Gen. Tom Hobbins was Commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe; Commander, NATO Allied Air Component Command, Ramstein; and Director, Joint Air Power Competence Centre, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. His responsibility for Air Force activities encompassed a theater spanning three continents, covering more than 20 million square miles, 93 countries and territories, and possessing one-fourth of the world’s population and about one-third of the world’s Gross Domestic Product. Gen. Hobbins is also a command pilot with more than 5,100 flying hours, primarily in combat aircraft.

Gen. Hobbins entered the Air Force in December 1969 as a graduate of Officer Training School. He has commanded a numbered air force, two tactical fighter wings and a composite air group. He has served as the Director of Plans and Operations for U.S. Forces Japan, the Director of Plans and Policy for U.S. Atlantic Command, the Director of Operations for U.S. Air Forces in Europe, and as a Deputy Chief of Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force. As the USAFE Director of Operations, he was responsible for the planning, beddown and execution of combat forces in Europe for Operation Allied Force. As 12th Air Force Commander, the 12th Air Force Air Operations Center deployed to Southwest Asia as operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom’s alternate AOC. As Deputy Chief of Staff for Warfighting Integration and the Air Force’s Chief Information Officer, Gen. Hobbins developed and implemented the Air Force’s C4ISR Roadmap for networks enabling predictive battle-space awareness and targeting. As Director of the Joint Air Power Competence Centre, he guided the development of NATO’s C4ISR and Unmanned Aerial Systems Roadmaps.

Gen. Hobbins holds a Master’s degree in business administration from Troy State University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in business finance from the University of Colorado. He attended Leadership at the Peak at the Center for Creative Leadership in Colorado Springs, the National Security Leadership Course at Syracuse University, the Joint Force Air Component Commander Course at Maxwell AFB, the Joint Flag Officer Warfighting Course, at Maxwell AB, the Air War College, also at Maxwell, AFB, the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia, and the Squadron Officer School at Maxwell AFB.