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Paul Selva
General Paul J. Selva, USAF (VJCS)
Birth name Paul Joseph Selva
Born September 27, 1958(1958-09-27) (age 66)
Place of birth Biloxi, Mississippi, U.S.
Allegiance United States
Service/branch Military service mark of the United States Air Force United States Air Force
Years of service 1980–present
Rank US Air Force O10 shoulderboard rotated General
Commands held VJCSflag Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
United States Transportation Command
Air Mobility Command
Battles/wars Persian Gulf War
War on Terror
Awards Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Air Force Distinguished Service Medal (2)
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit (2)
State Department Distinguished Honor Award

Paul Joseph Selva (born September 27, 1958) is a United States Air Force General who is the 10th Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In this capacity, he is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the nation's second highest-ranking military officer, and the highest-ranking officer in the Air Force.[1] He assumed his current assignment on July 31, 2015.

Biography[]

Selva Change of Command

General Selva assuming command of Air Mobility Command

Selva is Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, D.C., a position he assumed on July 31, 2015. Prior to his current assignment General Selva was the commander of U.S. Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill., where he was responsible for managing all global air, land and sea transportation.

Selva was born in Biloxi, Mississippi in 1958[2] and graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science in aeronautical engineering, and completed undergraduate pilot training at Reese AFB, Texas. He has held numerous staff positions and has commanded at the squadron, group, wing and headquarters levels.

He is also a graduate of Abilene Christian University, the Air Command and Staff College, and Auburn University. Selva is a command pilot with more than 3,100 hours in the C-5, C-17A, C-141B, C-37, KC-10, KC-135A and T-37. He has served in a number of leadership positions including as Commander of the 9th Air Refueling Squadron, 60th Operations Group, 62nd Airlift Wing, and 618th Air and Space Operations Center (Tanker Airlift Control Center). He was promoted to four-star rank in November 2012 and assumed command of Air Mobility Command.[3][4]

Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff[]

Selva was suggested as President Barack Obama's nominee for Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in news reports the day before the nomination was to be made, on May 5, 2015. The report also named General Joseph Dunford, USMC, who was at the time serving as Commandant of the Marine Corps, to serve as the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.[5] General Selva was nominated for a second term as Vice Chairman by President Donald Trump on May 16, 2017.[6][7]

Education[]

  1. 1980 Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
  2. 1983 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
  3. 1984 Master of Science degree in management and human relations, Abilene Christian University, Abilene, Texas
  4. 1992 Distinguished graduate, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
  5. 1992 Master of Science degree in political science, Auburn University, Montgomery, Ala.
  6. 1996 National Defense Fellow, Secretary of Defense Strategic Studies Group, Rosslyn, Va.

Assignments[]

  1. June 1980 - July 1981, student, undergraduate pilot training, Reese AFB, Texas
  2. July 1981 - December 1984, co-pilot and aircraft commander, 917th Air Refueling Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas
  3. January 1984 - December 1988, co-pilot, aircraft commander, instructor pilot, and flight commander, 32d Air Refueling Squadron, Barksdale AFB, La.
  4. January 1989 - July 1991, company grade adviser to Commander, Strategic Air Command, later, manager of offensive aircraft systems and executive officer, Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Resources, Headquarters Strategic Air Command, Offutt AFB, Neb.
  5. August 1991 - July 1992, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
  6. July 1992 - June 1994, instructor pilot and flight commander, 9th Air Refueling Squadron, later, Commander, 722d Operations Support Squadron, March AFB, Calif.
  7. June 1994 - June 1995, Commander, 9th Air Refueling Squadron, later, Deputy Commander, 60th Operations Group, Travis AFB, Calif.
  8. July 1995 - June 1996, National Defense Fellow, Secretary of Defense Strategic Studies Group, Rosslyn, Va.
  9. July 1996 - August 1998, assistant to the Director, Office of the Secretary of Defense for Net Assessment, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
  10. August 1998 - July 2000, Commander, 60th Operations Group, Travis AFB, Calif.
  11. July 2000 - June 2002, Commander, 62d Airlift Wing, McChord AFB, Wash.
  12. June 2002 - June 2003, Vice Commander, Tanker Airlift Control Center, Scott AFB, Ill.
  13. June 2003 - November 2004, Commander, Tanker Airlift Control Center, Scott AFB, Ill.
  14. December 2004 - August 2006, Director of Operations, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
  15. August 2006 - June 2007, Director, Air Force Strategic Planning, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
  16. June 2007 - October 2008, Director, Air Force Strategic Planning, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, and Director, Air Force QDR, Office of the Vice Chief of Staff, Washington, D.C.
  17. October 2008 - October 2011, Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, D.C.
  18. October 2011 - November 2012, Vice Commander, Pacific Air Forces, Joint-Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
  19. November 2012 - May 2014, Commander, Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
  20. May 2014 - July 2015, Commander, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
  21. July 2015 – present, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, D.C.

