General Joseph William Ashy, USAF (born October 16, 1940) was commander in chief of North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Space Command, and commander of Air Force Space Command, headquartered at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. As commander of NORAD, General Ashy was responsible for the air sovereignty of the United States and Canada, as well as for providing tactical warning and attack assessment. As USCINCSPACE, he commanded the unified command responsible for directing space control and support operations including theater missile defense. As COMAFSPC, he directed satellite control, warning, space launch and ballistic missile operations missions through a worldwide network of support facilities and bases.
Ashy entered the Air Force in 1962 as a distinguished graduate of Texas A&M University. He has commanded two fighter wings, the U.S. Air Force Tactical Fighter Weapons Center, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada; and Air Training Command. He also commanded NATO's Allied Air Forces Southern Europe and 16th Air Force. As the air component commander to Commander-in-Chief, Allied Forces Southern Europe (CINCAFSOUTH), he commanded NATO air forces in the Mediterranean area and directed the air operation over Bosnia. He was a command pilot with more than 3,500 flying hours in fighter and attack aircraft, including 289 combat missions in Vietnam.
He holds a master's degree in Public Administration from Auburn University. He retired on October 1, 1996.
Education
1962 Bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering, Texas A&M University
1979 Master's degree in public administration, Auburn University, Alabama
September 1968 - August 1969, Air Staff training program, plans and operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
September 1969 - June 1971, F-100 instructor pilot, 426th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron; then A-7 instructor pilot, 310th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron, Luke Air Force Base, Arizona
June 1971 - April 1972, A-7 instructor pilot, 333d Tactical Fighter Training Squadron, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona
April 1972 - June 1975, action officer, then chief, fighter assignments section, Air Force Military Personnel Center, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas
July 1975 - July 1976, operations officer, 36th Tactical Fighter Squadron, (F-4s), Osan Air Base, South Korea
August 1976 - August 1978, commander, 421st Tactical Fighter Squadron (F-4s); then assistant deputy commander for operations, 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, Hill Air Force Base, Utah
August 1978 - June 1979, student, Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
July 1979 - August 1982, division chief, plans and operations, then executive officer to the Air Force chief of staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
August 1982 - May 1984, commander, 37th Tactical Fighter Wing, George Air Force Base, California
May 1984 - February 1986, commander, 57th Fighter Weapons Wing, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada
February 1986 - June 1988, director, Joint Control Group, U.S. Atlantic Command Exercise Ocean Venture '86; then inspector general, chief of staff; deputy chief of staff, plans; Headquarters Tactical Air Command, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia
June 1988 - July 1989, commander, U.S. Air Force Tactical Fighter Weapons Center, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada
July 1989 - June 1990, deputy chief of staff, operations; then vice commander, Tactical Air Command, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia
June 1990 - December 1992, commander, Air Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas
December 1992 - February 1994, commander, Allied Air Forces Southern Europe and deputy commander in chief, U.S. Air Forces in Europe for the Southern Area
February 1994 - September 1994, commander, Allied Air Forces Southern Europe and commander, 16th Air Force, U.S. Air Forces in Europe
September 1994 - 1996, commander in chief, North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Space Command, and commander, Air Force Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
