Maj. Gen. Bentley B. Rayburn is Commander, Air Force Doctrine Center, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. He is directly responsible to the Air Force Chief of Staff for the research, development and deployment of Air Force basic and operational doctrine, as well as joint, multiservice and multinational doctrine. Besides its headquarters at Maxwell AFB, the center maintains operating locations at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., Langley AFB, Va., Nellis AFB, Nev., and at two U.S. Army development centers and training schools.
General Rayburn received his commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1975 where he was commander of the 4,000-man cadet wing in his senior year. He has commanded a fighter training squadron and two operational wings. The general also served on the personal staffs of the Secretary of the Air Force and of the Commander of Air Combat Command, and has held the position of Commandant for the U.S. Air Force Weapons School. Prior to his current position, General Rayburn was Commandant, Air War College, and Vice Commander, Air University, Maxwell AFB.
General Rayburn is a command pilot with more than 3,000 hours in aircraft that include the F-4, F-16 and AT-38. In 1993, General Rayburn commanded the 4404th Operations Group, flying and leading F-16C missions over southern Iraq, enforcing U.N. sanctions on the Saddam Hussein regime. He returned to Saudi Arabia in 1997 to command the then-largest combat wing in the Air Force comprising F-16CG, F-16CJ, F-15C, F-15E, E-3, E-8C, RC-135V/W, C-130, HC-130, EC-130, EF-111, EA-6B, KC-135, KC-10, U-2 and C-21 aircraft, all involved in enforcing the no-fly zone over southern Iraq. During Operation Allied Force, General Rayburn served as a senior battle staff director for the Joint Task Force-Noble Anvil staff, directing joint operations over Serbia and Kosovo.
EDUCATION
1975 Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and basic sciences, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1982 Master of Arts degree in government, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
1986 Honor graduate, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
1991 Department of State Senior Seminar, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 1975 - September 1976, student, undergraduate pilot training, Williams AFB, Ariz.
2. October 1976 - June 1977, F-4 Phantom II pilot training, George AFB, Calif.
3. July 1977 - August 1980, F-4 fighter pilot and instructor pilot, 613th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Torrejon Air Base, Spain
4. August 1980 - December 1981, member, Secretary of the Air Force Staff Group, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
5. January 1982 - April 1983, F-16 fighter pilot and instructor pilot, 16th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Hill AFB, Utah
6. April 1983 - August 1983, student, U.S. Air Force Fighter Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
7. September 1983 - June 1985, weapons and tactics officer, 4th Tactical Fighter Squadron and 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, Hill AFB, Utah
8. June 1985 - June 1986, student, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
9. July 1986 - July 1987, Chief, Doctrine Division, Combined Republic of Korea and U.S. Air Component Command Staff, Osan AB, South Korea
10. August 1987 - August 1990, instructor pilot, 435th Tactical Fighter Squadron; Commander, 434th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron; and Assistant Deputy of Operations, 479th Tactical Training Wing, Holloman AFB, N.M.
11. September 1990 - June 1991, student, Department of State Senior Seminar, Washington, D.C.
12. June 1991 - August 1992, executive to the Commander, Headquarters Tactical Air Command, later, Air Combat Comand, Langley AFB, Va.
13. August 1992 - April 1995, Commandant, U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev. (includes tour as Commander, 4404th Operations Group, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia)
14. April 1995 - June 1997, Commander, 388th Fighter Wing, Hill AFB, Utah
15. June 1997 - July 1998, Commander, 4404th Wing (Provisional), Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia
16. July 1998 - January 2000, Inspector General, Headquarters ACC, Langley AFB, Va.
17. January 2000 - August 2001, Director of Plans and Programs, Headquarters ACC, Langley AFB, Va.
18. August 2001 - July 2004, Commandant, Air War College and Vice Commander, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
19. July 2004 - present, Commander, Air Force Doctrine Center, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: More than 3,000
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-38, F-4, F-16 and AT-38
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1990 Ten Outstanding Young Americans, U.S. Jaycees
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 4, 1975
First Lieutenant June 4, 1977
Captain June 4, 1979
Major Aug. 1, 1984
Lieutenant Colonel April 1, 1987
Colonel April 1, 1991
Brigadier General Sept. 1, 1997
Major General Sept. 1, 2000
Retired April 01, 2006
(Air Force Biography, Current as of April 2005)
