BRIGADIER GENERAL KRISTIN E. GOODWIN

Brigadier General Kristin E. Goodwin is the Commandant of Cadets, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado. She commands the 4,000-member Cadet Wing and more than 200 Air Force and civilian support personnel. Her responsibilities include character and leadership development, military training, supervising cadet life activities, and providing support to facilities and logistics.

General Goodwin graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1993 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering and earned her pilot wings in 1995 from Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas. She served in various assignments as a command pilot with more than 2,900 hours in multiple aircraft platforms to include the B-52, B-2, EC-130, C-130, T-38, T-1, and T-37. General Goodwin commanded the 509th Operations Support Squadron and the 2d Bomb Wing, leading the B-52 back into combat for the first time in a decade. The General also oversaw the incorporation of the B-2 into theater operational plans while integrating policies, standards and procedures for B-2 training and combat employment. She was part of the planning team for night one of the “shock and awe” air strike campaign during Operation Iraqi Freedom and led the planning of air operations for night one of Operation Odyssey Dawn in Libya. Additionally, General Goodwin was a National Defense Fellow and served as a pacific region Political Advisor to the Chief of Staff of the Air Force in the Bangkok Embassy, Thailand, addressing counter-insurgency, port security, and refugee issues. General Goodwin was hand-selected as the U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM) Commander’s Action Group Deputy Director, and was responsible to the USPACOM Commander for development of strategic concepts, theater engagement planning with regional leaders, and annual congressional testimony. Prior to assuming her current position, she was the Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force.

EDUCATION
1993 Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.r /> 1999 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2001 Master of Arts in Business and Organizational Management, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
2005 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2006 Near East Asia/ Near East/ North Africa/ China Seminar Courses, U.S. Department of State Foreign Service Institute, Washington, D.C.
2007 Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies: Executive Course, Honolulu, Hawaii
2007 Air Command and Staff College, POLAD Fellowship, Washington, D.C.
2007 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2013 Air Force Fellow (SDE), Center for Strategic and International Studies Think Tank, Washington, D.C.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 1993–January 1994, Assistant Deputy Executive Officer, Professional Military Studies, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2. January 1994–March 1995, Student Pilot, T-37 / T-1, Laughlin AFB, Texas.
3. March 1995–August 1995, Student, Lead-In C-130 Training, Little Rock AFB, Ark. 4. August 1995–February 1998, EC-130H Aircraft Commander, Mobility Officer, Squadron Standardization and Evaluation Liaison Officer, Scheduler, 41st Electronic Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz. 5. February 1998–July 1999, Group Operations Executive Officer; EC-130 Instructor Pilot in Compass Call and Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center, 355th Operations Group, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
6. July 1999–June 2001, AF Intern Program, SAF/AA and CJCS/LA offices, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
7. June 2001–June 2002, B-2 Initial Qualification; T-38 Pilot, 394th Combat Training Squadron, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
8. June 2002–November 2004, Flight Commander; Chief of Scheduling; B-2 Mission Commander; T-38 Pilot, 325th Bomb Squadron, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
9. November 2004–December 2005, Chief, Wing Scheduling; B-2 Instructor Pilot; T-38 Pilot, 509th Operations Support Squadron, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
10. December 2005–July 2006, Assistant Director of Operations; Chief, Wing Combat Plans; B-2 Instructor Pilot; T-38 Pilot, 509th Operations Support Squadron, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
11. July 2006–July 2007, National Defense Fellow, Office of the Foreign Policy Advisor, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
12. July 2007–August 2009, Deputy Director, US Pacific Command Commander’s Action Group, Camp Smith, Hawaii
13. August 2009–June 2010, Director of Operations 393d Bomb Squadron; B-2 Evaluator Pilot, Whiteman AFB, MO
14. June 2010–June 2011, Commander, 509th Operational Support Squadron; B-2 Evaluator Pilot, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
15. June 2011–June 2012, Executive Officer to Commander, Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va.
16. June 2012–June 2013, AF Fellowship, Center for Strategic and International Studies Think Tank, Washington, D.C.
17. June 2013–August 2014, Vice Commander, 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
18. August 2014–May 2016, Commander, 2d Bomb Wing, Barksdale AFB, La.
19. June 2016–April 2017, Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
20. May 2017–Present, Commandant of Cadets, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.

 

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2007–August 2009, Deputy Director, US Pacific Command Commander’s Action Group, Camp Smith, Hawaii, as a lieutenant colonel

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 2,900
Aircraft flown: B-52, B-2, EC-130, C-130, T-38, T-1, T-37

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
 

Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
AF Outstanding Unit Award with Valor Device with three oak leaf clusters
AF Organizational Excellence Award
Combat Readiness Medal with three oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with bronze star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with ‘N’ Device and three oak leaf clusters
NATO Medal

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 2, 1993
First Lieutenant June 2, 1995
Captain June 2, 1997
Major Sept 1, 2003
Lieutenant Colonel June 1, 2008
Colonel July 1, 2012
Brigadier General Frocked


(Current as of May 2017)