MAJOR GENERAL RICHARD A. MENTEMEYER

Maj. Gen. Richard A. Mentemeyer is Deputy Commander, U.S. Southern Command, Miami, Fla. He is second-in-command of one of nine unified commands under the Department of Defense. USOUTHCOM is responsible for all U.S. military activities, including Theater Security Cooperation, on the land mass of Latin America south of Mexico; the waters adjacent to Central and South America; the Caribbean Sea, with its 13 island nations and European and U.S. territories; the Gulf of Mexico; and a portion of the Atlantic Ocean.

The general completed undergraduate pilot training at Columbus Air Force Base, Miss., in 1975. His command assignments include the 50th Tactical Airlift Squadron at Little Rock AFB, Ark., and the 19th Operations Group at Robins AFB, Ga. He also commanded the 722nd Air Refueling Wing at March AFB, Calif., the 12th Flying Training Wing at Randolph AFB, Texas, and the 305th Air Mobility Wing at McGuire AFB, N.J. The general's staff tours include Headquarters Military Airlift Command operations, U.S. Central Command's Strategic Plans and Policy Division, and Pentagon tours as Chief of the Mobility Forces Division and Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations at Headquarters U.S. Air Force.

During Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, General Mentemeyer was the initial Director of Mobility Forces from September to December 2001. As such, he was responsible for providing all of the theater airlift and refueling capability. During Operation Provide Relief, the Somalia Humanitarian mission in 1992, the general was the Joint Task Force Director of Operations, in charge of the airlift of relief supplies. He also served as Ambassador Oakley’s military adviser when the U.S. mission moved into Mogadishu, Somalia. General Mentemeyer is a command pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours.

EDUCATION
1974 Bachelor's degree in chemistry, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1979 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1982 Master's degree in business, Webster University, St. Louis, Mo.
1985 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1988 National Security Management Course, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
1991 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1974 - July 1975, student, undergraduate pilot training, Columbus AFB, Miss.
2. August 1975 - March 1981, C-130 evaluator, instructor pilot, aircraft commander and co-pilot, 61st Tactical Airlift Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
3. March 1981 - April 1982, airlift operations officer, later, operations airlift manager, 375th Aeromedical Airlift Wing, Scott AFB, Ill.
4. April 1982 - August 1984, Special Airlift Director, later, Special Operations Airlift Director, Headquarters Military Airlift Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
5. August 1984 - October 1985, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
6. October 1985 - February 1986, C-130E aircraft commander, 37th Tactical Airlift Squadron, Rhein-Main Air Base, West Germany
7. March 1986 - May 1987, Assistant Chief, U.S. Air Force Selection Board Secretariat, Air Force Military Personnel Center, Randolph AFB, Texas
8. May 1987 - July 1988, assistant operations officer, later, operations officer, 1400th Military Airlift Squadron, Randolph AFB, Texas
9. July 1988 - July 1990, Commander, 50th Tactical Airlift Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
10. August 1990 - July 1991, student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
11. July 1991 - February 1993, political/military affairs officer, U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.
12. February 1993 - August 1993, Chief, Policy Division, Strategic Plans and Policy (J5), U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.
13. August 1993 - June 1994, Commander, 19th Operations Group, Robins AFB, Ga.
14. June 1994 - February 1995, Chief, Mobility Forces Division and Mobility Team Chief, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
15. February 1995 - January 1996, Commander, 722nd Air Refueling Wing, March AFB, Calif.
16. January 1996 - June 1997, executive officer to the Commander in Chief, U.S. Transportation Command, and to the Commander, Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
17. June 1997 - June 1999, Commander, 12th Flying Training Wing, Randolph AFB, Texas
18. June 1999 - February 2002, Commander, 305th Air Mobility Wing, McGuire AFB, N.J.
19. March 2002 - July 2003, Director of Operations and Training, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
20. July 2003 - July 2004, Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, Air and Space Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
21. July 2004 - present, Deputy Commander, U.S. Southern Command, Miami, Fla.

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight Hours: More than 4,000
Aircraft flown: T-1, KC-10, KC-135R, C-130E, C-21A and T/CT-39

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Order of Military Merit “Jose Maria Cordova” (Colombia)

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 5, 1974
First Lieutenant June 5, 1976
Captain June 5, 1978
Major Aug. 1, 1984
Lieutenant Colonel May 1, 1987
Colonel Nov. 1, 1992
Brigadier General April 1, 1998
Major General Jan. 1, 2002

(Current as of March 2006)