Major General Eric W. Vollmecke is a retired United States Air Force general. He was the Air National Guard Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, United States Air Forces in Europe/Air Forces Africa and was formerly the Assistant Adjutant General - Air in the West Virginia National Guard.

Major General

Eric W. Vollmecke
Major General Eric W. Vollmecke
AllegianceUnited States United States
Service/branch United States Air Force
Years of service1982 - 2017 (42 years)
Rank Major General
AwardsSee below

Military career edit

Vollmecke entered the Air Force as a communications officer where he later served at Headquarters, United States Air Force Staff leading system development initiatives on the Worldwide Military Command and Control System. He has maintained his communications background through his civilian occupation.

In 1987, he joined the West Virginia Air National Guard and was selected to attend pilot training. Since then, he has risen from C-130 mission pilot through flight commander, squadron commander, director of operations and wing commander to his present position, while also balancing a corporate career. During his tenure as wing commander, he oversaw an enormous program to transform the base and transition its personnel from the tactical to the strategic airlift mission. Highlights of his career include a reserve officer exchange tour, during which he flew operational missions with the Royal Air Force in Africa. General Vollmecke has flown combat missions in Panama, Desert Shield/Storm, Bosnia, Kosovo, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. After 11 September 2001, he led the 167th Airlift Wing[1] on two deployments supporting combat operations for Operation Enduring Freedom. During initial stages of Operation Iraqi Freedom, he served as Chief of Staff for the Director of Mobility Forces for United States Central Command in the Combined Air Operations Center. In 2005, he was selected to command the 451st Air Expeditionary Group at Kandahar Airbase, Afghanistan.

In September 2017, he retired from the Air Force.[2]

Civilian occupation and professional affiliations edit

General Vollmecke serves as the Managing Director for North American Operations for a medical device manufacturer. He is responsible for building the company's partnerships and alliances for new joint ventures throughout the world. Additionally, he leads the company's global research and product development strategy working closely with the company's major manufacturing facilities in Germany and China.

Professional affiliations include membership in the National Guard Association of West Virginia, the National Guard Association of the United States and the Association of Information Technology Professionals.

Personal life edit

General Vollmecke's younger brother, Kirk Vollmecke, is a Major General in the US Army.[2]

Education edit

1982 The Citadel, Bachelor of Arts, Mathematics, Charleston, South Carolina
1988 George Washington University, Master of Business Administration, Washington, D.C.
2000 Air War College, by correspondence
2010 George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, Senior Executive Seminar, Garmisch, Germany
2011 CAPSTONE General and Flag Officer Course, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.

Assignments edit

  1. Nov 1982 – Apr 1983, Student, Computer Systems Development Training, Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi
  2. Apr 1983 – Apr 1984, Computer Systems Planning Officer, Air Force Data Services Center, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
  3. Apr 1984 – Oct 1984, Computer Systems Planning Officer, 1st Information Systems Group, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
  4. Oct 1984 – Apr 1985, Command and Control Programming Resources Officer, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
  5. Apr 1985 – Aug 1987, Programs and Resources Officer, Headquarters, United States Air Force, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
  6. Aug 1987 – Nov 1988, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Reese Air Force Base, Texas
  7. Nov 1988 – Nov 1992, Co-Pilot, C-130, 167th Tactical Airlift Squadron, Martinsburg, West Virginia
  8. Nov 1992 – Nov 1993, Assistant Flight Commander, C-130, 167th Airlift Squadron, Martinsburg, West Virginia
  9. Nov 1994 – Nov 1998, Pilot, C-130, 167th Airlift Squadron, Martinsburg, West Virginia
  10. Nov 1998 – Oct 2002, Commander, 167th Airlift Squadron, Martinsburg, West Virginia
  11. Oct 2002 – Jan 2004, Air Operations Staff Director, Headquarters, West Virginia Air National Guard, Charleston, West Virginia
  12. Jan 2004 – Jan 2005, Commander, 167th Airlift Wing, Martinsburg, West Virginia
  13. Oct 2007 – Oct 2011, Chief of Staff, Headquarters, West Virginia Air National Guard, Charleston, West Virginia
  14. Aug 2009 – Jul 2012, (A5), Assistant to the Director, Air National Guard, Arlington, Virginia
  15. Oct 2011 – Aug 2012, Assistant Adjutant General-Air, West Virginia National Guard, Charleston, West Virginia
  16. Sep 2012 – Sep 2017, Air National Guard Assistant to the Commander, United States Air Forces in Europe/Air Forces Africa, Ramstein Air Force Base, Germany[3]
  17. Sep 2017 - Retired from USAF & WV ANG.

Flight information edit

Awards and decorations edit

  US Air Force Command Pilot Badge
Personal decorations
  Legion of Merit
  Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster
  Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters
  Air Force Achievement Medal
Unit awards
  Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor device and three bronze oak leaf clusters
  Air Force Organizational Excellence Award
Service awards
Combat Readiness Medal with silver and two bronze oak leaf clusters
Campaign and service medals
National Defense Service Medal with bronze service star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with two bronze service stars
Southwest Asia Service Medal (with one oak leaf cluster)
Kosovo Campaign Medal with bronze service star
  Afghanistan Campaign Medal
  Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
  Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster
  Humanitarian Service Medal
Service, training, and marksmanship awards
Air Force Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon with bronze oak leaf cluster
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with gold frame and two bronze oak leaf clusters
Air Force Longevity Service Award with four bronze oak leaf clusters
  Armed Forces Reserve Medal with silver Hourglass device, Mobilization device and Award numeral 5
  Small Arms Expert Marksman Ribbon
  Air Force Training Ribbon
Foreign awards
  NATO Medal
National Guard awards
  West Virginia Commendation Medal
West Virginia Emergency Service Ribbon with two bronze oak leaf clusters
West Virginia Service Ribbon with two bronze oak leaf clusters
West Virginia Distinguished Unit Award with gold frame and bronze oak leaf cluster

Effective dates of promotion edit

Promotions
Insignia Rank Date
  Major General September 1, 2012
  Brigadier General March 25, 2008
  Colonel July 18, 2003
  Lieutenant Colonel August 22, 1997
  Major October 7, 1992
  Captain August 22, 1986
  First Lieutenant August 22, 1984
  Second Lieutenant August 12, 1982

References edit

  1. ^ "Former 167th Commander Promoted to Brigadier General". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2014-05-09.
  2. ^ a b "Army 2-star bids farewell to Air Force 2-star brother". www.army.mil. Retrieved 2018-04-07.
  3. ^ "Major General Eric W. Vollmecke". National Guard Bureau. Retrieved January 15, 2016.

Brigadier General Eric W. Vollmecke, Official Biography[permanent dead link]