Department of the United States Air Force LogoBiography
                  United States Air ForceThis is the official portrait of Gen. James M. "Mike" Holmes.Second Lieutenant                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                August 28, 1981Second LieutenantFirst Lieutenant                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 August 28, 1983First LieutenantCaptain                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          August 28, 1985CaptainMajor                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            May 01, 1993MajorLieutenant Colonel                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               January 01, 1998Lieutenant ColonelColonel                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          July 01, 2002ColonelBrigadier General                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                May 02, 2008Brigadier GeneralMajor General                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    January 28, 2011Major GeneralLieutenant General                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               August 02, 2013Lieutenant GeneralGeneral                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          March 10, 2017General
            General JAMES M. HOLMESGen. James M. "Mike" Holmes is the Commander, Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. As the commander, he is responsible for organizing, training, equipping and maintaining combat-ready air, space, cyber and intelligence forces for rapid deployment and employment while ensuring strategic air defense forces are ready to meet the challenges of peacetime air sovereignty and wartime defense. The command operates more than 1,000 aircraft, 35 wings, 11 bases, and 1,348 units at more than 300 operating locations worldwide with 159,000 Total Force military and civilian personnel. As the Combat Air Forces lead agent, ACC develops strategy, doctrine, concepts, tactics and procedures for air-, space-, and cyber-power employment. The command provides conventional and information warfare forces to all unified commands to ensure air, space, cyber, and information superiority for warfighters and national decision-makers. The command can also be called upon to assist national agencies with intelligence, surveillance and crisis response capabilities.
Gen. Holmes entered the Air Force through Officer Training School in 1981 after receiving a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Tennessee. He has commanded the 27th Fighter Squadron, the 14th Operations Group, the 4th Fighter Wing and the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing. He has served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and on headquarters staff(s) of the United States Air Force, U.S. European Command and Pacific Air Forces. Prior to his current position, he served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Virginia.
He is a command pilot with more than 4,000 hours, including more than 530 combat hours in the F-15A/B/C/D/E, and has also flown the T/AT-38, T-37 and T-1A.EDUCATION
1981 Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
1986 F-15 Fighter Weapons Instructor Course, U.S. Air Force Fighter Weapons School, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.
1987 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1993 Air Command and Staff College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1993 Master of Arts, History, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
1994 Master of Airpower Arts and Sciences, School of Advanced Airpower Studies, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1995 Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
2000 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2001 Master of National Defense Studies, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
2006 National Defense Studies Fellow, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y.
2007 Joint Force Air Component Commander Course, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2010 Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century (AFSO21) Executive Leadership Course, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
2011 Coalition Force Maritime Component Commander Course, Naval War College, Bahrain
2013 Joint Flag Officer Warfighting Course, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2018 Leadership at the Peak, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo.ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 1981–August 1982, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.
2. September 1982–November 1982, Student, Fighter Lead-In Training, Holloman AFB, N.M.
3. November 1982–April 1983, Student, F-15 Conversion Training, Luke AFB, Ariz.
4. May 1983–December 1985, F-15 Instructor Pilot and Assistant Squadron and Wing Weapons Officer, 71st Tactical Fighter Squadron, Langley AFB, Va.
5. January 1986–May 1986, Student, U.S. Air Force F-15 Fighter Weapons Instructor Course, Nellis AFB, Nev.
6. May 1986–May 1989, F-15 Chief of Weapons and Tactics, 44th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Japan
7. May 1989–June 1992, F-15 Chief of Weapons and Tactics, Assistant Chief of Wing Weapons and Tactics, Flight Commander and Assistant Operations Officer, 7th Tactical Fighter Squadron and 9th Fighter Squadron, Holloman AFB, N.M.
8. July 1992–June 1993, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
9. July 1993–June 1994, Student, School for Advanced Airpower Studies, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
10. July 1994–October 1996, Air Operations Officer and Crisis Action Planner, Operations Directorate, Headquarters U.S. European Command, Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany
11. October 1996–December 1997, Assistant Operations Officer, 27th Fighter Squadron, Langley AFB, Va.
12. January 1998–May 1999, Operations Officer, 71st Fighter Squadron, Langley AFB, Va.
13. May 1999–July 2000, Commander, 27th Fighter Squadron, Langley AFB, Va.
14. July 2000–July 2001, Student, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
15. July 2001–August 2002, Chief, Strategy, Concepts and Doctrine Division, Directorate of Operational Plans and Joint Matters, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
16. August 2002–July 2004, Commander, 14th Operations Group, Columbus AFB, Miss.
17. August 2004–September 2006, Commander, 4th Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
18. September 2006–June 2007, Chief, Checkmate, Directorate of Operational Plans and Joint Matters, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
19. July 2007–December 2007, Director of Strategic Plans, Programs and International Affairs, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
20. December 2007–March 2008, Special Assistant to the Director of Operational Planning, Policy and Strategy, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
21. March 2008–April 2009, Commander, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing, Bagram AB, Afghanistan
22. April 2009–July 2009, Special Assistant to the Assistant Vice Chief of Staff, and Director, Air Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
23. July 2009–August 2011, Principal Director for Middle East Policy, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
24. August 2011–January 2012, Director, Strategic Planning, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
25. January 2012–July 2013, Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
26. August 2013–July 2014, Vice Commander, Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas
27. August 2014–March 2017, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
28. March 2017–August 2020, Commander, Air Combat Command, JB Langley-Eustis, Va.SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1994–October 1996, Air Operations Officer and Crisis Action Planner, Operations Directorate, Headquarters U.S. European Command, Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany, as a major
2. March 2008–April 2009, Commander, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing and Senior Airfield Authority, Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, as a brigadier general
3. July 2009–August 2011, Principal Director for Middle East Policy, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a brigadier generalFLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 4,000, including more than 530 combat hours
Aircraft flown: F-15A/B/C/D/E, T/AT-38, T-37 and T-1AMAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Army Commendation MedalPUBLICATIONS
1994 The Counterair Companion, A Short Guide to Air Superiority for Joint Force Commanders, School of Advanced Airpower Studies, Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2018 Multidomain Battle: Converging Concepts Toward a Joint Solution, Joint Force Quarterly 88EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Aug. 28, 1981
First Lieutenant Aug. 28, 1983
Captain Aug. 28, 1985
Major May 1, 1993
Lieutenant Colonel Jan. 1, 1998
Colonel July 1, 2002
Brigadier General May 2, 2008
Major General Jan. 28, 2011
Lieutenant General Aug. 2, 2013
General March 10, 2017
(Current as of August 2020)Department of the Air Force Logo