Joseph W. Ashy

Preferred Name: Joe

Nickname/Call Sign: Joe

Date of Birth: October 16, 1940

Highest Military Grade Held: General, O-10

Hometown: Jasper, TX

Biography
Units - Education - Awards - Flight Info

Biography

General Joe Ashy and his wife Sue grew up in Beaumont, Texas. He graduated from Texas A & M University with a degree in mechanical engineering. After being commissioned, he attended flying school at Reese AFB, Texas followed by F-100 gunnery school at Luke AFB Arizona. His first assignment was to the 494th Tactical Fighter Squadron at RAF Lakenheath, England. He then was assigned to 3rd Tactical Wing at Bien Hoa AB, South Vietnam where he flew 289 combat missions.

Other aircraft he has flown operationally include the A-7, F-4, F-5, and F-16. He also served in various staff positions during the span of is service in the USAF. He was the operations officer of an F4 squadron in Korea, followed by command of another F4 squadron (421^st FS) in Utah. He later commanded two fighter wings (the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing “Wild Weasels” at George AFB, California, and then the 57th Fighter Weapons Wing at Nellis AFB).

Following Commands included: the USAF Fighter Weapons Center at Nellis AFB Nevada, 16th Air Force in Europe along with and a theater component command (NATO’s AIRSOUTH, where he directed operations in the Mediterranean area and air combat operations over the Balkans), and two Air Force major commands (Air Training Command and Air Force Space Command).

In his last assignment, he was “triple-hatted” as Commander-in-Chief, NORAD, Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Space Command, along with Commander, Air Force Space Command.

He is a command pilot with over 3500 hours in fighter and attack aircraft. Decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Silver Star and the Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster. He retired from the USAF in 1996.

As president of Ashy and Associates, L.L.C., he consulted for aerospace firms, was a member of boards and USAF advisory boards, and mentored a Department of Defense course for newly promoted US flag officers and senior civilians for 20 years. He and Sue now live on College Station, Texas.

Units Assigned

9/1962-10/1963 Pilot training, Reese AFB, TX
11/1963-7/1964 Fighter training, Luke AFB, AZ (F-100)
8/1964-8/1967 494th Tactical Fighter Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, England (F-100)
8/1967-8/1968 531st Tactical Fighter Squadron/3rd Tactical Fighter Wing, Weapons and Tactics Officer, Bien Hoa AB, Vietnam (F-100)
9/1968-8/1969, Air Staff training program, plans and operations, HQ USAF, Washington, DC
9/1969-6/ 1971 426th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron (IP)/310th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron (IP), Luke AFB, AZ (F-100, A-7)
6/1971-4/1972 333rd Tactical Fighter Training Squadron (IP), Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ (A-7)
4/1972-6/1975 Action officer/Chief, fighter assignments section, Air Force Military Personnel Center, Randolph AFB, TX
7/1975-7/1976 36th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Operations officer, Osan Air Base, South Korea (F-4E)
8/1976-8/1978 421st Tactical Fighter Squadron/388th Tactical Fighter Wing, Commander/Assistant Deputy Commander for Operations, Hill AFB, UT (F-4D)
8/1978-6/1979 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, AL
7/1979-8/1982, Chief, Plans and Operations/Executive Officer to the Air Force Chief of Staff, HQ, USAF, Washington, DC
8/1982-5/1984 37th Tactical Fighter Wing, Commander, George AFB, CA (F-4G)
5/1984-2/1986 57th Fighter Weapons Wing, Commander, Nellis AFB, NV (F-16)
2/1986-6/1988, Director, Joint Control Group, U.S. Atlantic Command Exercise Ocean Venture 1986/Inspector General, Chief of Staff/Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans; Headquarters Tactical Air Command, Langley AFB, VA
6/1988-7/1989, Commander, USAF Tactical Fighter Weapons Center, Nellis AFB, NV (F-16)
7/1989-6/1990, Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations; then Vice Commander, Tactical Air Command, Langley AFB, VA
6/1990-12/ 1992, Commander, Air Training Command, Randolph AFB, TX
12/1992-2/1994, Commander, Allied Air Forces Southern Europe/Deputy Commander in Chief, U.S. Air Forces in Europe for the Southern Area, Naples, Italy
2/ 1994-9/1994 Commander, Allied Air Forces Southern Europe/Commander, 16th Air Force, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Naples, Italy and Aviano AB, Italy (F-16)
9/1994-9/1996, Commander in Chief, North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Space Command, and Commander, Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, CO
Retired in 1996

Awards & Decorations

Defense Distinguished Service Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster)
Distinguished Service Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster)
Silver Star
Distinguished Flying Cross (with Oak Leaf Cluster)
Legion of Merit (with Oak Leaf Cluster)
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters)
Air Medal (with 2 Silver/2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
Air Medal
AF Commendation Medal
AF Presidential Unit Citation
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Gallant Unit Citation (with Valor Device/3 Oak Leaf Clusters)
Outstanding Unit Citation
Combat Readiness Award
AF Recognition Award
National Defense Ribbon (with Bronze Star)
Vietnam Service Award (with 3 Bronze Stars)
Korean Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal
Overseas Short Term Service Award (with Oak Leaf Cluster)
Overseas Long Term Service Award
AF Longevity Service Award (with 1 Silver/2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
Small Arms Marksmanship Award
AF Training Ribbon
Canadian Meritorious Service Cross
Vietnam Gallantry Award with Palm
NATO Award
Vietnam Campaign Award

Command Pilot Specialty Badge

Master Space Missile Badge

Master Missile Badge

Flight Info

F-100
A-7
F-4 D/E/G
F-5
F-16

Military Education

1979 Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL
1987 National Security Programs, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard Univ., MA