, T-37, MC-130E/H and AC-130A/H/U

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster Legion of Merit

Distinguished Flying Cross

Bronze Star Medal with three oak leaf clusters Defense Meritorious Service Medal

Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters Air Medal

Aerial Achievement Medal

Air Force Commendation Medal

Joint Service Achievement Medal

Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster Combat Readiness Medal with oak leaf cluster National Defense Service Medal with bronze star Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal

Kosovo Campaign Medal Afghanistan Campaign Medal Iraq Campaign Medal

Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Armed Forces Service Medal

Humanitarian Service Medal

NATO Medal (Former Republic of Yugoslavia)

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant July 15, 1981

First Lieutenant July 15, 1983

Captain July 15, 1985

Major October 1, 1991

Lieutenant Colonel December 1, 1996

Colonel March 1, 2001

Brigadier General Nov. 2, 2006

Major General Dec. 3, 2009

Lieutenant General June 11, 2010

(Current as of April 2014)