# Joseph L. Lengyel

Joseph Lauren Lengyel (born 1959) is a retired United States Air Force four-star general who last served as the 28th chief of the National Guard Bureau from August 2016 to August 2020. As chief, he was responsible for ensuring that nearly 460,000 Army National Guard and Air National Guard personnel are accessible, capable and ready to protect the homeland and to provide combat capabilities to the United States Army and the United States Air Force. Lengyel is a command pilot with more than 3,000 flying hours primarily in the F-16.
Prior to his last assignment, Lengyel served as the 10th vice chief of the National Guard Bureau. His previous general officer assignments include Senior United States Defense Official; Chief, Office of Military Cooperation; and Defense Attaché, Cairo, United States Central Command, Cairo, Egypt. He retired from the Air Force on August 3, 2020, after over 38 years of service.

## Early life

Joseph Lauren Lengyel is the son of Lauren and Margaret Lengyel. His father was a career Air Force officer and Vietnam War veteran who was held as a prisoner of war; he received the Silver Star and retired a lieutenant colonel. Lengyel has two brothers and a sister; one of his brothers, Gregory J. Lengyel, is a retired major general and was a career Air Force special operations officer. Lengyel was commissioned into the United States Air Force in 1981 through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program at North Texas State University.

## Military career

Lengyel served in various operational and staff assignments, primarily as an Instructor Pilot and unit Weapons Officer in the F-16 Fighting Falcon. His experience in the F-16 includes tours in Tactical Air Command, Air Combat Command, Pacific Air Forces, United States Air Forces in Europe and the Texas Air National Guard. He has commanded a fighter squadron, operations group, air expeditionary group and the Air National Guard Readiness Center.

## Education

1981 Bachelor's degree in chemistry, University of North Texas 1984 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Alabama 1988 Air Force Fighter Weapons Instructor Course, Nellis AFB, Nevada 1994 Air Command and Staff College, by seminar 2001 Air War College, by correspondence 2008 National Security Management Course, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, N.Y. 2009 Capstone General and Flag Officer Course, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. 2010 Combined Force Air Component Commander Course, Maxwell AFB, Alabama 2010 Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government, Program for Senior Executives in National and International Security, Cambridge, Mass. 2011 University of Tennessee, Master of Business Administration

## Assignments

* March 1982 – March 1983, Student, undergraduate pilot training, 47th Flying Training Wing, Laughlin AFB, Texas
* March 1983 – May 1983, Student, fighter lead-in training, 479th Tactical Training Wing, Holloman AFB, New Mexico
* May 1983 – January 1984, Student, F-16 upgrade training, 56th Tactical Training Wing, MacDill AFB, Florida.
* January 1984 – April 1986, Instructor Pilot, 474th Tactical Fighter Wing, Nellis AFB, Nevada
* April 1986 – April 1987, Instructor Pilot Flight Examiner, 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, Kunsan Air Base, South Korea
* April 1987 – June 1987, F-16C conversion training, 405th Tactical Training Wing, Luke AFB, Arizona
* June 1987 – September 1991, Instructor Pilot, and Chief of Weapons, 512th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
* September 1991 – September 1995, Instructor Pilot Flight Examiner and Weapons Officer, 182nd Fighter Squadron, Texas Air National Guard, Kelly AFB, Texas
* September 1996 – June 1997, Commander, 149th Operations Support Flight, 149th Operations Group, Kelly AFB, Texas
* June 1997 – October 1998, Operations Officer, 182nd Fighter Squadron, Kelly AFB, Texas
* October 1998 – October 1999, Commander, 182nd Fighter Squadron, Kelly AFB, Texas
* October 1999 – February 2002, Commander, 149th Operations Group, Lackland AFB / Kelly Field Annex, Texas
* February 2002 – June 2004, Vice Commander, 149th Fighter Wing, Lackland AFB, Texas
* June 2004 – September 2004, Commander, 455th Expeditionary Operations Group, Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan
* September 2004 – September 2006, Air National Guard Advisor to Commander, United States Air Force in Europe
* September 2006 – September 2008, Commander, Air National Guard Readiness Center, Andrews AFB, Maryland
* September 2008 – June, 2009, Deputy Director, Air National Guard, Arlington, Virginia, and Commander, Air National Guard Readiness Center, Andrews AFB, Md.
* June 2009 – July 2010, Military Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
* July 2010 – June 2011, Vice Commander, 1st Air Force (Air Forces Northern), Tyndall AFB, Florida
* June 2011 – August 2012, Senior U.S. Defense Official; Chief, Office of Military Cooperation and Defense Attaché, Cairo, U.S. Central Command, Cairo, Egypt
* August 2012 – August 2016, Vice Chief, National Guard Bureau, Washington, D.C.
* August 2016 – August 2020, Chief, National Guard Bureau, Washington, D.C.

## Flight information

Rating: Command Pilot Flight hours: more than 3,000 Aircraft flown: T-37, T-38 and F-16

## Awards and decorations

* US Air Force Command Pilot Badge
* Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
* National Guard Bureau Organizational Badge
* Defense Distinguished Service Medal
* Defense Superior Service Medal
* Legion of Merit with two bronze oak leaf clusters
* Bronze Star Medal
* Meritorious Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
* Air Medal
* Aerial Achievement Medal
* Air Force Commendation Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters
* Joint Service Achievement Medal
* Air Force Achievement Medal
* Joint Meritorious Unit Award
* Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with one bronze oak leaf cluster
* Combat Readiness Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters
* National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star
* Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
* Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one bronze service star
* Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
* Korea Defense Service Medal
* Air Force Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon
* Air Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon with one bronze oak leaf cluster
* Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with gold frame
* Air Force Longevity Service Award with one silver and three bronze oak leaf clusters
* Armed Forces Reserve Medal with silver Hourglass device
* Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon with one bronze service star
* Air Force Training Ribbon

### Other achievements

1983 Distinguished graduate, undergraduate pilot training 2009 Maj. Gen. I.G. Brown Command Excellence Award Multiple civilian pilot ratings, including Airline Transport Pilot

## Effective dates of promotion

Second Lieutenant Dec. 21, 1981 First Lieutenant Dec. 21, 1983 Captain Dec. 21, 1985 Major Dec. 13, 1994 Lieutenant Colonel Dec. 23, 1998 Colonel Sept. 18, 2002 Brigadier General Sept. 26, 2008 Major General April 1, 2011 Lieutenant General Aug. 18, 2012 General Aug. 3, 2016