Gen. Adrian L. Spain is the Commander, Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. As Commander, he is responsible for organizing, training, equipping and maintaining combat-ready air, cyberspace and electromagnetic spectrum forces for rapid deployment and employment while ensuring strategic air defense forces are ready to meet the challenges of peacetime air sovereignty and wartime defense.

The command operates more than 1,600 aircraft, 35 wings, 12 bases and 1,371 units at more than 263 operating locations worldwide with 155,205 total force military and civilian personnel. As the lead major command for Combat Air Forces, ACC develops strategy, doctrine, concepts, tactics and procedures for air, space and cyber-power employment. The command provides conventional and information warfare forces to all unified commands to ensure air, space, cyber and information superiority for warfighters and national decision-makers. The command also stands ready to assist national agencies with intelligence, surveillance and crisis response capabilities.

Gen. Spain entered the Air Force in 1994 through the ROTC program, graduating from Villanova University. He has spent the majority of his career in aviation and command assignments accumulating more than 2,150 flight hours, deploying and serving in joint positions extensively.

Prior to his current assignment, Gen. Spain served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. He led the development and implementation of policy directly supporting global operations, force management, training and readiness for the Air Force and served as the Air Force Operations Deputy to the Air Force Chief of Staff.

The general is a command pilot with more than 2,150 hours in multiple aircraft, primarily the F-22A and the F-15C/D and more than 220 combat flight hours.

EDUCATION
1994 Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering, Villanova University, Villanova, Pa.
1996 Outstanding and Distinguished Graduate, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Reese Air Force Base, Texas
2000 Distinguished Graduate, U.S. Air Force Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2001 F-15C Division U.S. Air Force Weapons Instructor Course, Nellis AFB, Nev.
2007 Master of Science, Systems Engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
2011 Master of Science, National Resource Strategy, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2014 Leadership Development Program, Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, N.C.
2015 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School, Chapel Hill

ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1994–June 1995, Gold Bar Recruiter, University of Delaware, Newark, Del.
2. June 1995–June 1996, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Reese Air Force Base, Texas
3. September 1996–April 1997, Student, F-15C RTU, 2nd Fighter Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
4. June 1997–June 1999, Four-ship FL and Combat Plans Officer, 44th Fighter Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Japan
5. June 1999–July 2001, F-15C Instructor/Evaluator/FCF Pilot/Mission Commander, Chief of Scheduling and Assistant Chief of Weapons, 27th Fighter Squadron, Langley AFB, Va.
6. July 2001–December 2001, Student, 433rd Weapons Squadron, USAF Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
7. January 2002–July 2003, Chief, Squadron Weapons and Tactics, 58th Fighter Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla.
8. July 2003–July 2004, 57th WG F15C Chief SEFE and SOF Program Manager, Weapons School Instructor, 57th Operations Support Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
9. June 2004–April 2005, Flight Commander, Chief FCF Pilot, Squadron SEFE, ADO; Phase Manager for the Air-to-Air Weapons Employment, Low Altitude, Night Employment, Air Combat Maneuvers, and Dissimilar Air Combat Tactics Phases, 433rd Weapons Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
10. April 2005–May 2006, Aide-de-Camp to the Commander, USAF Warfare Center, Nellis AFB, Nev.
11.May 2006–June 2007, Student, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
12. June 2007–April 2008, Chief, 1 FW Weapons and Tactics, Langley AFB, Va.
13. April 2008–December 2008, Operations Officer 94th Fighter Squadron, Langley AFB, Va.
14. December 2008–July 2010, Commander 94th FS, Langley AFB, Va.
15. August 2010–June 2011, Student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
16. July 2011–May 2013, Chief, Joint Exercise Division, Alaskan Command and Joint Task Force - Alaska, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
17. June 2013–June 2015, Commandant, U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
18. June 2015–June 2017, Commander, 53rd Wing, Eglin AFB, Fla.
19. June 2017–June 2018, Executive Officer to the Commander North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Norther Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
20. July 2018–July 2019, Commander, 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates
21. August 2019–June 2021, Director, Plans, Programs, and Analyses for Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe and U.S. Air Force Africa, Ramstein AB, Germany
22. July 2021–July 2022, Director of Operations (J3), U.S. European Command, Stuttgart, Germany
23. July 2022–July 2023, Chief of Staff, USEUCOM, Stuttgart, Germany
24. July 2023–December 2023, Director of Training and Readiness, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
25. December 2023–August 2025, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
26. August 2025–present, Commander, Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2011–May 2013, Chief, Joint Exercise Division (J71), Alaskan Command and Joint Task Force-Alaska, Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson, Alaska, as a lieutenant colonel
2. June 2017–June 2018, Senior Executive Assistant to the Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Norther Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., as a colonel
3. July 2021–July 2022, Director of Operations (J3), U.S. European Command, Stuttgart, Germany, as a major general
4. July 2022–July 2023, Chief of Staff, USEUCOM, Stuttgart, Germany, as a major general

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating:  command pilot
Flight Hours:  more than 2,150; 129 combat hours in the F-15C, 94 combat hours in the F-22A
Primary Aircraft:  F-15C/D, F-22A
Aircraft Flown:  T-37, A/T-38, F-15A/B, F-16D, F-15E, HH-60G, B-1B, B-2A, B-52H, AC-130W, C-130J, KC- 135R, C- 17A, QF-4E, E-3 and KC-10

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2017 Jerome F. and Mrs. O’Malley Award, Air Combat Command
2011 Mashburn Award Finalist, Antonelli Award Winner, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2001 Flying Award, U.S. Air Force Weapons Instructor Course, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.

PUBLICATIONS
U.S. Northern Command’s Role in the Arctic Region, Proceedings, the Coast Guard Journal of Safety and Security at Sea, Summer 2013, Vol. 70 No. 2

(Current as of August 2025)