Janet C. Wolfenbarger Explained

Janet Carol Wolfenbarger
Birth Place:	Tampa, Florida, U.S.
Birth Name:	Janet Carol Libby
Allegiance:	United States of America
Branch:	United States Air Force
Serviceyears:	1980–2015
Rank:	General
Commands:	Air Force Materiel Command C-17 Systems Group
Awards:	Air Force Distinguished Service Medal (2) Legion of Merit (2)

Janet Carol Wolfenbarger (née Libby; born 1958) is a retired United States Air Force four-star general who served as the eighth commander of Air Force Materiel Command from June 5, 2012, to June 8, 2015. She was the first woman to achieve the rank of four-star general in the Air Force. Wolfenbarger retired from the Air Force after over 35 years of service.

Military career

Wolfenbarger was born in Tampa, Florida.^[1] She was commissioned in 1980 as a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, and began her career in acquisition as an engineer at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.^[2] Along with her various duty assignments she furthered her education with a Master of Science degree in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1985 and another Master of Science degree in national resource strategy from Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 1994. She is also a graduate of the Air Command and Staff College. Her major awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit and the Meritorious Service Medal.^[3]

Wolfenbarger was the U.S. Air Force's highest-ranking woman, a distinction held until January 1, 2010, by Lt. Gen. Terry Gabreski, whom Wolfenbarger succeeded at Wright-Patterson.^[4]

On February 6, 2012, President Obama nominated Wolfenbarger to become the first woman four-star general for the Air Force.^[5] This was confirmed by the US Senate on March 26, 2012,^[6] and she assumed her new rank, and became Commander, Air Force Materiel Command, on June 5, 2012.^[7]

Wolfenbarger graduated from Beavercreek High School in Beavercreek, Ohio, in 1976.^[8] She is the daughter of Eldon and Shirley Libby of Paicines, California.^[9] She is married to Craig "Wolf" Wolfenbarger.

Education

1976 Beavercreek High School, Beavercreek, Ohio

1980 Bachelor of Science degree in engineering sciences, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.

1983 Squadron Officer School, by correspondence

1985 Master of Science degree in aeronautics and astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge

1988 Program Management Course, Defense Systems Management College, Fort Belvoir, Va.

1991 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence

1994 Master of Science degree in national resource strategy, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.

Assignments

1. July 1980 – August 1981, technical intelligence analyst, Armament Division, Eglin AFB, Fla.
2. August 1981 – July 1983, communication systems development officer, Electronic Security Command, Kelly AFB, Texas
3. July 1983 – December 1984, student, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.
4. December 1984 – October 1987, Chief, Strategic Offense Weapons Branch, Headquarters Air Force Systems Command, Andrews AFB, Md.
5. October 1987 – September 1988, executive officer, Headquarters Air Force Systems Command, Andrews AFB, Md.
6. September 1988 – July 1993, Chief, Plans and Strategies Division; Chief, Air Vehicle Analysis and Integration Team; and Chief, F-22 Subsystems Team, F-22 System Program Office, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
7. July 1993 – June 1994, student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
8. June 1994 – June 1997, Lead F-22 Program Element Monitor, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
9. June 1997 – April 2000, Chief, B-2 Air Vehicle Team, B-2 SPO, ASC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
10. April 2000 – December 2002, B-2 System Program Director, B-2 SPO, ASC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
11. December 2002 – July 2005, Commander, C-17 Systems Group, Mobility Systems Wing, ASC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
12. August 2005 – July 2006, Director, Air Force Acquisition Center of Excellence, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
13. August 2006 – January 2007, Special Assistant for Command Transformation to the Commander, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
14. January 2007 – July 2008, Director, Intelligence and Requirements Directorate, and Special Assistant for Command Transformation to the Commander, Headquarters AFMC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
15. July 2008 – December 2009, Director, Intelligence and Requirements Directorate, Headquarters AFMC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
16. December 2009 – September 2011, Vice Commander, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
17. September 2011 – June 2012, Military Deputy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
18. June 2012 – June 2015, Air Force Materiel Command

Awards and decorations

	Air Force Distinguished Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
	Legion of Merit with one bronze oak leaf cluster
	Meritorious Service Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters
	Air Force Commendation Medal
	Air Force Achievement Medal
	Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with silver and three bronze oak leaf clusters
	National Defense Service Medal with bronze service star
	Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
	Air Force Longevity Service Award with silver and three bronze oak leaf clusters
	Air Force Training Ribbon

Other achievements

1996 Kelly Burke Award, Department of the Air Force

2002 Stewart Award, Aeronautical Systems Center

2004 Stewart Award, Aeronautical Systems Center

2013 United Service Organizations (USO) Woman of the Year

2014 James Doolittle Award, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Security Studies Program

2014 Seymour E. and Ruth B. Harris Lecturer, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University

2015 Air Force Materiel Command Order of the Sword

2015 Retroactively prompted change to General Officer Promotion Laws^[10]

Effective dates of promotion

Promotions! Insignia !! Rank !! Date

	General	June 5, 2012
	Lieutenant General	December 3, 2009
	Major General	June 26, 2009
	Brigadier General	February 1, 2006
	Colonel	September 1, 1998
	Lieutenant Colonel	June 1, 1993
	Major	January 1, 1990
	Captain	May 28, 1984
	First Lieutenant	May 28, 1982
	Second Lieutenant	May 28, 1980

See also

• List of female United States military generals and flag officers

Notes and References

1. Web site: Air Force's first female 4-star general credits area education | www.springfieldnewssun.com. springfieldnewssun.com. 2015-05-24.
2. Web site: AF Biography: Gen. Janet C. Wolfenbarger.
3. Web site: Lieutenant General Janet C. Wolfenbarger bio on the USAF official site. . https://archive.today/20120722054440/http://www.af.mil/information/bios/bio.asp?bioID=8209 . 2012-07-22 . dead .
4. http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2009/11/airforce_female_senior_officer_111609w/ Female general nominated for 3rd star
5. News: Obama nominates Air Force's first female four-star general . 7 February 2012 . reuters.com. 2015-05-24.
6. https://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/legislative/one_item_and_teasers/noms_confn.htm Nominations confirmed (non-civilian)
7. Web site: Gen. Wolfenbarger receives fourth star, assumes leadership of AFMC . Kim Dawley . June 5, 2012 . Air Force Materiel Command Public Affairs . 2012-06-05 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130224051202/http://www.hanscom.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123304811 . February 24, 2013 .
8. John Nolan, AFMC’s vice commander is once again Air Force’s highest-ranking woman. Dayton Daily News, 2009 December 4 (accessed 2009 December 5).
9. http://www.gilroydispatch.com/lifestyles/159460-scrapbook-5.20.05 Janet C. Wolfenbarger
10. Web site: 'Force of the Future': Career flexibility, fewer moves. 8 August 2017.