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Major General Gary W. Heckman:Military Branch:United States Airforce | |
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Retiring effective Oct. 1, 2005. Maj. Gen. Gary W. Heckman is Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. He is responsible to the Secretary of the Air Force and the Chief of Staff for planning and programming, and for manpower activities within the corporate Air Force. He develops, integrates, and analyzes long-range and strategic plans, the more than $520 billion Future Year Defense Program, manpower and organizational requirements, and management innovation to support national security objectives and military strategy. His primary areas of focus are Air Force play in the Base Realignment and Closure process and the Quadrennial Defense Review. The general received his commission from Officer Training School in 1973. His flying tours in both special operations and air mobility weapon systems include command of the 16th Special Operations Group, consisting of 10 squadrons at Hurlburt Field, Fla. A charter joint specialty officer, he has extensive special operations and air mobility staff experience in plans, programming, operational requirements, and policy and strategy at the unit, numbered air force, major command, Air Staff and unified command levels. EDUCATION 1972 Bachelor of Arts degree in education, University of Northern Iowa 1978 Squadron Officer School 1981 Master of Public Administration degree, Troy State University 1981 Air Command and Staff College, by seminar 1984 Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va. 1989 Air War College, by correspondence 1992 Master of Arts degree in national security and strategic studies, Naval War College, Newport, R.I. 1995 Program for Senior Officials in National Security, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. 1999 Program for Senior Managers in Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. 2003 National Security Studies Leadership Course, Maxwell School, Syracuse University, N.Y. ASSIGNMENTS 1. February 1973 - February 1974, student, undergraduate navigator training, Mather Air Force Base, Calif., later, student, C-130 upgrade training, Little Rock AFB, Ark. 2. March 1974 - September 1976, C-130E navigator and instructor navigator, 21st Tactical Airlift Squadron, later, assistant chief for tactics and techniques, 374th Tactical Airlift Wing, Clark Air Base, Philippines 3. September 1976 - September 1979, AC-130H gunship navigator, instructor navigator and flight examiner, 16th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla. 4. October 1979 - October 1980, readiness initiatives officer, Air Staff Training Program, Readiness Analysis and Initiatives Group, Directorate of Operations, later, ASTRA airlift force development staff officer, Directorate of Plans, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans and Readiness, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. 5. October 1980 - July 1983, plans officer, Directorate of Plans, 1st Special Operations Wing, later, Chief of Contingency Plans, 2nd Air Division, and AC-130H instructor navigator, 16th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla. 6. August 1983 - January 1984, student, Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va. 7. February 1984 - August 1987, force plans staff officer, Directorate of Plans and Policy, Headquarters U.S. European Command, Stuttgart-Vaihingen, West Germany 8. August 1987 - October 1989, Director, Directorate of Plans and Policy, Headquarters 23rd Air Force and Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla. 9. October 1989 - July 1991, Deputy Director of Programming and Policy, Headquarters Military Airlift Command, Scott AFB, Ill. 10. August 1991 - June 1992, student, Naval War College, Newport, R.I. 11. July 1991 - August 1994, Chief, Mobility, Training and Special Operations Requirements Division, Directorate of Operational Requirements, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Readiness, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. 12. September 1994 - June 1996, Commander, 16th Special Operations Group, Hurlburt Field, Fla. 13. June 1996 - December 1997, Assessment Director, Directorate of Plans, Programs and Strategic Assessments, later, Director of Resources, Headquarters U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Fla. 14. December 1997 - August 1998, Chief of Staff and Director, Center for Command Support, Headquarters U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Fla. 15. August 1998 - October 2001, Director, Center for Force Structure, Resources and Strategic Assessments, Headquarters U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Fla. 16. October 2001 - present, Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. FLIGHT INFORMATION Rating: Master navigator Flight hours: More than 3,000 Aircraft flown: AC-130H/U, C-9A, C-130B/E, E-3A, EC-135, MC-130E/H/P and various civilian aircraft MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster Defense Meritorious Service Medal Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters Air Medal Joint Service Commendation Medal Air Force Commendation Medal Air Force Achievement Medal EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION Second Lieutenant Jan. 17, 1973 First Lieutenant Jan. 17, 1975 Captain Jan. 17, 1979 Major Nov. 1, 1982 Lieutenant Colonel March 1, 1985 Colonel Feb. 1, 1991 Brigadier General Sept. 1, 1997 Major General Aug. 1, 2001 |
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