Janet C. Wolfenbarger

Janet Carol Wolfenbarger

General Janet Carol Wolfenbarger
Born 1958 (age 57–58)
Tampa, Florida, U.S.
Allegiance United States of America
Service/branch United States Air Force
Years of service 1980–2015
Rank General
Commands held C-17 Systems Group
Awards Air Force Distinguished Service Medal (2)
Legion of Merit (2)

Janet Carol Wolfenbarger (née Libby; 1958) is a former United States Air Force four-star general who served as the eighth commander of Air Force Materiel Command from June 5, 2012, to June 8, 2015. She was the first woman to achieve the rank of four-star general in the Air Force. Wolfenbarger retired from the Air Force after over 35 years of service.

Military career

Wolfenbarger was born in Tampa, Florida.[1] She was commissioned in 1980 as a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, and began her career in acquisition as an engineer at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.[2] Along with her various duty assignments she furthered her education with a Master of Science degree in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1985 and another Master of Science degree in national resource strategy from Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 1994. She is also a graduate of the Air Command and Staff College. Her major awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit and the Meritorious Service Medal.[3]

Wolfenbarger is the U.S. Air Force's highest-ranking woman, a distinction held until January 1, 2010, by Lt. Gen. Terry Gabreski, whom Wolfenbarger succeeded at Wright-Patterson.[4]

On February 6, 2012, President Obama nominated Wolfenbarger to become the first woman four-star general for the Air Force.[5] This was confirmed by the US Senate on March 26, 2012,[6] and she assumed her new rank, and became Commander, Air Force Materiel Command, on June 5, 2012.[7]

Wolfenbarger graduated from Beavercreek High School in Beavercreek, Ohio, in 1976.[8] She is the daughter of Eldon and Shirley Libby of Paicines, California.[9] She is married to Craig "Wolf" Wolfenbarger.

Education

1976 Beavercreek High School, Beavercreek, Ohio
1980 Bachelor of Science degree in engineering sciences, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1983 Squadron Officer School, by correspondence
1985 Master of Science degree in aeronautics and astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
1988 Program Management Course, Defense Systems Management College, Fort Belvoir, Va.
1991 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
1994 Master of Science degree in national resource strategy, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.

Assignments

  1. July 1980 – August 1981, technical intelligence analyst, Armament Division, Eglin AFB, Fla.
  2. August 1981 – July 1983, communication systems development officer, Electronic Security Command, Kelly AFB, Texas
  3. July 1983 – December 1984, student, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.
  4. December 1984 – October 1987, Chief, Strategic Offense Weapons Branch, Headquarters Air Force Systems Command, Andrews AFB, Md.
  5. October 1987 – September 1988, executive officer, Headquarters Air Force Systems Command, Andrews AFB, Md.
  6. September 1988 – July 1993, Chief, Plans and Strategies Division; Chief, Air Vehicle Analysis and Integration Team; and Chief, F-22 Subsystems Team, F-22 System Program Office, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
  7. July 1993 – June 1994, student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
  8. June 1994 – June 1997, Lead F-22 Program Element Monitor, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
  9. June 1997 – April 2000, Chief, B-2 Air Vehicle Team, B-2 SPO, ASC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
  10. April 2000 – December 2002, B-2 System Program Director, B-2 SPO, ASC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
  11. December 2002 – July 2005, Commander, C-17 Systems Group, Mobility Systems Wing, ASC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
  12. August 2005 – July 2006, Director, Air Force Acquisition Center of Excellence, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
  13. August 2006 – January 2007, Special Assistant for Command Transformation to the Commander, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
  14. January 2007 – July 2008, Director, Intelligence and Requirements Directorate, and Special Assistant for Command Transformation to the Commander, Headquarters AFMC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
  15. July 2008 – December 2009, Director, Intelligence and Requirements Directorate, Headquarters AFMC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
  16. December 2009 – September 2011, Vice Commander, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
  17. September 2011 – June 2012, Military Deputy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
  18. June 2012 – June 2015, Air Force Materiel Command[7]

Awards and decorations

Master Acquisition and Financial Management Badge
Headquarters Air Force Badge

 Air Force Distinguished Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster

Width-44 crimson ribbon with a pair of width-2 white stripes on the edges

 Legion of Merit with one bronze oak leaf cluster

Width-44 crimson ribbon with two width-8 white stripes at distance 4 from the edges.

 Meritorious Service Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal

 Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with silver and three bronze oak leaf clusters
Bronze star

Width=44 scarlet ribbon with a central width-4 golden yellow stripe, flanked by pairs of width-1 scarlet, white, Old Glory blue, and white stripes

 National Defense Service Medal with bronze service star
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

 Air Force Longevity Service Award with silver and three bronze oak leaf clusters
Air Force Training Ribbon

Other achievements

1996 Kelly Burke Award, Department of the Air Force
2002 Stewart Award, Aeronautical Systems Center
2004 Stewart Award, Aeronautical Systems Center
2013 United Service Organizations (USO) Woman of the Year
2014 James Doolittle Award, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Security Studies Program
2014 Seymour E. and Ruth B. Harris Lecturer, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
2015 Air Force Materiel Command Order of the Sword
2015 Retroactively prompted change to General Officer Promotion Laws[10]

Effective dates of promotion

Promotions
Insignia Rank Date
GeneralJune 5, 2012
Lieutenant General December 3, 2009
Major GeneralJune 26, 2009
Brigadier GeneralFebruary 1, 2006
ColonelSeptember 1, 1998
Lieutenant ColonelJune 1, 1993
MajorJanuary 1, 1990
CaptainMay 28, 1984
First LieutenantMay 28, 1982
Second LieutenantMay 28, 1980

Notes

  1. ↑ "Air Force's first female 4-star general credits area education | www.springfieldnewssun.com". springfieldnewssun.com. Retrieved 2015-05-24.
  2. ↑ "AF Biography: Gen. Janet C. Wolfenbarger".
  3. ↑ "Lieutenant General Janet C. Wolfenbarger bio on the USAF official site.". Archived from the original on 2012-07-22.
  4. ↑ Female general nominated for 3rd star, Air Force Times, 2009 December 4 (accessed 2009 December 5).
  5. ↑ Reuters Editorial. "Obama nominates Air Force's first female four-star general". reuters.com. Retrieved 2015-05-24.
  6. ↑ Nominations confirmed (non-civilian), U.S. Senate site, (accessed 2012 March 27); Malec, William A. (May 2012). "Female firsts". Military Officer (Military Officers Association of America). p. 19. Retrieved 2012-05-01.
  7. 1 2 Kim Dawley (June 5, 2012). "Gen. Wolfenbarger receives fourth star, assumes leadership of AFMC". Air Force Materiel Command Public Affairs. Retrieved 2012-06-05.
  8. ↑ John Nolan, AFMC’s vice commander is once again Air Force’s highest-ranking woman. Dayton Daily News, 2009 December 4 (accessed 2009 December 5).
  9. ↑ Janet C. Wolfenbarger, Gilroy Dispatch (Gilroy, California), 2005 May 20 (accessed 2009 December 10).
  10. ↑ http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/careers/2015/08/28/force-future-report-ash-carter-review/32476549/
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