Maj. Gen. Russell L. Mack is the Deputy Commander, Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, and the Deputy Theater Air Component Commander to the Commander, U.S. Pacific Command. PACAF is responsible for the Air Force activities spread over half the globe. The command supports 46,000 Airmen serving principally in Japan, Korea, Hawaii, Alaska and Guam.
A graduate of the University of New Hampshire in Durham, General Mack received his commission through the Officer Training School program in 1988. During his career, General Mack has served as F-15E electronic warfare officer, A/OA-10A/C replacement training unit instructor pilot, U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds right wingman pilot and Commander of the 71st Flying Training Wing. He served as Vice Commander of the 52nd Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing while deployed to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan and 7th Air Force, South Korea.
General Mack has staff experience as Military Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense, and as Director, Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Staff of the Air Force Executive Action Group, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. General Mack also completed a National Defense Fellowship at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Prior to being assigned to his current assignment, General Mack served as the Director of Plans, Programs and Requirements, Headquarters Air Combat Command. He is a command pilot with more than 3,600 flying hours in the A/OA-10A/C, F-15E, F-16C/D, T-38A/C and T-37, and has combat tours in operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Southern Watch and Enduring Freedom.
EDUCATION
1984 Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering, University of New Hampshire, Durham
1994 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1996 Master's Degree in Public Administration, Troy State University, Montgomery, Ala.
2000 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2004 Air War College, by correspondence
2008 Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
2009 Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, N.C.
2010 National Defense Fellow, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University,
Cambridge, Mass.
2010 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Darden School of Business, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
2013 Joint Force Air Component Commander Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2014 Combined Force Maritime Component Commander (CFMCC) Course, Headquarters U.S. Southern Command, Miami
2017 Joint Force Maritime Component Commander (JFMCC) Course, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. April 1988 – May 1989, Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training, Mather AFB, Calif.
2. June 1989 – April 1990, F-15E RTU Training, Luke AFB, Ariz.
3. May 1990 – October 1991, F-15E Electronic Warfare Officer, 336th Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
4. November 1991 – December 1992, Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training, Sheppard AFB, Texas
5. January 1993 – August 1993, A/OA-10 FTU Training, 358th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
6. September 1993 – August 1996, A/OA-10 Instructor Pilot/Flight Commander, 55th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Shaw AFB, S.C.
7. September 1996 – September 1997, Chief, A/OA-10A Standardization-Evaluation Division, 51st Operations Group, Osan AB, South Korea
8. October 1997 – September 1998, A/OA-10A RTU Instructor Pilot, 357th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
9. October 1998 - July 1999, Thunderbird Right Wing Pilot; Chief 57th Wing Commander’s Action Group, Nellis AFB, Nev.
10. August 1999 – August 2002, Assistant Operations Officer, 90th Flying Training Squadron, Sheppard AFB, Texas
11. September 2002 – April 2003, Chief, Wing Safety, 47th Flying Training Wing, Laughlin AFB, Texas
12. May 2003 – July 2004, Operations Officer, 87th Flying Training Squadron, Laughlin AFB, Texas
13. August 2004 – February 2006, Commander, 87th Flying Training Squadron, Laughlin AFB, Texas
14. January 2006 – February 2006, Deputy Operations Group Commander, 47th Operations Group, Laughlin AFB, Texas
15. February 2006 – July 2008, Military Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
16. July 2008 – June 2009, Vice Commander, 52nd Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem AB, Germany
17. December 2008 – May 2009, Vice Commander, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan
18. July 2009 – May 2010, National Defense Fellow, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
19. May 2010 – June 2012, Commander, 71st Flying Training Wing, Vance AFB, Okla.
20. July 2012 – July 2013, Director, SECAF-CSAF Executive Action Group, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
21. August 2013 – May 2015, Vice Commander, 7th Air Force, Air Forces Korea, and Chief of Staff, Air Component Command, Osan AB, South Korea
22. June 2015 – May 2016, Inspector General, Headquarters Air Combat Command, JB Langley-Eustis, Va.
23. May 2016 – June 2017, Director, Plans, Programs, and Requirements, Headquarters Air Combat Command, JB Langley-Eustis, Va.
24. June 2017 – present, Deputy Commander, Pacific Air Forces, JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
February 2006 – July 2008, Military Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a lieutenant colonel and colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 3,600 hours, with over 400 combat hours in ODS/OSW/OEF
Aircraft flown: A/OA-10, F-15E, F-16C/D, T-38A/C, T-37
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit Medal with oak leaf cluster
Distinguished Flying Cross
Bronze Star
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with two silver oak leaf clusters
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant April 13, 1988
First Lieutenant April 13, 1990
Captain April 13, 1992
Major July 1, 1999
Lieutenant Colonel March 1, 2003
Colonel Sept.1, 2007
Brigadier General Sept. 13, 2013
Major General July 4, 2017
(Current as of August 2017)