Brig. Gen. Mark D. Richey is the Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, Eighth Air Force, and Commander, Joint-Global Strike Operations Center, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. "The Mighty Eighth" is responsible for the service’s bomber force and airborne nuclear command and control assets, encompassing approximately 24,000 Airmen across six installations, and operating more than 150 E-4, B-1, B-2, B-52 aircraft.
Brig. Gen. Richey graduated magna cum laude from Saint Mary's College of California and was the honor graduate of his class at the United States Air Force Officer Training School. A distinguished graduate of Undergraduate Pilot Training, Brig. Gen. Richey is a command pilot with more than 4,500 flying hours and 675 combat sorties.
Prior to assuming his current position, Brig. Gen. Richey served as Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, 20th Air Force, F.E. Warren AFB, Cheyenne, Wyoming. He has served on ten contingency/combat deployments supporting operations Northern Watch, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom on active duty special operations and in the Guard and Reserves.
EDUCATION
1995 Bachelor of Science, Business Administration, St. Mary's College of California, Moraga, Calif.
1997 U.S. Air Force Officer Training School, Honor Graduate, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1998 Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Distinguished Graduate, Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas
2004 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2010 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2013 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2015 Master of Business Administration, Colorado State University, Fort Collins
2016 Joint Reserve Component National Security Course, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2017 Joint and Combined Warfighting School, Joint Forces Staff College, National Defense University, Norfolk, Va., by hybrid, correspondence and seminar
2018 Director of Mobility Forces Course, Air Force Expeditionary Center, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2019 Air Force Senior Leader Nuclear Management Course, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
2020 Advanced Concepts and Skills for Requirements Management, Defense Acquisition University, Fort Belvoir, Va.
2020 NATO Senior Officer Policy Course, Oberammergau, Germany
2021 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Kenan-Flagler Business School-UNC, Chapel Hill, N.C.
2021 Leading Strategically, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 1997–November 1998, Student, Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin Air Force Base and Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas
2. January 1999–October 1999, MC-130P Initial Mission Qualification, Little Rock AFB, Ark. and Kirtland AFB, N.M.
3. October 1999–October 2002, MC-130P Aircraft Commander, Plans Officer, 17th Special Operations Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan
4. October 2002–May 2006, MC-130P Evaluator Pilot, Commander - Standardization/Evaluation Flight & Chief Executive Officer, 9th Special Operations Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla.
5. June 2006–May 2007, MC-130P Instructor Pilot, 5th Special Operations Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla.
6. June 2007–June 2012, C-130J/C-27J Instructor and Cadre Pilot, Flight Commander, 135th Airlift Squadron, Warfield Air National Guard Base, Md.
7. June 2012–July 2015, Chief Pilot/Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems Pilot C-130H, 731st Airlift Squadron, Peterson AFB, Colo.
8. August 2015–April 2017, Commander, 302nd Operational Support Squadron, Peterson AFB, Colo.
9. January 2017–September 2018, Individual Mobilization Augmentee to the Director of Operations, North American Defense Command, and Command Center Director, NORAD & U.S. Northern Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
10. July 2018–July 2019, Vice Wing Commander, 916th Air Refueling Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
11. July 2019–May 2020, IMA - Mobility, Special Ops and Rotary Lift Requirements Division, Headquarters Air Force/ A5, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
12. May 2020–December 2021, Vice Commander, 4th Air Force, March Air Reserve Base, Calif.
13. December 2021–December 2023, Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, 20th Air Force, Francis E. Warren AFB, Wyo.
14. December 2023–present, Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, 8th Air Force, Barksdale AFB, La.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 2017–September 2018, Individual Mobilization Augmentee to the Director of Operations, NORAD, and Command Center Director - NORAD and U.S. Northern Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., as a colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 4,500 hours, 675 combat sorties
Aircraft flown: MC-130P, C-130J, C-27J, C-130E/H, KC-135R, HC-130, T-44 and T-37
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with one silver and one bronze oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Army Commendation Medal
Combat Action Medal
Gallant Unit Citation
Meritorious Unit Award with one oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award with "Valor Device" and two oak leaf clusters
(Current as of February 2024)