Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders

    HomeAbout UsBiographiesDisplay      This is the official portrait of Maj. Gen. Adrian L. Spain.EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTIONS
                
                Second Lieutenant                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                June 01, 1994First Lieutenant                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 June 01, 1996Captain                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          June 01, 1998Major                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            November 01, 2004Lieutenant Colonel                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               June 01, 2008Colonel                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          October 01, 2013Brigadier General                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                October 02, 2018Major General                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    August 02, 2021Lieutenant General                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               December 19, 2023Engage OnFacebook PostsYour browser is incompatible with this widget.
                        
                        View on Twitter
        
        This is the official portrait of Maj. Gen. Adrian L. Spain.Lieutenant General ADRIAN L. SPAINLt. Gen. Adrian L. Spain serves as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. He leads the development and implementation of policy directly supporting global operations, force management, training and readiness for the Air Force and serves as the Air Force Operations Deputy to the Air Force Chief of Staff.

Lt. Gen. Spain entered the Air Force in 1994 through the ROTC program, graduating from Villanova University.  He has spent the majority of his career in aviation and command assignments accumulating more than 2,150 flight hours, deploying and serving in joint positions extensively. Prior to his current position, Lt. Gen. Spain was the Director of Training and Readiness, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations at Headquarters, U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia.

**EDUCATION**
1994 Bachelor of Electrical Engineering, Villanova University, Villanova, Pa.
1996 Outstanding and Distinguished Graduate, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Reese Air Force Base, Texas 
2000 Distinguished Graduate, USAF Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2001 F-15C Division USAF Weapons Instructor Course, Nellis AFB, Nev.
2007 Master of Science, Systems Engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
2011 Master of Science, National Resource Strategy, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2014 Leadership Development Program, Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, N.C. 
2015 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School, Chapel Hill, N.C.

**ASSIGNMENTS**
1. June 1994–June 1995, Gold Bar Recruiter, University of Delaware, Newark, Del.
2. June 1995–June 1996, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Reese Air Force Base, Texas
3. September 1996–April 1997, Student, F-15C RTU, 2nd Fighter Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
4. June 1997–June 1999, Four-ship FL and Combat Plans Officer, 44th Fighter Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Japan
5. June 1999–July 2001, F-15C Instructor/Evaluator/FCF Pilot/Mission Commander, Chief of Scheduling and Assistant Chief of Weapons, 27th FS, Langley AFB, Va.
6. July 2001–December 2001, Student, 433rd Weapons Squadron, USAF Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
7. January 2002–July 2003, Chief, Squadron Weapons and Tactics, 58th FS, Eglin AFB, Fla.
8. July 2003–July 2004, 57th WG F15C Chief SEFE and SOF Program Manager, Weapons School Instructor, 57th Operations Support Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
9. June 2004–April 2005, Flight Commander, Chief FCF Pilot, Squadron SEFE, ADO; Phase Manager for the Air-to-Air Weapons Employment, Low Altitude, Night Employment, Air Combat Maneuvers, and Dissimilar Air Combat Tactics Phases, 433rd Weapons Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
10. April 2005–May 2006, Aide-de-Camp to the Commander, USAF Warfare Center, Nellis AFB, Nev.
11. May 2006–June 2007, Student, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.
12. June 2007–April 2008, Chief, 1st FW Weapons and Tactics, Langley AFB, Va.
13. April 2008–December 2008, Operations Officer, 94th FS, Langley AFB, Va.
14. December 2008–July 2010, Commander 94th FS, Langley AFB, Va.
15. August 2010–June 2011, Student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
16. July 2011–May 2013, Chief, Joint Exercise Division, Alaskan Command and Joint Task Force - Alaska, Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson, Alaska
17. June 2013–June 2015, Commandant, U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
18. June 2015–June 2017, Commander, 53rd Wing, Eglin AFB, Fla.
19. June 2017–June 2018, Executive Officer to the Commander North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Norther Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
20. July 2018–July 2019, Commander, 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, Al Dhafra AB, United Arab Emirates
21. August 2019–June 2021, Director, Plans, Programs, and Analyses for Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe and U.S. Air Force Africa, Ramstein AB, Germany
22. July 2021–July 2022, Director of Operations (J3), U.S. European Command, Stuttgart, Germany
23. July 2022–July 2023, Chief of Staff, U.S. European Command, Stuttgart, Germany
24. July 2023–December 2023, Director of Training and Readiness, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
25. December 2023–present, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, HAF, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.

**SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS**
1. July 2011–May 2013, Chief, Joint Exercise Division (J71), Alaskan Command and Joint Task Force-Alaska, Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson, Alaska, as a lieutenant colonel
2. June 2017 – June 2018, Senior Executive Assistant to the Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Norther Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., as a colonel
3. July 2021–July 2022, Director of Operations (J3), U.S. European Command, Stuttgart, Germany, as a major general
4. July 2022–July 2023, Chief of Staff, USEUCOM, Stuttgart, Germany, as a major general

**FLIGHT INFORMATION**
Rating:  command pilot
Flight Hours:  over 2,150 including 129 combat hours in the F-15C and 94 combat hours in the F-22A
Primary Aircraft:  F-15C/D, F-22A
Aircraft Flown:  T-37, A/T-38, F-15A/B, F-16D, F-15E, HH-60G, B-1B, B-2A, B-52H, AC-130W, C-130J, KC- 135R, C-17A, QF-4E, E-3, KC-10

**MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS**
Defense Superior Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal 
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters 
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award

**OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS**
2017 Jerome F. and Mrs. O’Malley Award, Air Combat Command
2011 Mashburn Award Finalist, Antonelli Award Winner, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2001 Flying Award, USAF Weapons Instructor Course, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.

**PUBLICATIONS**
US Northern Command’s Role in the Arctic Region, Proceedings, the Coast Guard Journal of Safety & Security at Sea, Summer 2013, Volume 70 Number 2

(Current as of January 2024)
  Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil