Kevin Bruce Schneider is a

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

in the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

who serves as

Director of Staff of the United States Air Force The Assistant Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force was a position in the United States Air Force held by a Lieutenant general (United States), lieutenant general who also served as the director of the Air Staff (United States), Air St ...

since September 8, 2021. He previously served as the commander of the

United States Forces Japan is a subordinate unified command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). It was activated at Fuchū Air Station in Tokyo, Japan, on 1 July 1957 to replace the Far East Command. USFJ is commanded by the Commander, US Forces ...

and the

Fifth Air Force The Fifth Air Force (5 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It is the U.S. Air Force's oldest continuously serving Numbered Air Force. The organiza ...

Yokota Air Base , is a Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) and United States Air Force (USAF) base in the Tama Area, or Western Tokyo. It occupies portions of Akishima, Fussa, Hamura, Mizuho, Musashimurayama, and Tachikawa. The base houses 14,000 personnel ...

Air Force career

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and USFJ Commander Lt

Kevin Schneider was raised in

Springfield, Virginia Springfield is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The Springfield CDP is recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau with a population of 30,484 as of the 2010 census. Homes and businesses in bordering CDPs includ ...

, and graduated from the

United States Air Force Academy The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) is a United States service academy in El Paso County, Colorado, immediately north of Colorado Springs. It educates cadets for service in the officer corps of the United States Air Force and Uni ...

in 1988 with a degree in engineering science. He attended Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot training at

Sheppard Air Force Base Sheppard Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located north of the central business district of Wichita Falls, Texas, Wichita Falls, in Wichita County, Texas, United States. It is the largest training base and most divers ...

Wichita Falls, Texas Wichita Falls ( ) is a city in and the seat of government of Wichita County, Texas, United States. It is the principal city of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay, and Wichita counties. Accordin ...

, and graduated in 1999. He attended

F-16 Fighting Falcon The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful ...

training at

MacDill Air Force Base MacDill Air Force Base (MacDill AFB) is an active United States Air Force installation located 4 miles (6.4 km) south-southwest of downtown Tampa, Florida. The "host wing" for MacDill AFB is the 6th Air Refueling Wing (6 ARW), assig ...

, and was stationed at

Osan Air Base Hanja:) , partof = , location = , nearest_town = Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province , country = South Korea , image = Osan Air Base 51 FW F-16 A-10 Flyby.jpg , alt = US Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon and A-1 ...

and Misawa Air Base. In 1996, he graduated from the USAF Weapons School. He was then stationed at Shaw Air Force Base and as a Weapons School instructor at Nellis Air Force Base. He served as the aide-de-camp for then- Chief of Staff of the Air Force General

Michael E. Ryan Michael Edward Ryan (born December 24, 1941) is a retired United States Air Force General (United States), general and was the 16th Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force from October 1997 to September 2001. He served as the senior uniforme ...

. He served as chief of the

52nd Fighter Wing The 52nd Fighter Wing (52 FW) is a wing of the United States Air Force stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. It flies the F-16CJ fighter aircraft. It was activated in 1948, but derives significant elements of its history from the predeces ...

Weapons and Tactics at

Spangdahlem Air Base Spangdahlem Air Base (IATA: SPM, ICAO: ETAD, former code EDAD) is a NATO air base with the USAF as a tenant constructed between 1951 and 1953 and located near the small German town of Spangdahlem, approximately 30 km NNE of the city of Trier ...

, and commanded the 80th Fighter Squadron at Kunsan Air Base. He attended the Marine Corps War College, and served as the deputy commander of the

56th Operations Group The 56th Operations Group is a unit of the United States Air Force, and the flying component of the 56th Fighter Wing. The group is the direct descendant of the World War II 56th Fighter Group of the United States Army Air Forces. The 56th ...

and as vice commander of the

388th Fighter Wing The 388th Fighter Wing (388FW) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command Fifteenth Air Force. The unit is stationed at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Units 388th Operations Group (388 OG) * 4th Fighter Squadron (4 FS) : ...

. He commanded the

80th Flying Training Wing The 80th Flying Training Wing is a wing (air force unit), wing of the United States Air Force based out of Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas, Wichita Falls, Texas. The 80th FTW is home of the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training (EN ...

at Sheppard Air Force Base, and the

380th Air Expeditionary Wing The 380th Air Expeditionary Wing (380 AEW) is a provisional unit of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is attached to the United States Air Forces Central Command component of ACC and is stationed at Al Dhafra Air Base, Unit ...

at Al Dhafra Air Base. He then served as the chief of staff of the Pacific Air Forces and Indo-Pacific Command Headquarters in Hawaii. In February 2019, he assumed command of

and

In July 2021, he was nominated and confirmed to succeed Timothy Fay as

. He assumed the position on September 8, 2021.

Awards and decorations

Effective dates of promotions

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schneider, Kevin Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Marine Corps War College alumni People from Springfield, Virginia United States Air Force Academy alumni United States Air Force generals Recipients of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal Recipients of the Legion of Merit