Edward A. Rice, Jr.

General, U.S. Air Force

Edward A. Rice, Jr. was born in 1955.

Rice is a distinguished U.S. Air Force Academy graduate who was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force in 1978.

He previously served as Commander, U.S. Forces Japan and Fifth Air Force; Vice Commander, Pacific Air Forces; Commander, 13th Air Force; and Commander, Kenney Headquarters (P), Hickam AFB, HI, until October 2006. He served as a White House Fellow at the Department of Health and Human Services, as a professional staff member for the Commission on Roles and Missions of the Armed Forces, and as the Deputy Executive Secretary for the National Security Council.

On 17 November 2010, Rice was promoted to the four-star rank of General and assigned as the 30th Commander, Air Education and Training Command (AETC), Randolph AFB, TX. As Commander, he is responsible for the recruiting, training and education of all U.S. Airmen. His command includes the Air Force Recruiting Service, two numbered air forces and Air University. Air Education and Training Command consists of 12 bases, more than 70,600 active duty, reserve, guard, civilians and contractors, and 1,380 trainer, fighter and mobility aircraft.

General Rice is a Command Pilot and has flown over 3,900 flying hours as a pilot in the B-1B, Boeing B-52G/H, E-3, Northrop Grumman B-2, Boeing KC-135, Lockheed C-130, Cessna T-37 and Northrop T-38 aircraft.

Education

1978 Bachelor of Science degree, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO

2006 Joint Force Maritime Component Commander Course, Naval War College at Newport, RI.

Assignments

July 1978 - February 1980, distinguished graduate, undergraduate pilot training, Williams AFB, AZ.

February 1980 - January 1984, B-52G co-pilot and Aircraft Commander, 69th Bombardment Squadron, Loring AFB, ME.

January 1984 - February 1985, Air Staff Training Program Assistant Deputy Chief, Executive Services Division, Directorate of Administration, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, DC.

February 1985 - July 1988, B-52G Instructor Pilot; Chief, Standardization and Evaluation Branch; and Flight Commander, 441st Bombardment Squadron, Mather AFB, CA.

July 1988 - July 1989, student, College of Naval Command and Staff, Naval War College, Newport, RI.

July 1989 - August 1990, Programmer, Air Crew Management Branch, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington.

August 1990 - November 1991, White House Fellow, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington.

November 1991 - July 1992, Chief, Standardization and Evaluation Division, 410th Operations Group, K.I. Sawyer AFB, MI.

July 1992 - August 1993, Commander, 34th Bomb Squadron, Castle AFB, CA.

August 1993 - July 1994, National Security Fellow, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.

July 1994 - July 1995, professional staff member, Commission on Roles and Missions of the Armed Forces, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington.

July 1995 - January 1996, Deputy Commander, 509th Operations Group, Whiteman AFB, MO.

January 1996 - June 1997, Commander, 552nd Operations Group, Tinker AFB, OK.

June 1997 - June 1999, Deputy Executive Secretary, National Security Council, the White House, Washington.

June 1999 - May 2000, Deputy Director for Expeditionary Aerospace Force Implementation, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington.

May 2000 - May 2002, Commander, 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth AFB, SD.

May 2002 - January 2004, Commander, Air Force Recruiting Service, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Randolph AFB, TX.

January 2004 to December 2004, Chief of Staff for the Office of the Representative and Executive Director for the Coalition Provisional Authority, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington.

January 2005 to September 2005, Commander, 13th Air Force, Andersen AFB, Guam.

September 2005 to July 2006, Director of Air, Space and Information Operations, Plans and Requirements, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, and Commander, 13th Air Force, Hickam AFB, HI.

July 2006 to October 2006, Commander, 13th Air Force, and Commander, Kenney Headquarters (P), Hickam AFB, HI.

October 2006 to February 2008, Vice Commander, Pacific Air Forces, Hickam AFB, HI.

February 2008 - October 2010, Commander, U.S. Forces Japan, and Commander, 5th Air Force, Yokota Air Base, Japan.

November 2010 - present, Commander, Air Education and Training Command, Randolph AFB, TX.

Promotion Dates

Second Lieutenant - 31 May 1978

First Lieutenant - 31 May 1980

Captain - 31 May 1982

Major - 1 April 1986

Lieutenant Colonel - 1 April 1990

Colonel - 1 February 1994

Brigadier General - 1 February 2002

Major General - 1 August 2005

Lieutenant General - 25 February 2008

General - 17 November 2010

Medals and Awards

Air Force Distinguished Service Medal

Defense Superior Service Medal (2 Awards)

Legion of Merit (3 Awards)

Meritorious Service Medal (4 Awards)

Aerial Achievement Medal

Air Force Commendation Medal

Badges

Command Pilot Badge
Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge