Brig. Gen. Durham is the Commander, Fourth Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, March Air Reserve Base, California, and commands the Reserve's long-range airlift and air-refueling units located throughout the continental U.S., Hawaii and Guam. The Fourth Air Force is dedicated to ensuring assigned units and personnel are properly organized, trained, equipped and ready to support national security requirements across the full spectrum of operations from war to contingency situations. The Fourth Air Force provides leadership, management and oversight to 18 flying wings and one regional support group, which provide strategic airlift, airdrop, aeromedical, air refueling and associated expeditionary support activities. The Fourth Air Force’s responsibilities encompass 300 units and more than 32,000 personnel.
Brig. Gen. Durham began his military career in 1990 graduating from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. During his 13 years on active duty, he served as an Air Traffic Controller, a C-130E Hercules Pilot and a C-17A Globemaster III Pilot. During his entire career, he flew numerous combat missions supporting operations in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. He was commissioned in the Air Force Reserve in May 2003.
Brig. Gen. Durham has served as an Air Reserve Technician at the unit, group, wing and command levels while continuing to operate the C-17A and C-5M aircraft. In addition to serving as the Wing Commander for Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts, he served at the Pentagon on the Chief of the Air Force Reserve and Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense staff. Prior to his current assignment, Brig. Gen. Durham served as the Deputy Commander of the Air Force Recruiting Service, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, responsible for all enlisted accessions and a variety of officer accession programs along with strategic marketing for the U.S. Air Force and Space Force.
EDUCATION
1990 Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, International Relations and Military Affairs, The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, Charleston
1994 Master of Science, Public Administration, Logistics, Georgia College, Milledgeville
1998 Squadron Officer School, Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Ala.
2004 Air Force Reserve Command Leadership Today and Tomorrow Seminar, Washington, D.C.
2004 Air Command and Staff College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2006 Air War College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2009 Joint Military Operations Course, U.S. Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
2011 Air War College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala., in residence
2011 Master of Arts, Strategic Studies, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2012 Joint Air/Space Operations Senior Staff Course, Joint Special Operations University, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2013 Safety and Accident Investigation Board President Course, Air Force Safety Center, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
2014 Middle East and South Asia Seminar, Alan L. Freed Associates, Washington, D.C.
2015 Reserve Component National Security Course, National Defense University, Washington, D.C.
2016 Director of Mobility Forces Course, Air Force Expeditionary Operations School, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2016 NATO Senior Reserve Officers Course, NATO School Oberammergau, Germany
2018 Air Force Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 1991–July 1992, Air Traffic Control Officer, 4th Operations Support Squadron, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C.
2. July 1992–March 1994, Deputy Chief, Air Traffic Control, 653rd Air Base Wing, Robins AFB, Ga.
3. March 1994–September 1994, Student Pilot, 37th Flying Training Squadron, Columbus AFB, Miss.
4. September 1994–May 1995, Student Pilot, VT 31, Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas
5. May 1995–May 1997, C-130E Pilot, 2nd Airlift Squadron, Pope AFB, N.C.
6. May 1997–May 1998, Chief, Operations Resource Management, C-130E Pilot, 2nd AS, Pope AFB, N.C.
7. May 1998–May 1999, C-17A Pilot and Chief Squadron Tactics, 17th AS, Charleston AFB, S.C.
8. May 1999–February 2001, C-17A Instructor Pilot and Deputy Flight Commander, Wing Weapons and Tactics, 437th OSS, Charleston AFB, S.C.
9. February 2001–February 2002, C-17A Evaluator and Assistant Chief Squadron Standardization and Evaluation, 17th AS, Charleston AFB, S.C.
10. February 2002–February 2003, C-17A Chief, Special Operations Low-level Training and Current Operations, 437th Operations Support Squadron, Charleston AFB, S.C.
11. February 2003–February 2006, Air Force Reserve Command C-17 Evaluator Pilot, Robins AFB, Ga.
12. February 2006–August 2011, Director of Operations, 701st AS Charleston AFB, S.C.
13. August 2011–June 2013, Commander, 512th Operations Group, Dover AFB, Del.
14. June 2013–July 2014, Executive Officer to the Chief of Air Force Reserve and Executive Officer to the Commander Air Force Reserve Command, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
15. July 2014–August 2015, Deputy Director for Mobilization, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
16. August 2015–June 2017, Commander, 512th Airlift Wing, Dover AFB, Del.
17. June 2017–April 2019, Commander, 439th AW, Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass. (February-June 2018, Director of Mobility Forces, Central Command, Al-Udeid Air Base, Qatar)
18. April 2019–June 2020, Deputy Commander, Air Force Recruiting Service, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas
19. June 2020–August 2022, Director of Air, Space, and Information Operations, Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command, Robins AFB, Ga.
20. September 2022- Present, Commander, Fourth Air Force, March Air Reserve Base, Calif.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: 5,150
Combat Hours: 332
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-44, C-130E, C-17A and C-5M
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit with three oak leaf clusters
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Combat Action Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with four oak leaf clusters and “V” device
Combat Readiness Medal with silver and bronze oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with service star
Kosovo Campaign Medal with service star
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal with service star
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with gold border
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with two "M" devices
NATO Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 12, 1990
First Lieutenant Nov. 13, 1992
Captain Nov. 13, 1994
Major Dec. 1, 2001
Lieutenant Colonel Aug. 2, 2007
Colonel Feb. 17, 2012
Brigadier General Dec. 12, 2018
(Current as of September 2022)