Lieutenant General Bishop retired from active duty in August 2008 after 34 years of service in the United States Air Force. His last assignment was as Commander, 3rd Air Force, United States Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein AB, Germany, where he oversaw all American air and space activities in the 93 countries in Europe and Africa.
Additionally, he was responsible for the organizing, training and equipping of nearly 30 thousand airmen assigned to the 10 different Air Force Wings under his command throughout Europe.
Following many and varied operational flying assignments early in his career in which he served as an aircraft commander, instructor pilot and flight examiner in various mobility and training aircraft, General Bishop held many key positions throughout the United States Air Force where he commanded airmen at every operational level including two Squadrons, an Operations Group, an Airlift Wing, a Numbered Air Force and Air Command, Europe while also completing numerous strategic Air Force and Joint assignments throughout the Department of Defense.
After group command in the 437th Airlift Wing (AW) during the fielding of the C-17 Globemaster III and serving as the Deputy Director of Operations for the United States Transportation Command, General Bishop was promoted to Brigadier General and assigned again to Charleston AFB as the Wing Commander of the 437th AW, while simultaneously serving as the Director of Mobility Forces for Africa and Europe.
Subsequently, he was assigned to HQ USAF in the Pentagon as the Deputy Director for Operations and Training.
Following his tour at the Pentagon, General Bishop was assigned as the Director of Planning and Policy at US SOUTHERN Command, Miami, FL, and then promoted to Major General as the Deputy Combatant Commander, assisting in the oversight of all US military activities in the 32 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Next, Gen Bishop was assigned back at the Pentagon as the Deputy Director of Air Force Operations with the responsibility of organizing, training and equipping airmen for worldwide air and space operations.
Finally, General Bishop was promoted to Lieutenant General and assigned as Vice Commander, United States Air Forces in Europe and Air Commander, Europe before retiring as Commander, 3rd Air Force.
General Bishop has a BS degree in Engineering Management from the USAF Academy, an MS degree from the University of Southern California in Systems Management and two Masters Degrees in National Security Studies from the Naval War College and the National War College.
His overseas operational/combat experience includes DESERT STORM, Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, (Air War over Serbia in which he served as the DIRMOBFOR) and Haiti.
During the 2 years immediately following retirement, General Bishop served as a Senior Mentor to the United States Air Force.
He has been is a consultant to EADs and a Senior Advisor to National Airlines. He has also served on the National Air Cargo Holdings, Inc. Board of Directors and other boards. General Bishop is presently the President and Chairman of the Board of Stand Together Against Racism and Radicalism in the Services, Inc.
Official US Air Force Biography (as of 2008)
LIEUTENANT GENERAL ROBERT D. “ROD” BISHOP JR.
Lt. Gen. Robert D. “Rod” Bishop (click to enlarge)
Lt. Gen. Robert D. “Rod” Bishop Jr. is Commander, 3rd Air Force, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. As the U.S. Air Forces in Europe component numbered air force for U.S. European Command, 3rd Air Force supports the USAFE and EUCOM commanders both at the operational and tactical level directing all USAFE forces engaged in contingency and wartime operations in the EUCOM area of responsibility. Third Air Force includes the headquarters Air Force forces staff, a multidisciplinary, professional cadre responsible for planning, deploying, employing, sustaining and redeploying Air Force forces as the supported and supporting air component of USAFE to EUCOM. Other 3rd Air Force units include the 603rd Air and Space Operations Center, nine USAFE wings and three stand-alone groups.
General Bishop earned a Bachelor of Science degree in management engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy and a master’s degree in systems management from the University of Southern California. He has an extensive mobility background with tours at four strategic airlift bases. The general’s staff experience includes a variety of assignments at Headquarters Military Airlift Command, U.S. Transportation Command and Headquarters U.S. Air Force. He has commanded an operations support squadron, a C-141 Starlifter flying squadron, and a C-141 and C-17 Globemaster operations group and airlift wing. In addition, he was Deputy Commander, Headquarters U.S. Southern Command, and the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations at Headquarters U.S. Air Force. Prior to his current assignment, he served as Vice Commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe.
