BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY : AFRICAN AMERICAN MAJOR GENERAL GARRY . DEAN COMMANDER CONTINENTAL U.S. NORTH AMERICA AERO DEFENCE COMMAND REGION : GOES INTO THE " HALL OF BLACK GENIUS "

                                                BLACK            SOCIAL      HISTORY                                                                                                                                                                           MAJ. GEN. GARRY C DEAN


Major General Garry C. Dean is Commander, Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region - 1st Air Force (Air Forces Northern), Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. His command comprises four direct reporting units, 10 aligned Air National Guard units, and a large number of active air defense alert sites--including aircraft, air defense artillery, and up to 15,000 active duty, National Guard, Air Force Reserve and civilian personnel. First Air Force falls under Air Combat Command and is responsible for the operational readiness of assigned and attached U.S. Air Force forces. As the Joint Force Air Component Commander for North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, General Dean develops contingency plans and conducts full-spectrum U.S. Air Force air and space operations in CONUS, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as over the maritime approaches to the United States.

General Dean was commissioned in 1978 as a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. Upon completion of undergraduate pilot training, he served as a T-38 instructor pilot and was selected as Air Education and Training Command's Instructor Pilot of the Year. A distinguished graduate of fighter lead-in training, he completed F-15 upgrade training in December 1983 and was assigned to the 12th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Japan. In 1987, he joined the Georgia Air National Guard, serving as an F-15 flight instructor and mission commander.

He transferred to the Oregon Air National Guard's 142nd Fighter Wing in 1990, serving in a variety of assignments including F-15 mission commander, flight examiner, instructor pilot and Chief of Safety. He has commanded the 142nd Aircraft Generation Squadron and 123rd Fighter Squadron, and served as the wing's vice commander. He took full command of the 142nd FW in January 2001. In November 2003, he moved to the Oregon Joint Force Headquarters - Air Component, Salem, where he has served as State Director of Operations and Assistant Adjutant General for Air.

EDUCATION
1978 Bachelor's degree in computer science, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1984 U.S. Air Force Safety School, Norton AFB, Calif.
1992 Aircraft Maintenance and Munitions Officer School, Chanute AFB, Ill.
1992 Air Command and Staff College
1998 Air War College
2000 Air National Guard Financial Management Orientation Course
2006 Joint Task Force Commander's Course