Brig. Gen. Mark G. Beesley is Deputy Director for Operations, Operations Team One, National Military Command Center, the Joint Staff, Washington, D.C. He performs initial analysis of developing military and political situations for the Operations
Directorate of the Joint Staff, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Secretary of Defense, and the President of the United States. General Beesley also performs nuclear watch in conjunction with the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Strategic Command, and is ready to advise the president on available courses of action and transmit the president's nuclear decisions.
General Beesley was commissioned in June 1975 after graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. He is a native of Dallas, Texas. The general has commanded a fighter squadron in England, and a fighter operations group in Panama City, Florida. He was a Command Director at Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, Colo., and was the Director of the Korean Air Operations Center at Osan Air Base, South Korea. He also served as the Chairman of the Combined Effects Board for the U.S. and Republic of Korea air forces.
General Beesley is a distinguished graduate of pilot training and also received the Commander's Trophy in his pilot training class. He is a command pilot with more than 2,900 hours of fighter flying time.
EDUCATION
1975 Bachelor's degree in political science, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1982 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1983 Master's degree in business administration, Golden Gate University, San Francisco, Calif.
1984 Air Command and Staff College, by seminar
1985 Master's degree in public administration, Golden Gate University, San Francisco
1988 Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk Naval Air Station, Va.
1993 Air War College, by seminar
1996 Master's degree in national security strategy, National Defense University, Washington, D.C.
1996 National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 1975 - August 1976, student, undergraduate pilot training, Webb AFB, Texas
2. September 1976 - December 1976, student, fighter lead-in training, Holloman AFB, N.M.
3. December 1976 - June 1977, student, F-15 replacement training, 555th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron, Luke AFB, Ariz.
4. June 1977 - August 1977, student, combat ready training, Air Force Ready Eagle Program, Langley AFB, Va.
5. August 1977 - September 1980, instructor pilot, 525th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Bitburg Air Base, West Germany
6. September 1980 - March 1984, instructor pilot and fighter weapons officer, Luke AFB, Ariz.
7. March 1984 - August 1987, instructor pilot and assistant chief, Standardization and Evaluation Division, and Chief, F-15 Tactics Multi-Command Manual 3-1, Nellis AFB, Nev.
8. August 1987 - January 1988, student, Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
9. January 1988 - March 1991, tactical fighter force programmer, Directorate of Programs and Resources, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
10. March 1991 - April 1992, Director of Operational and Exercise Plans, later, Director of Tactical Operations, Headquarters 7th Air Force, Osan AB, South Korea
11. April 1992 - June 1993, Chief of Safety, 32nd Tactical Fighter Wing, Soesterberg AB, Netherlands
12. June 1993 - June 1994, Chief, Senior Officer Management Division, Directorate of Personnel, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein AB, Germany
13. July 1994 - August 1995, Commander, 494th Fighter Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, England
14. August 1995 - June 1996, student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
15. July 1996 - June 1998, Commander, 325th Operations Group, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
16. July 1998 - December 1999, Command Director, Cheyenne Mountain AFS, Colo.
17. January 2000 - March 2001, Vice Director of Operations, Headquarters NORAD, Peterson AFB, Colo.
18. March 2001 - September 2002, Director of Plans, Headquarters NORAD, Peterson AFB, Colo.
19. September 2002 - April 2004, Vice Commander, 7th Air Force and U.S. Air Forces Korea, and Chief of Staff, Air Component Command, Osan AB, South Korea
20. April 2004 - present, Deputy Director for Operations, Operations Team One, National Military Command Center, the Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: 2,950
Aircraft flown: F-15C, F-15E, F-16C, T-37 and T-38
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal with oak leaf cluster
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 4, 1975
First Lieutenant June 4, 1977
Captain June 4, 1979
Major Oct. 1, 1986
Lieutenant Colonel July 1, 1991
Colonel Sept. 1, 1996
Brigadier General Aug. 1, 2002
Retired June 01, 2006
(Air Force Biography, Current as of June 2004)