General Bishop has extensive wartime and contingency experience. As a director of operations and, later, commander of a strategic airlift squadron, he led his crews through numerous deployments during operations Desert Storm, Provide Comfort and Restore Hope, the Mount Pinatubo relief efforts, and numerous humanitarian operations. As a C-17 operations group commander he led his group in support of more than seven named contingencies, most notably a nearly two month deployment of the nation’s entire fleet of C-17 aircraft for Operation Joint Endeavor in Bosnia. As a C-17 and C-141 wing commander, he again led his Airmen in direct response to multiple operations. He deployed five times to the European area of operations as Director of Mobility Forces for operations Desert Fox, Allied Force and Shining Hope. Finally, as Director of Plans and Deputy Commander, USSOUTHCOM, General Bishop played an instrumental role expanding U.S. support to Colombia as well as organizing our nation’s response to the 2004 Haitian unrest.
EDUCATION
1974 Bachelor of Science degree in management engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1978 Distinguished graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1984 Master of Science degree in systems management, University of Southern California
1987 Distinguished graduate, Master of Arts degree in national security policy, Naval Command and Staff College, Newport, R.I.
1994 Master of Arts degree in national security policy, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2001 Seminar XXI – Foreign Politics, International Relations and the National Interest, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 1974 – August 1975, student, undergraduate pilot training, Columbus AFB, Miss.
2. September 1975 – December 1975, C-141 training, Altus AFB, Okla.
3. January 1976 – January 1981, C-141 standardization and evaluation pilot; Prime Nuclear Airlift Force examiner; flight engineer simulator instructor; and current operator, 14th Military Airlift Squadron, Norton AFB, Calif.
4. January 1981 – January 1985, Assistant Director of Admissions and Recruiting, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
5. January 1985 – June 1986, C-141 flight examiner and chief executive officer, 18th Military Airlift Squadron, McGuire AFB, N.J.
6. August 1986 – August 1987, graduate student, Naval Command and Staff College, Newport, R.I.
7. August 1987 – December 1990, policy and doctrine staff officer; Chief, Planning, Programming and Budgeting Systems Branch; and Chief, Operational Programming Division, Directorate of Planning and Programming, Headquarters Military Airlift Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
8. January 1991 – October 1991, operations officer, 86th Military Airlift Squadron, Travis AFB, Calif.
9. November 1991 – June 1993, Commander, 60th Operations Support Squadron, later, Commander, 7th Airlift Squadron, Travis AFB, Calif.
10. June 1993 – June 1994, graduate student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
11. July 1994 – June 1996, Deputy Commander, later, Commander, 437th Operations Group, Charleston AFB, S.C.
12. July 1996 – June 1998, Deputy Director for Operations, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
13. June 1998 – March 2000, Commander, 437th Airlift Wing, Charleston AFB, S.C.
14. March 2000 – July 2001, Deputy Director of Operations and Training, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
15. July 2001 – September 2002, Director of Strategy, Policy and Plans, Headquarters U.S. Southern Command, Miami, Fla.
16. September 2002 – July 2004, Deputy Commander, Headquarters U.S. Southern Command, Miami, Fla.
17. July 2004 – June 2005, Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
18. July 2005 – December 2006, Vice Commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
19. December 2006 – present, Commander, 3rd Air Force, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein AB, Germany
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: More than 5,400
Aircraft flown: C-141, T-41, C-17 and C-21
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Combat Readiness Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with bronze star
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Government of Kuwait)
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2000 General and Mrs. Jerome F. O’Malley Award
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 5, 1974
First Lieutenant June 5, 1976
Captain June 5, 1978
Major Oct. 1, 1985
Lieutenant Colonel April 1, 1990
Colonel Jan. 1, 1995
Brigadier General Oct. 1, 1999
Major General May 1, 2003
Lieutenant General July 6, 2005
General Bishop reflects on Third Air Force Tenure (US Air Force article)
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England — He is one of the Air Force’s most experienced operators. He has deployed numerous times through a variety of operations ranging from Desert Storm to Shining Hope.
