Brigadier General Michael R. Boera
Commanding General, Combined Air Power Transition Force

Brig. Gen. Michael R. Boera is the Commanding General, Combined Air Power Transition Force, Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, Kabul, Afghanistan. He leads a joint organization to mentor, train, and assist the Afghan National Army Air Corps. He conducts strategic level coordination with U.S. Central Command and the Afghan ministries of Defense, Interior and Transportation to develop airlift, attack, command and control, and reconnaissance capabilities of the Afghan Air Corps.

General Boera entered the Air Force in 1981 after graduating from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He has served on a major command and combined air operations center staff, and commanded a fighter squadron, cadet group, fighter operations group, wing, and the 613th Air and Space Operations Center. Prior to his current assignment, he was Deputy Director for Operations at U.S. Pacific Command. He is a graduate of Army Command and General Staff College and the Air War College.

During Operation Allied Force, General Boera led his F-16CJ squadron in the first attack in Serbia. Additionally, he led his squadron on deployments in support of operations Southern Watch, Northern Watch and Deliberate Forge. He is a command pilot with more than 5,500 flying hours and has flown 160 combat missions in the F-16. He also deployed in support of operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Provide Comfort and Unified Assistance, the tsunami humanitarian relief effort in south Asia.

EDUCATION

1981 Bachelor of Science degree in architectural engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder

1985 Master of Arts degree in management and supervision, Central Michigan University

1985 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.

1995 Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.

2000 Master's degree in strategic studies, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.

2006 National Securities Management Course, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, N.Y.

2006 Leadership in Crisis Course, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.

2007 USAF Senior Leadership Course, Center for Creative Leadership, LaJolla, Calif.

2007 Joint Air and Space Operations Senior Staff Course, Hurlburt Field, Fla.

2008 Transnational Security Cooperation, Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, Honolulu, Hawaii

2008 Capstone General and Flag Officer Course, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.

ASSIGNMENTS

1. September 1981 - August 1982, student, undergraduate pilot training, 14th Flying Training Wing, Columbus AFB, Miss.

2. September 1982 - January 1986, C-21A instructor and flight evaluator, CT-39 instructor pilot, Detachment 2, 1401st Military Airlift Squadron, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio

3. January 1986 - January 1988, instructor pilot for the Air Force Chief of Staff and C-21A operations test pilot, Detachment 1, 4950th Test Wing, Andrews AFB, Md.

4. February 1988 - November 1988, F-16 student pilot, 314th Fighter Training Squadron, Luke AFB, Ariz.

5. December 1988 - September 1991, flight commander, Chief of Training, 10th Tactical Fighter Squadron; Chief of Training, 496th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Hahn AB, Germany (January - May 1991, Operation Desert Storm, Southwest Asia)

6. September 1991 - August 1993, flight commander and F-16 instructor pilot, 311th Fighter Squadron, Luke AFB, Ariz.

7. August 1993 - June 1994, command briefer and speech writer for the Commander, Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va.

8. June 1994 - June 1995, student, Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.

9. August 1995 - June 1997, Director of Operations and assistant operations officer, 22nd Fighter Squadron, Spangdahlem AB, Germany

10. June 1997 - June 1999, Commander, 23rd Fighter Squadron, Spangdahlem AB, Germany (February 1999 - June 1999, Operation Allied Force, AB, Italy)

11. July 1999 - June 2000, student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.

12. June 2000 - June 2002, Commander, Cadet Group 2, 34th Training Wing, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. (November 2001 - March 2002, Chief, Combat Plans, Combined Task Force Operation Northern Watch, Incirlik AB, Turkey)

13. June 2002 - July 2003, Deputy Commander, 56th Operations Group, Luke AFB, Ariz.

14. July 2003 - June 2005, Commander, 35th Operations Group, Misawa AB, Japan (January 2005, Vice Commander, 374th Air Expeditionary Wing, Combined Support Force-536, Operation Unified Assistance, Thailand)

15. July 2005 - October 2006, Commander, 36th Wing, Andersen AFB, Guam.

16. November 2006 - September 2007, Commander, 613th Air and Space Operations Center, General George C. Kenney Headquarters, 13th Air Force, Hickam AFB, Hawaii

17. September 2007 - September 2009, Deputy Director for Operations, U.S. Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii

18. September 2009 - present, Commanding General, Combined Air Power Transition Force, Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, Kabul, Afghanistan

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS

1. November 2001 - March 2002, Chief, Combat Plans, Combined Task Force Operation Northern Watch, Incirlik AB, Turkey, as a lieutenant colonel

2. September 2007 - September 2009, Deputy Director for Operations, U.S. Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii, as a brigadier general

3. September 2009 - present, Commanding General, Combined Air Power Transition Force, Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, Kabul, Afghanistan, as a brigadier general

FLIGHT INFORMATION

Rating: Command pilot, basic parachute

Flight hours: More than 5,535 (including 2,650 in the F-16)

Aircraft flown: T-37, T-38, CT-39, C-21, AT-38, TG-7, F-16A/B/C/D (Block 10, 20, 25, 40, and 50), plus limited flight time in the B-1, B-2, B-52, KC-135, F-15E and HH-60

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Defense Superior Service Medal

Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster

Distinguished Flying Cross with "V" device

Bronze Star Medal

Meritorious Service Medal with silver and bronze oak leaf clusters

Air Medal with silver and four bronze oak leaf clusters

Aerial Achievement Medal

Joint Services Commendation Medal

Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters

Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with "V" device and two silver oak leaf clusters

Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with bronze star

Southwest Asia Service Medal with three bronze stars

Kosovo Campaign Medal with bronze star

Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

Humanitarian Service Medal

NATO Medal (Former Republic of Yugoslavia)

Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)

Kuwait Liberation Medal (Government of Kuwait)

Ancient Order of Chamorri (Government of Guam)

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS

Honorable Order of Saint Barbara (U.S. Air Defense Artillery)

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION

Second Lieutenant May 22, 1981

First Lieutenant Sept. 10, 1983

Captain Sept. 10, 1985

Major Jan. 1, 1994

Lieutenant Colonel Jan. 1, 1997

Colonel June 1, 2002

Brigadier General Dec. 3, 2007