070130-F-JZ504-726.JPG
            MAJOR GENERAL RONALD R. "RON" LADNIERMaj. Gen. Ronald R. "Ron" Ladnier is Commander, 17th Air Force and U.S. Air Forces Africa, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The command serves as the Air Component to U.S Africa Command and has responsibility for all Air Force activities in the Africa theater spanning 53 countries, 11 million square miles and more than 900 million people. 
General Ladnier entered the Air Force after graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy.  He previously commanded the first operational C-17 airlift squadron, a C-141 operations group, a KC-135 air refueling wing and the 618th Tanker Airlift Control Center. He has also served as Commandant of the Air Command and Staff College. His staff experience includes logistics readiness and program management on the Air Staff, acquisition management on the Air Mobility Command staff, and interagency planning at the Department of State. His most recent deployment experience was as the Director of the U.S. Central Command Deployment and Distribution Operations Center.**EDUCATION**
1977 Bachelor of Science degree in engineering mechanics, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1982 Distinguished graduate, Squadron Office School, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 
1985 Master of Arts degree in business administration, Webster University, Mo.
1991 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1996 Distinguished graduate, Master of Science degree in national resource strategy, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
1997 Director of Mobility Forces Training, Air Mobility Warfare Center, McGuire AFB, N.J. 
1999 Peace Operations Course, National Foreign Affairs Training Center, Arlington, Va. 
2000 Security Assistance Management Executive Course, Defense Institute of Security Assistance Management, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
2005 Logistics Management, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 
2006 Senior Managers in Government Course, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
2007 Combined Force Air Component Commander Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.**ASSIGNMENTS**
1. July 1977 - July 1978, student, undergraduate pilot training, 14th Flying Wing, Columbus AFB, Miss. 
2. October 1978 - July 1981, C-141 examiner pilot, 41st Mobility Air Squadron, Charleston AFB, S.C.
3. July 1981 - August 1984, special operations and tactics officer, 437th Mobility Airlift Wing, Charleston AFB, S.C.
4. August 1984 - August 1985, Air Staff Training officer, Aircraft Modification Program, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
5. August 1985 - June 1987, C-141/C-5/C-17 training director, Headquarters Military Airlift Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
6. June 1987 - June 1990, C-17 training acquisition program manager, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
7. July 1990 - June 1991, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
8. June 1991 - June 1993, assistant operations officer and C-141B examiner pilot, 14th Airlift Squadron, Charleston AFB, S.C.
9. June 1993 - August 1995, C-17 instructor pilot, later, Commander, 17th Airlift Squadron, Charleston AFB, S.C.
10. August 1995 - July 1996, student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
11. July 1996 - July 1998, Deputy Commander, later, Commander, 62nd Operations Group, McChord AFB, Wash.
12. July 1998 - May 2001, Deputy Director, Contingency Planning and Peacekeeping, Department of State, Washington, D. C.
13. June 2001 - June 2002, Commander, 22nd Air Refueling Wing, McConnell AFB, Kan.
14. June 2002 - October 2004, Commandant, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
15. October 2004 - January 2006, Director of Logistics Readiness, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Installations and Logistics, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
16. January 2006 - February 2006, Director of Resources, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Installations and Logistics, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
17. February 2006 - July 2006, Director of Resource Integration, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Installations and Mission Support, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
18. July 2006 - January 2007, Vice Commander, Tanker Airlift Control Center, Scott AFB, Ill.
19. January 2007 - June 2008, Commander, 618th Tanker Airlift Control Center, Scott AFB, Ill.
20. June 2008 - September 2008, Commander, Detachment 5, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein AB, Germany
21. October 2008 - present, Commander, 17th Air Force and U.S. Air Forces Africa, Ramstein AB, Germany**SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS** 
1. July 1998 - May 2001, Deputy Director, Contingency Planning and Peacekeeping, Department of State, Washington, D.C., as a colonel
2. September 2006 - January 2007, Director, Deployment and Distribution Operations Center, U.S. Central Command, Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, as a brigadier general**FLIGHT INFORMATION**
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: More than 4,700
Aircraft flown: C-141A/B, C-17A , C-21A and KC-135R**MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS**
Distinguished Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters **EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION**
Second Lieutenant June 1, 1977 
First Lieutenant June 1, 1979
Captain June 1, 1981
Major July 1, 1988
Lieutenant Colonel June 1, 1993
Colonel June 1, 1998
Brigadier General Oct. 1, 2003
Major General May 2, 2007
(Current as of June 2010)