Gen. Douglas M. Fraser is Commander, U.S. Southern Command, Miami, Fla. USSOUTHCOM is responsible for all Department of Defense security cooperation in the 45 nations and territories of Central and South America and the Caribbean Sea, an area of 16 million square miles.
General Fraser earned his commission upon graduation from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1975. His operational assignments include Europe, the Pacific, Air Combat Command and Air Force Space Command. He has previously served as Commander, Space Warfare Center, Schriever Air Force Base, Colo.; as well as Commander, Alaskan Command, U.S. Pacific Command; Commander, 11th Air Force, Pacific Air Forces; and Commander, Alaskan North American Defense Region, with headquarters at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. Prior to this current assignment, he was Deputy Commander, U.S. Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii.
The general is a command pilot with more than 3,100 flying hours, primarily in the F-15A/B/C/D, F-15E, the F-16 and the C-37.
EDUCATION
1975 Bachelor of Science degree in political science, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1979 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1987 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1987 Master's degree in political science, Auburn University at Montgomery, Ala.
1992 National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2004 Senior Executives in National and International Security, Harvard
2005 Joint Flag Officer Warfighting Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2006 PINNACLE, Norfolk, Va.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 1975 - July 1976, student, undergraduate pilot training, Vance AFB, Okla.
2. September 1976 - March 1977, F-15 student, 405th Tactical Training Unit, Luke AFB, Ariz.
3. June 1977 - May 1980, F-15 pilot, 36th Tactical Fighter Wing, Bitburg Air Base, West Germany
4. June 1980 - June 1983, F-15 squadron weapons officer, 405th Tactical Training Wing, Luke AFB, Ariz.
5. July 1983 - June 1985, flight commander, 49th Tactical Fighter Wing, Holloman AFB, N.M.
6. July 1985 - July 1986, aide to the Commander, 12th Air Force, Bergstrom AFB, Texas
7. August 1986 - June 1987, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
8. July 1987 - July 1989, fighter programmer, Directorate of Programs and Resources, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
9. July 1989 - May 1991, member, Chief of Staff of the Air Force Staff Group, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
10. July 1991 - June 1992, Commander, Weapons and Tactics Flight, 18th Operations Support Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Japan
11. June 1992 - October 1992, Director of Operations, 44th Fighter Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan
12. October 1992 - July 1993, Commander, 12th Fighter Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan
13. August 1993 - June 1994, student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
14. July 1994 - July 1996, analysis assistant, Office of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Requirements, Washington, D.C.
15. July 1996 - June 1997, Director, Chief of Staff of the Air Force Operations Group, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
16. July 1997 - January 1999, Commander, 366th Operations Group, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho
17. February 1999 - January 2000, executive assistant to the Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii
18. January 2000 - April 2002, Commander, 3rd Wing, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
19. April 2002 - June 2003, Commander, Space Warfare Center, Air Force Space Command, Schriever AFB, Colo.
20. May 2003 - October 2005, Director of Air and Space Operations, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
21. October 2005 - April 2008, Commander, Alaskan Command, U.S. Pacific Command; Commander, 11th Air Force, Pacific Air Forces; and Commander, Alaskan North American Defense Region, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
22. April 2008 - June 2009, Deputy Commander, U.S. Pacific Command, Camp H. M. Smith, Hawaii
23. June 2009 - present, Commander, U.S. Southern Command, Miami, Fla.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: More than 3,100
Aircraft flown: F-15A/B/C/D, F-15E, F-16 and C-37
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal
Great Master of the Order of the Sun (Government of Peru)
Order of Merit of Duarte, Sanchez and Mella in the degree of Grand Officer (Government of Dominican Republic)
Ministry of National Defense (Government of Colombia)
Order of the Military Merit Antonio Nariño (Government of Colombia)
Joint Staff (Government of Chile)
Air Force Cross (Government of Colombia)
Faith on the Cause (Government of Colombia)
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 4, 1975
First Lieutenant June 4, 1977
Captain June 4, 1979
Major Oct. 1, 1986
Lieutenant Colonel April 1, 1990
Colonel Feb. 1, 1995
Brigadier General July 1, 2001
Major General Aug. 1, 2004
Lieutenant General Oct. 11, 2005
General June 25, 2009
Retired January 01, 2013
(Air Force Biography, Current as of November 2012)
