Paul V. Hester

This article is about the US Air Force General. For the Australian musician, see Paul Hester.

Paul V. Hester
General Paul V. Hester
Born	(1947-10-21) October 21, 1947
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Air Force
Years of service	1970-2007
Rank	General
Commands held	Pacific Air Forces
Battles/wars	Vietnam War

General Paul V. Hester (born October 21, 1947) was the Commander, Pacific Air Forces, and Air Component Commander for the Commander, U.S. Pacific Command, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii from July 2004 to November 2007. He had responsibility for Air Force activities spread over half the globe in a command that supports 55,500 Air Force people serving principally in Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, Japan and South Korea.

General Hester was commissioned through the ROTC program at the University of Mississippi. He earned his wings in December 1971 at Columbus AFB, Mississippi. A command pilot and combat veteran, the general has more than 200 combat hours in Southeast Asia and has accumulated more than 2,900 flight hours during his career. Additionally, he has served as an instructor in the A-7, F-4 and F-15 in operational and training units. General Hester has commanded the 94th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker's famed "Hat in the Ring Gang", 18th Operations Group, 35th Fighter Wing, 53rd Wing and U.S. Forces Japan and 5th Air Force at Yokota Air Base. Prior to assuming his current position, the general was Commander, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Florida.

General Hester's staff tours include duty in the Directorate of Plans, as a member of the Commander's Action Group at Headquarters Tactical Air Command, Chief of the Air Force's Legislative Liaison Office at the U.S. House of Representatives, Division Chief in J-5 of the Joint Staff, Joint Chiefs of Staff representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and Director of Air Force Legislative Liaison for the Secretary and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force. Most recently he was the Air Component Commander and force provider to Joint Task Force-536 during Operation Unified Assistance in support of the South Asia tsunami relief effort.

Education

1969 Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accountancy, University of Mississippi
1970 Master of Business Administration degree in accountancy, University of Mississippi
1974 Squadron Officer School
1979 Air Command and Staff College
1980 Master's degree in military arts and science, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
1990 National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
1992 Program for Senior Officials in National Security, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
1993 Senior Defense Fellow, Center for International Affairs, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
1999 Executive Program for General Officers of the Russian Federation and the United States, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Assignments

January 1971 - December 1971, student, pilot training, Columbus AFB, Mississippi
January 1972 - December 1972, A-7D pilot, 333rd Tactical Fighter Training Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona
January 1973 - July 1973, A-7D aircraft commander, 354th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Korat Royal Thai AFB, Thailand
August 1973 - August 1974, A-7D aircraft commander, 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona
September 1974 - December 1976, aide-de-camp and F-4 instructor, later, F-15 instructor, 311th, 555th and 461st Tactical Fighter Training Squadrons, Luke AFB, Arizona
January 1977 - June 1979, F-15 instructor and flight examiner, 525th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Bitburg AB, West Germany
July 1979 - July 1980, student, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
August 1980 - August 1983, action officer, Forces Division, Directorate of Plans, later, member, Commander's Action Group, Headquarters Tactical Air Command, Langley AFB, Virginia
September 1983 - November 1986, F-15 instructor and assistant operations officer, 27th Tactical Fighter Squadron, later, operations officer and Commander, 94th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Langley AFB, Virginia
December 1986 - July 1989, Chief, Legislative Liaison Office, U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force for Legislative Liaison, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
August 1989 - June 1990, student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
July 1990 - July 1992, Vice Commander, 18th Tactical Fighter Wing, later, Commander, 18th Operations Group, Kadena AB, Japan
August 1992 - June 1993, Senior Defense Fellow, Center for International Affairs, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
July 1993 - July 1994, Chief, Weapons Technology Control Division, J-5, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, D.C.
August 1994 - November 1995, Joint Chiefs of Staff representative to the Committee on Security and Cooperation in Europe, Vienna, Austria
November 1995 - February 1997, Commander, 35th Fighter Wing, Misawa AB, Japan
February 1997 - December 1997, Commander, 53rd Wing, Eglin AFB, Florida
December 1997 - August 1999, Director, Legislative Liaison, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
September 1999 - November 2001, Commander, U.S. Forces Japan, and Commander, 5th Air Force, Yokota AB, Japan
January 2002 - July 2004, Commander, AFSOC, Hurlburt Field, Florida
July 2004 - November 2007, Commander, Pacific Air Forces, and Air Component Commander for the Commander, U.S. Pacific Command, Hickam AFB, Hawaii

Flight information

Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: More than 2,900
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-38, T-33, A-7, F-4, F-15, F-16 and MC-130

Awards and decorations

	US Air Force Command Pilot Badge
	Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge

	Defense Distinguished Service Medal
	Air Force Distinguished Service Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters
	Defense Superior Service Medal
	Legion of Merit with two bronze oak leaf clusters
	Meritorious Service Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters
	Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters
	Air Force Commendation Medal
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with four oak leaf clusters
	Combat Readiness Medal
	National Defense Service Medal with two bronze service stars
	Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
	Vietnam Service Medal with one service star
	Air Force Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon
	Air Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon with two oak leaf clusters
	Air Force Longevity Service Award with silver and three bronze oak leaf clusters
	Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
	Air Force Training Ribbon
	Japanese Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure
	Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
	Vietnam Campaign Medal

Other Achievements

Kappa Sigma Man of the Year - 2002
2004 Awarded the Order of the Sword (United States)

Effective dates of promotion

Second Lieutenant May 31, 1970
First Lieutenant June 3, 1972
Captain December 3, 1974
Major September 1, 1979
Lieutenant Colonel March 1, 1984
Colonel June 1, 1988
Brigadier General July 15, 1994
Major General March 20, 1998
Lieutenant General November 15, 1999
General August 1, 2004

References

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