Major General Michael B. Compton

Posted on Jan 22, 2025 in HING History, People

Major General Michael B. Compton is Air National Guard Assistant to the Commander, Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. Pacific Air Force is responsible for Air Force activities spread over half the globe in a command that supports 45,000 Airmen serving principally in Japan, Korea, Hawaii, Alaska and Guam.

General Compton is a distinguished military graduate of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia where he received a regular Air Force commission. He is a graduate of Euro-Northern Atlantic Treaty Organization Joint Jet Pilot Training Program, Air Command and Staff College, Air War College and Advanced Joint Professional Military Education. General Compton holds a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering from the University of South Carolina. General Compton has a wide variety of Air Force experience. He is an Air Force civil engineer and has flown both fighters and mobility aircraft in combat. He served as the Title 10 commander for over 400 Hawaii Air National Guard members activated after September 11 2001. General Compton was the Chief of the conversion office to create the first classic associate unit in the Air National Guard and he served on the activation teams for the Hawaii Air National Guard KC-135, C-130 and C-17 platforms. Prior to his current assignment, Major General Compton was the Mobilization assistant for the Director of Strategic Plans and Policy at US Pacific Command.

EDUCATION:

  • 1983 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering, Blacksburg, Virginia
  • 1991 University of South Carolina, Master of Science, Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering, Columbia, South Carolina
  • 2005 Air War College, by Seminar, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
  • 2007 Advanced Joint Professional Military Education, Phase II, Joint Forces Staff College, Virginia
  • 2012 Harvard Kennedy School, Senior Executives in National and International Security, Cambridge, Massachusetts
  • 2013 Asia Pacific Center for Strategic Studies, Senior Executive Asia-Pacific Orientation Course, Honolulu, Hawaii
  • 2013 S.Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Asia Pacific Programme for Senior Military Officers, Sentosa, Singapore

ASSIGNMENTS:

  1. March 1984 – March 1985, Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program, 80th Flying Training Wing, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas
  2. March 1985 – June 1985, Fighter Lead-In Training, 479th Tactical Training Wing, Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico
  3. June 1985 – February 1986, F-16A Operational Training, 56th Tactical Training Wing, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida
  4. February 1986 – March 1988, F-16A Tactical Fighter Pilot, 313th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Hahn Air Base, Germany
  5. March 1988 – March 1989, Chief, Small Computers and F-16C Flight Lead, Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina
  6. March 1989 – November 1990, Wing Electronic Warfare Officer and F16C Fighter Pilot, 363rd Tactical Fighter Wing, Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina
  7. November 1990 – October 1991, F-16C Pilot, 35th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Kunsan Air Base, Korea
  8. October 1991 – January 1992, Non-Affiliated Reserve Section, Air Reserve Personnel Center, Denver, Colorado
  9. January 1992 – October 1994, Environmental Engineer/Staff Engineer, 154th Civil Engineer Squadron, Hickam, Air Force Base, Hawaii
  10. October 1994 – September 1995, C-130 Pilot, 204th Airlift Squadron, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii
  11. September 1995 – September 1998, Intra Theater Airlift General, Headquarters, 154th Wing, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii
  12. September 1998 – May 2004, F-15 Flying Safety Officer, Headquarters, 154th Wing, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii
  13. May 2004 – September 2005, Commander, C-130 Pilot Flight B, 204th Airlift Squadron, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii
  14. October 2005 – September 2008, Director of Operations, Hawaii Air National Guard, Joint Force Headquarters, Honolulu, Hawaii
  15. October 2008 – September 2011, Commander, 109th Air Operations Group, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii
  16. September 2011 – January 2014, Strategic Planning and Policy Mobilization Assistant, United States Pacific Command, Camp Smith, Hawaii
  17. January 2014 – Present, Air National Guard Assistant to the Commander, Pacific Air Force, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii

FLIGHT INFORMATION:

  • Rating: Command Pilot
  • Flight Hours: More than 4,500
  • Aircraft flown: F-16, C-130, F-15, C-17, DC-8, B-717

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:

  • Defense Superior Service Medal
  • Legion of Merit
  • Meritorious Service Medal (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
  • Air Force Commendation Medal (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
  • Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (with V Device and 3 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
  • Combat Readiness Medal (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
  • National Defense Service Medal (with 1 Bronze Service Star)
  • Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (with 1 Bronze Service Star)
  • Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
  • Humanitarian Service Medal (with 2 Bronze Service Stars)
  • Air Force Overseas Ribbon Short
  • Air Force Overseas Ribbon Long
  • Air Force Longevity Service (with 4 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
  • Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with Bronze Hourglass)
  • Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon (with 1 Bronze Service Star)
  • Air Force Training Ribbon
  • Hawaii Hurricane Iniki Ribbon

CIVILIAN OCCUPATION:

  • Captain, B-717, Hawaiian Airlines, Honolulu, Hawaii
  • Electrical Engineer, Windward Photovoltaic Institute

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS & AFFILIATIONS:

  • National Jamboree Staff, Boy Scouts of America
  • Tau Beta Pi Engineering Society
  • National Guard Association of the United States

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:

  • Second Lieutenant 21 October 1983
  • First Lieutenant 21 October 1985
  • Captain 21 October 1987
  • Major 1 September 1996
  • Lieutenant Colonel 23 February 2001
  • Colonel 2 August 2006
  • Brigadier General 21 September 2011
  • Major General 12 February 2014

(Current as of November 2014)