As an ops group commander, he led his group in support of more than seven named contingencies. He has responded to numerous humanitarian calls for action, including the Mount Pinatubo eruption in the Philippines and multiple typhoon, hurricane, and famine relief operations.
Yet, despite those experiences over the past 34 years, Lt. Gen. Rod Bishop sees his role as the commander of 3rd Air Force as the ideal culmination to his active duty career.
“I can’t think a better job to end my Air Force career,” said General Bishop. “Being in an operationally oriented command and doing our nation’s bidding and working with the superb people that make up 3rd Air Force is the perfect ending to my years of service.”
General Bishop entered the Air Force in June 1974 after graduating from the Air Force Academy.
In the following years, he has commanded an operations support squadron, a C-141 Starlifter flying squadron, a C-141 and C-17 Globemaster operations group and airlift wing.
He has also served as the Deputy Commander of Headquarters U.S. Southern Command; the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations at Headquarters U.S. Air Force; Vice Commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe; and as Air Commander, Europe.
During his tenure as the 3rd AF commander, the unit has been extremely successful and has received accolades from as high as President George W. Bush. Gen Bishop credits the record of success to the superior, operationally focused people who make up 3 AF–“from the HQ to the wings” and to the keen foresight of some of the Air Force’s leaders over the years.
“We owe much gratitude to the leaders who had the vision of having an operationally focused headquarters,” General Bishop said. “Thankfully those leaders saw the need to have an organization focused on the needs of the combatant commander–not just Air Force, MAJCOM or wing-related issues.”
The general said 3rd AF being the first numbered Air Force to be certified as a joint task force and “our outstanding record of providing air and space capabilities to all ten combatant commanders” are the things he’s most proud of. “Also,” he added, “I think we have done a very good job of taking care of our people.”
“The fact that we have been certified and called upon to lead a Joint Task Force, and did it exceedingly well, is something we all can be very proud of,” General Bishop stated. He urged the 3rd AF team to keep building upon what has been started.
“Keep pressing forward with clarifying the roles and mission between the numbered Air Force and the major command, keep pressing on operationalizing the Air and Operations Center, and keep pressing on trying to get a standardized Air Force-wide approach to manning and training an Air Force Forces staff,” he said.
Reflecting back, the general said waking up every morning going to a job he didn’t consider to be a job is what he will miss most about the Air Force. And, having good people who understand the operational level of war is what ties it all together.
“Being a lifelong operator, I love the instantaneous gratification we get when an operation is successful. But, I’m pleased to say every one of the great men and women of 3rd Air Force has been the key to that success,” General Bishop said.
“I thoroughly enjoyed my opportunity to roll up my sleeves and work beside America’s best sons and daughters… It’s an experience I will always cherish.”
USAFE receives new vice commander (USAF, 16 MAR 2006)
ACEUR commander lauds role of USAFE GSUs in England (USAF, 11 JUL 2006)
USAFE officials reactivate 3rd Air Force (USAF, 1 DEC 2006)
3rd AF commander recognizes Sabers (USAF, 21 SEP 2007)
3rd Air Force hosts Bulgarian troops (USAF, 28 SEPT 2007)
Lt. Gen. Robert Bishop talks safety with Liberty warriors (USAF, 18 OCT 2007)
Remembering Normandy (USAF, 6 NOV 2007)
3rd Air Force commander visits RAF Mildenhall Airmen (USAF, 19 NOV 2007)
Hungarian AF leader visits Ramstein (USAF, 12 Feb 2008)
Multi-national visitors ‘check up’ on MEDCEUR (USAF, 14 MAY 2008)
435th ABW Holds Relinquishment of Command Ceremony (USAF, 5 May 2008)
Lt. Gen. Robert D. “Rod” Bishop’s final flight (USAF 27 MAY 2008)
Lt. Gen. Bishop honored with Order of the Sword (USAF, 25 JUL 2008)