Summary of Joint Assignments[]

  1. September 1996 - August 1998, Assistant to the Director, Office of the Secretary of Defense for Net Assessment, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a lieutenant colonel
  2. November 2004 - July 2006, Director of Operations and Logistics, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill., as a brigadier general
  3. October 2008 - October 2011, Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, D.C., as a lieutenant general
  4. May 2014 - July 2015, Commander, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
  5. July 2015 – present, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, D.C.

Flight Information[]

Rating: Command pilot Hours flown: More than 3,100 Aircraft flown: C-5, C-17A, C-141B, C-37, KC-10, KC-135A and T-37

Awards and decorations[]

COMMAND PILOT WINGS Air Force Command Pilot Badge
United States Air Force Parachutist Badge Parachutist Badge
Joint Chiefs of Staff seal Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge
Defense Distinguished Service ribbon Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Air Force Distinguished Service ribbon
Air Force Distinguished Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
US Defense Superior Service Medal ribbon Defense Superior Service Medal
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Width-44 crimson ribbon with a pair of width-2 white stripes on the edges
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service ribbon Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Width-44 crimson ribbon with two width-8 white stripes at distance 4 from the edges.Bronze oakleaf-3dBronze oakleaf-3dBronze oakleaf-3d Meritorious Service Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation ribbon Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement ribbon Air Force Achievement Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award ribbonBronze oakleaf-3dBronze oakleaf-3d Joint Meritorious Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters
Outstanding Unit ribbonBronze oakleaf-3dBronze oakleaf-3dBronze oakleaf-3dBronze oakleaf-3d Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with four oak leaf clusters
Organizational Excellence ribbonBronze oakleaf-3dBronze oakleaf-3dBronze oakleaf-3dBronze oakleaf-3d Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with four oak leaf clusters
USA - DOS Distinguished Honor Award Department of State Distinguished Honor Award
Combat Readiness Medal ribbonBronze oakleaf-3dBronze oakleaf-3d Combat Readiness Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Recognition Ribbon Air Force Recognition Ribbon
Bronze star
Width=44 scarlet ribbon with a central width-4 golden yellow stripe, flanked by pairs of width-1 scarlet, white, Old Glory blue, and white stripes
National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star
Bronze star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal ribbon
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with service star
Bronze star
Southwest Asia Service Medal ribbon (1991-2016)
Southwest Asia Service Medal with bronze service star
Global War on Terrorism Service ribbon Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal ribbon Armed Forces Service Medal
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal ribbon
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Longevity Service ribbonSilver oakleaf-3dBronze oakleaf-3dBronze oakleaf-3dBronze oakleaf-3d Air Force Longevity Service Award with silver and three bronze oak leaf clusters
Air Force Longevity Service ribbon Air Force Longevity Service Award (second ribbon to denote tenth award)
Navy Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon Navy Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon
Air Force Training Ribbon Air Force Training Ribbon
  • On April 5, 2018, Selva was presented with the Eisenhower Award.

Effective dates of promotion[]

Personal life[]

Selva, which was acknowledged in President Obama's announcement speech on May 5, 2015.[8]

Selva achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America in 1974.[9]

References[]

External links[]

Military offices
Preceded by
Raymond E. Johns, Jr.
Commander of Air Mobility Command
2012–2014
Succeeded by
Darren W. McDew
Preceded by
William M. Fraser III
Commander of United States Transportation Command
2014–2015
Preceded by
James A. Winnefeld, Jr.
Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
2015–present
Incumbent
Order of precedence
Preceded by
Joseph Dunford
as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Order of precedence of the United States
as Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Succeeded by
Mark A. Milley
as Chief of Staff of the Army



All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at Paul J. Selva and the edit history here.
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