Janet Carol Wolfenbarger (née Libby; born 1958) is a retired United States Air Force four-star general who served as the eighth commander of Air Force Materiel Command from June 5, 2012, to June 8, 2015. She was the first woman to achieve the rank of four-star general in the Air Force. Wolfenbarger retired from the Air Force after over 35 years of service.
Janet Carol Wolfenbarger | |
|---|---|
 General Janet Carol Wolfenbarger | |
| Birth name | Janet Carol Libby |
| Born | 1958 (age 65–66) Tampa, Florida, U.S. |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service | United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1980–2015 |
| Rank |  General |
| Commands | Air Force Materiel Command C-17 Systems Group |
| Awards | Air Force Distinguished Service Medal (2) Legion of Merit (2) |
Military career
editWolfenbarger was born in Tampa, Florida.[1] She was commissioned in 1980 as a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, and began her career in acquisition as an engineer at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.[2] Along with her various duty assignments she furthered her education with a Master of Science degree in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1985 and another Master of Science degree in national resource strategy from Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 1994. She is also a graduate of the Air Command and Staff College. Her major awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit and the Meritorious Service Medal.[3]
Wolfenbarger was the U.S. Air Force's highest-ranking woman, a distinction held until January 1, 2010, by Lt. Gen. Terry Gabreski, whom Wolfenbarger succeeded at Wright-Patterson.[4]
On February 6, 2012, President Obama nominated Wolfenbarger to become the first woman four-star general for the Air Force.[5] This was confirmed by the US Senate on March 26, 2012,[6] and she assumed her new rank, and became Commander, Air Force Materiel Command, on June 5, 2012.[7]
Wolfenbarger graduated from Beavercreek High School in Beavercreek, Ohio, in 1976.[8] She is the daughter of Eldon and Shirley Libby of Paicines, California.[9] She is married to Craig "Wolf" Wolfenbarger.
Education
edit- 1976 Beavercreek High School, Beavercreek, Ohio
- 1980 Bachelor of Science degree in engineering sciences, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
- 1983 Squadron Officer School, by correspondence
- 1985 Master of Science degree in aeronautics and astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
- 1988 Program Management Course, Defense Systems Management College, Fort Belvoir, Va.
- 1991 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
- 1994 Master of Science degree in national resource strategy, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
Assignments
edit- July 1980 – August 1981, technical intelligence analyst, Armament Division, Eglin AFB, Fla.
- August 1981 – July 1983, communication systems development officer, Electronic Security Command, Kelly AFB, Texas
- July 1983 – December 1984, student, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.
- December 1984 – October 1987, Chief, Strategic Offense Weapons Branch, Headquarters Air Force Systems Command, Andrews AFB, Md.
- October 1987 – September 1988, executive officer, Headquarters Air Force Systems Command, Andrews AFB, Md.
- September 1988 – July 1993, Chief, Plans and Strategies Division; Chief, Air Vehicle Analysis and Integration Team; and Chief, F-22 Subsystems Team, F-22 System Program Office, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
- July 1993 – June 1994, student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
- June 1994 – June 1997, Lead F-22 Program Element Monitor, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
- June 1997 – April 2000, Chief, B-2 Air Vehicle Team, B-2 SPO, ASC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
- April 2000 – December 2002, B-2 System Program Director, B-2 SPO, ASC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
- December 2002 – July 2005, Commander, C-17 Systems Group, Mobility Systems Wing, ASC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
- August 2005 – July 2006, Director, Air Force Acquisition Center of Excellence, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
- August 2006 – January 2007, Special Assistant for Command Transformation to the Commander, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
- January 2007 – July 2008, Director, Intelligence and Requirements Directorate, and Special Assistant for Command Transformation to the Commander, Headquarters AFMC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
- July 2008 – December 2009, Director, Intelligence and Requirements Directorate, Headquarters AFMC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
- December 2009 – September 2011, Vice Commander, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
- September 2011 – June 2012, Military Deputy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
- June 2012 – June 2015, Air Force Materiel Command[7]
Awards and decorations
edit
|
Master Acquisition and Financial Management Badge |
|
Headquarters Air Force Badge |
  |
Air Force Distinguished Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster |
 |
Legion of Merit with one bronze oak leaf cluster |
 |
Meritorious Service Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters |
|
Air Force Commendation Medal |
|
Air Force Achievement Medal |
  |
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with silver and three bronze oak leaf clusters |
  |
National Defense Service Medal with bronze service star |
|
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal |
 |
Air Force Longevity Service Award with silver and three bronze oak leaf clusters |
|
Air Force Training Ribbon |
Other achievements
edit- 1996 Kelly Burke Award, Department of the Air Force
- 2002 Stewart Award, Aeronautical Systems Center
- 2004 Stewart Award, Aeronautical Systems Center
- 2013 United Service Organizations (USO) Woman of the Year
- 2014 James Doolittle Award, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Security Studies Program
- 2014 Seymour E. and Ruth B. Harris Lecturer, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
- 2015 Air Force Materiel Command Order of the Sword
- 2015 Retroactively prompted change to General Officer Promotion Laws[10]
Effective dates of promotion
edit
| Insignia | Rank | Date |
|---|---|---|
| |
General | June 5, 2012 |
 |
Lieutenant General | December 3, 2009 |
 |
Major General | June 26, 2009 |
 |
Brigadier General | February 1, 2006 |
 |
Colonel | September 1, 1998 |
 |
Lieutenant Colonel | June 1, 1993 |
 |
Major | January 1, 1990 |
 |
Captain | May 28, 1984 |
 |
First Lieutenant | May 28, 1982 |
 |
Second Lieutenant | May 28, 1980 |
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ "Air Force's first female 4-star general credits area education | www.springfieldnewssun.com". springfieldnewssun.com. Retrieved 2015-05-24.
- ^ "AF Biography: Gen. Janet C. Wolfenbarger".
- ^ "Lieutenant General Janet C. Wolfenbarger bio on the USAF official site". Archived from the original on 2012-07-22.
- ^ Female general nominated for 3rd star, Air Force Times, 2009 December 4 (accessed 2009 December 5).
- ^ "Obama nominates Air Force's first female four-star general". reuters.com. 7 February 2012. Retrieved 2015-05-24.
- ^ Nominations confirmed (non-civilian), U.S. Senate website, (accessed 2012 March 27); Malec, William A. (May 2012). "Female firsts". Military Officer. Military Officers Association of America. p. 19. Retrieved 2012-05-01.
- ^ a b Kim Dawley (June 5, 2012). "Gen. Wolfenbarger receives fourth star, assumes leadership of AFMC". Air Force Materiel Command Public Affairs. Archived from the original on February 24, 2013. Retrieved 2012-06-05.
- ^ John Nolan, AFMC’s vice commander is once again Air Force’s highest-ranking woman. Dayton Daily News, 2009 December 4 (accessed 2009 December 5).
- ^ Janet C. Wolfenbarger, Gilroy Dispatch (Gilroy, California), 2005 May 20 (accessed 2009 December 10).
- ^ "'Force of the Future': Career flexibility, fewer moves". 8 August 2017.
