Maj. Gen. William G. Holt II is the Commander, Curtis E. LeMay Center for Doctrine Development and Education, and Vice Commander, Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. The Center advances warfighting through doctrine, education and simulation, while Air University serves as the intellectual and leadership-development center of the Air Force.
Maj. Gen. Holt commissioned through the Air Force ROTC program at New Mexico State University. He has spent the majority of his career in special operations aviation assignments and led combat missions in Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia and the Horn of Africa. He has commanded the 319th Special Operations Squadron, the Combined Joint Special Operations Air Component-Central (1 ESOW), the 352nd Special Operations Wing, the Joint Special Operations Air Component-Europe and the NATO Special Operations Aviation Component. His staff assignments include duty at Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command and Headquarters U.S. Space Command. His previous assignment was as the Director of Operations, Training and Force Development (J3/7), Headquarters U.S. Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado.
EDUCATION
1990 Bachelor of Business Administration in Production and Operations Management, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces
1998 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2006 Master of Air and Space Power Employment, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2007 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2011 Master of National Security and Strategic Studies, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
2015 Enterprise Leadership Course, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
2017 Capstone General and Flag Officer Course, National Defense University, Washington, D.C.
2017 Combined Joint Special Operations Component Commander Course, MacDill AFB, Fla.
2020 Advanced Senior Leader Development Seminar, Warrenton, Va.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 1991–June 1994, Personnel Officer and Group Executive Officer, 319th Support Group, Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D.
2. June 1994–December 1994, Squadron Section Commander, 28th Security Police Squadron, Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota
3. December 1994–February 1996, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, 8th Flying Training Squadron, Vance AFB, Okla., and Training Squadron 31, Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, Texas
4. February 1996–May 2004, AC-130U Evaluator Pilot, Flight Commander, and Assistant Operations Officer, 4th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
5. May 2004–July 2005, T-44 Instructor Pilot and International Student Military Liaison, Training Squadron 31, Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, Texas
6. July 2005–June 2006, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
7. June 2006–December 2006, Chief, Weapons and Tactics Branch, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
8. January 2007–October 2007, Chief of Wing Safety, 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
9. October 2007–July 2008, Operations Officer, 19th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
10. July 2008–July 2010, Commander, 319th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
11. July 2010–September 2011, Student, then Special Operations Forces Chair Assistant, Naval War College, College of Naval Warfare, Newport, R.I.
12. September 2011–September 2012, Commander, 1st Expeditionary Special Operations Wing and Combined Joint Special Operations Air Component-Central, Special Operations Command Central, Southwest Asia
13. September 2012–June 2014, Vice Commander, 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
14. June 2014–July 2016, Commander, 352nd Special Operations Wing, Joint Special Operations Air Component-Europe, and NATO Special Operations Aviation Component, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom
15. July 2016–July 2018, Director of Operations, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
16. August 2018–August 2019, Special Assistant to the Commander, AFSOC, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
17. August 2019–November 2020, Director Joint Space Operations Development Directorate, United States Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
18. November 2020–May 2021, Director Operations, Training and Force Development, U.S. Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
19. May 2021–present, Commander, LeMay Center for Doctrine Development and Education and Vice Commander, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 2011–September 2012, Commander, Combined Joint Special Operations Air Component, Special Operations Command Central, Southwest Asia, as a colonel
2. June 2014–July 2016, Commander, Joint Special Operations Air Component-Europe, Special Operations Command Europe, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom, as a colonel
3. August 2019–November 2020, Director Joint Space Operations Development Directorate, United States Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., as a major general
4. November 2020–May 2021, Director Operations, Training and Force Development, U.S. Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo., as a major general
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight Hours: 4,250 including 707 combat hours
Aircraft Flown: AC-130U, U-28A, MC-130J and others
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Distinguished Flying Cross with “V” device
Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with silver oak leaf cluster
Combat Action Medal
Gallant Unit Citation
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Jan. 3, 1991
First Lieutenant Jan. 3, 1993
Captain Jan. 3, 1995
Major Feb. 1, 2002
Lieutenant Colonel Dec. 1. 2006
Colonel Sept. 1, 2011
Brigadier General Nov. 3, 2016
Major General May 23, 2020
(Current as of May 2021)