Leadership Lessons from a Two-Star General

Major General Richard J. Evans III  J10 Director, Reserve Directorate and Mobilization Assistant to the Commander 

Major General Richard J. Evans III is the Director of Reserve Forces and Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, United States Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. He serves as the principal advisor to the Commander on reserve component matters related to the command's diverse missions, including strategic deterrence and assurance, space and cyberspace operations, full-spectrum global strike, integrated missile defense, joint electromagnetic spectrum operations and joint warfare analysis.

General Evans received his commission in 1984 as a distinguished graduate of the Air National Guard Academy of Military Science. He has commanded at the detachment, squadron, group and wing levels. His operational flying assignments include instructor and functional check flight Weapon Systems Officer in the RF-4; and instructor and evaluator Navigator in the KC-135. His staff assignments include wing-level operations, plans, tactics and personnel assignments; Special Assistant to the Director, Air National Guard for the Quadrennial Defense Review 2010; Acting Director for Space and Information Superiority at the National Guard Bureau; and National Reconnaissance Office Liaison Officer to U.S. Strategic Command. He also served as Chair of the Air National Guard's KC-135 and Space, ISR and Cyber Weapon System Councils and was member of the Air Directorate Field Advisory Council from 2004-2012.

General Evans has commanded expeditionary forces and flown combat missions in the KC-135 supporting Operations Uphold Democracy, Decisive Endeavor, Deliberate Guard, Deliberate Forge, Allied Force, Southern Watch, Northern Watch, Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. He also served as Director of Mobility Forces for NATO Operation Unified Protector. He is a graduate of the USAF Fighter Weapons School and master navigator with over 3,800 flying hours, including 153 combat/combat support hours.

EDUCATION 1984 University of Nebraska-Omaha, Bachelor of Science, Business Administration,
Omaha, Nebraska 1988 United States Air Force Fighter Weapons School, Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho 1989 Squadron Officer School, by correspondence 1999 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence 2003 Air War College, by correspondence 2010 U.S. Northern Command, Joint Task Force Commander Training Course, Peterson AFB, Colorado 2011 Joint Forces Staff College, Advanced Joint Professional Military Education, Norfolk, Virginia 2014 Capstone General and Flag Officer Course, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. 2016 Senior Executives in National and International Security Course, Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, Massachusetts

FLIGHT INFORMATION Rating: Master navigator Flight hours: More than 3,800 Aircraft flown: E-6B, E-4B, KC-135R, RF-4C, RC-135V/W, T-37B, T-43A and F/A-18B

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit with one oak leaf cluster Defense Meritorious Service Medal Meritorious Service Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters Air Medal Aerial Achievement Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters Air Force Commendation Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters Air Force Achievement Medal with four bronze oak leaf clusters Combat Readiness Medal with two silver oak leaf clusters Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS 1984 Distinguished Graduate, ANG Academy of Military Science 1985 Distinguished Graduate and recipient of the ATC Commander's and Ira Husik
Memorial Trophies, USAF Undergraduate Navigator Training 1985 Distinguished Graduate and recipient of the Top Gun Award, USAF Tactical Navigation Training 1993 Distinguished Graduate, KC-135R combat crew training; member of first all Distinguished Graduate Crew 1994 Distinguished Graduate, KC-135R central flight instructor course

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION Second Lieutenant October 18, 1984 First Lieutenant October 20, 1986 Captain November 1, 1989 Major January 15, 1995 Lieutenant Colonel March 19, 2000 Colonel July 22, 2004 Brigadier General June 3, 2012 Major General April 30, 2015

(Current as of July 19, 2017)