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    HomeAbout UsBiographiesDisplay      bio photoEngage On
        
        bio photoMajor General MICHAEL A. KELTZMaj. Gen. Michael A. Keltz is Commander, 19th Air Force, Joint Base San Antonio–Randolph, Texas. The 19th Air Force trains more than 30,000 U.S. and allied students annually. The training ranges from entry-level undergraduate flying training through advanced combat crew training, and ultimately provides fully qualified aircrew personnel to the warfighting commands. 
General Keltz received his commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1981. He's flown combat and contingency operations on AC-130H, MC-130E, MC-130H and AC-130U gunships and Combat Talons in Grenada, El Salvador, Panama, Sierra Leone and in operations Desert Storm and Provide Comfort. During operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, he was the Air Component Commander for several classified joint task forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. He's served on the headquarters staff of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, U.S. Special Operations Command, U. S. Pacific Command and the Air Staff as the Deputy Chief of CHECKMATE.
General Keltz has commanded a special operations squadron; a special mission group in Iraq and Afghanistan; the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing in Southwest Asia; and the 607th Air and Space Operations Center at Osan Air Base, South Korea. Prior to his current position, the general was Director, Strategic Planning and Policy (J5), U.S. Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii. The general is a command pilot with more than 4,000 hours, including more than 300 combat and contingency sorties in AC-130, C-130E and MC-130 aircraft.**EDUCATION**
1981 Bachelor of Science degree, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1986 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1987 Master of Science degree in political science, Troy State University
1995 U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
2001 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2001 Master of Science degree in National Security Strategy, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2008 Joint Force Air Component Commander Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2009 Joint Force Maritime Component Course, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
2010 Senior Officer Joint Information Operations Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2011 Joint Flag Officer Warfighting Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.**ASSIGNMENTS**
1. August 1981 - October 1982, student, undergraduate pilot training, 64th Flying Training Wing, Reese AFB, Texas
2. February 1983 - September 1987, AC-130H aircraft commander and Chief of Safety, 16th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
3. September 1987 - September 1989, Chief of Fixed Winged Tactics and executive officer to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs, Headquarters 23rd Air Force, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
4. September 1989 - October 1990, aide-de-camp for the Commander, 23rd Air Force, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
5. October 1990 - June 1992, MC-130E aircraft commander and Chief of Training, 7th Special Operations Squadron, Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany
6. June 1992 - June 1994, MC-130H instructor pilot and assistant operations officer, 7th Special Operations Squadron, Royal Air Force Alconbury, England
7. July 1994 - June 1995, student, Army Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
8. June 1995 - June 1998, executive officer to Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Special Operations Forces Policy, and Crisis Actions Coordinator, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict, Washington, D.C.
9. June 1998 - June 2000, operations officer and Commander, 19th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
10. July 2000 - June 2001, student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
11. June 2001 - February 2003, Deputy Chief, Checkmate Division, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
12. February 2003 - June 2004, Commander, Aviation Tactics Evaluation Group, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.
13. July 2004 - July 2005, Commander, 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, Southwest Asia
14. July 2005 - February 2006, Chief, Operational Plans Division (J35), U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.
15. February 2006 - July 2006, Director, Commander's Action Group, USSOCOM, MacDill AFB, Fla.
16. July 2006 - February 2007, executive officer to the Commander, USSOCOM, MacDill AFB, Fla.
17. February 2007 - August 2008, Commander, 607th Air and Space Operations Center, Osan AB, South Korea
18. August 2008 - June 2010, Vice Commander, 7th Air Force, Air Forces Korea, and Chief of Staff, Air Component Command, Osan AB, South Korea
19. June 2010 - July 2011, Deputy Director of Operations, Plans, Programs and Requirements, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
20. August 2011 - June 2013, Director, Strategic Planning and Policy (J5), U.S. Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii
21. June 2013 – October 2014, Director of Intelligence, Operations and Nuclear Integration, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas
22. October 2014 – present, Commander, 19th Air Force, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas



**SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS**
1. June 1995 - June 1998, executive officer to Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Special Operations Forces Policy, and Crisis Actions Coordinator, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict, Washington, D.C., as a major
2. February 2003 - June 2004, Commander, Aviation Tactics Evaluation Group, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C., as a colonel
3. July 2005 - February 2006, Chief, Operational Plans Division (J35), U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Fla., as a colonel
4. February 2006 - July 2006, Director, Commander's Action Group, USSOCOM, MacDill AFB, Fla., as a colonel
5. July 2006 - February 2007, executive officer to the Commander, USSOCOM, MacDill AFB, Fla., as a colonel
6. August 2011 - June 2013, Director, Strategic Planning and Policy (J5), U.S. Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii, as a major general**FLIGHT INFORMATION**
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: More than 4,000
Aircraft flown: AC-130H, MC-130E, MC-130H, AC-130U and C-130E**MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS**
Defense Superior Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters**EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION**
Second Lieutenant May 27, 1981
First Lieutenant May 27, 1983
Captain May 27, 1985
Major Oct. 1, 1993
Lieutenant Colonel May 1, 1998
Colonel July 1, 2003
Brigadier General Aug. 2, 2008
Major General Oct. 1, 2011
(Current as of May 2015)
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