Lori Robinson
Encyclopedia
Lori J. Robinson is a United States Air Force
Major General
who is the Director, Legislative Liaison, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. The directorate is the liaison between the Air Force and Congress on issues such as legislative and constituent inquiries, programs and weapons systems. On September 21, 2007 General Robinson became the first woman 552nd ACW commander to be frocked to brigadier general while stationed at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma.
. She has served in a variety of positions as an Air Battle Manager
, including instructor and Commander of the Command and Control Operations Division at the United States Air Force Weapons School, as well as Chief of Tactics in the 965th Airborne Warning and Control Squadron. She has held staff assignments as command briefer at Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Deputy Chief of Staff and executive assistant to the Director at the Defense Information Systems Agency, and executive officer to the Commander of Air Combat Command.
General Robinson has commanded an operations group, a training wing, and an air control wing. She has also deployed as Vice Commander of the 405th Air Expeditionary Wing
, leading more than 2,000 Airmen flying B-1 Lancer
, KC-135 Stratotanker
and E-3 Sentry
aircraft in operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. General Robinson was an Air Force Fellow at The Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., and has served at the Pentagon as Director of the Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Staff of the Air Force Executive Action Group. She has also been Chief of the Air Force House Liaison Office and Legislative Liaison at the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force. Prior to her current assignment, she was Deputy Director for Force Application and Support, Directorate of Force Structure, Resources and Assessment, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
who is the Director, Legislative Liaison, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. The directorate is the liaison between the Air Force and Congress on issues such as legislative and constituent inquiries, programs and weapons systems. On September 21, 2007 General Robinson became the first woman 552nd ACW commander to be frocked to brigadier general while stationed at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma.
Career
General Robinson entered the Air Force in 1982 through the ROTC program at the University of New HampshireUniversity of New Hampshire
The University of New Hampshire is a public university in the University System of New Hampshire , United States. The main campus is in Durham, New Hampshire. An additional campus is located in Manchester. With over 15,000 students, UNH is the largest university in New Hampshire. The university is...
. She has served in a variety of positions as an Air Battle Manager
Air Battle Manager
Air Battle Manager is a rated flying position in the United States Air Force.-History:Air Battle Manager has been a rated career field since October 1, 1999. This means that ABMs are career aviators who receive flight pay and must actively fly a certain number of months to maintain their rating...
, including instructor and Commander of the Command and Control Operations Division at the United States Air Force Weapons School, as well as Chief of Tactics in the 965th Airborne Warning and Control Squadron. She has held staff assignments as command briefer at Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Deputy Chief of Staff and executive assistant to the Director at the Defense Information Systems Agency, and executive officer to the Commander of Air Combat Command.
General Robinson has commanded an operations group, a training wing, and an air control wing. She has also deployed as Vice Commander of the 405th Air Expeditionary Wing
405th Air Expeditionary Wing
The 405th Air Expeditionary Wing is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Combat Command. It may be activated or inactivated at any time.Currently, it is believed that the 405 AEW is stationed at Thumrait AB, Oman...
, leading more than 2,000 Airmen flying B-1 Lancer
B-1 Lancer
The Rockwell B-1 LancerThe name "Lancer" is only applied to the B-1B version, after the program was revived. is a four-engine variable-sweep wing strategic bomber used by the United States Air Force...
, KC-135 Stratotanker
KC-135 Stratotanker
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...
and E-3 Sentry
E-3 Sentry
The Boeing E-3 Sentry is an airborne warning and control system developed by Boeing as the prime contractor. Derived from the Boeing 707, it provides all-weather surveillance, command, control and communications, and is used by the United States Air Force , NATO, Royal Air Force , French Air Force...
aircraft in operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. General Robinson was an Air Force Fellow at The Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., and has served at the Pentagon as Director of the Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Staff of the Air Force Executive Action Group. She has also been Chief of the Air Force House Liaison Office and Legislative Liaison at the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force. Prior to her current assignment, she was Deputy Director for Force Application and Support, Directorate of Force Structure, Resources and Assessment, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
Family & personal
The Robinson's daughter, Taryn Ashley (b.February 1, 1983) who was a pilot in training and a 2nd Lt. in the Air Force Reserve, was critically injured along with her instrustor, UPT school civilian flight instructor James L. Weaver, age 64, when their plane, a Diamond Aircraft Industries DA 20-C1, single-engine airplane, N63PA, was destroyed upon impact with terrain following an in-flight collision with power lines while maneuvering near Pleasanton, Texas on September 21, 2005. She eventually succumbed to the injuries and died on January 10, 2006. Lt. Robinson was enrolled in a government undergraduate pilot training (UPT) introductory flight program, which is required in order to receive a FAA private pilots certificate. Taryn's flight instructor, Weaver, was flying the Diamond single-engine plane when it snagged a power cable, the TV station said. He died instantly.Education
- 1981 Bachelor of Arts in English, University of New HampshireUniversity of New HampshireThe University of New Hampshire is a public university in the University System of New Hampshire , United States. The main campus is in Durham, New Hampshire. An additional campus is located in Manchester. With over 15,000 students, UNH is the largest university in New Hampshire. The university is...
, Durham, New Hampshire - 1986 Squadron Officer SchoolSquadron Officer SchoolSquadron Officer School , is a five-week long Professional Military Education course for U.S. Air Force Captains. It fulfills the U.S. Air Force's requirement for primary developmental education . SOS is based at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, and the in-residence version of the course is taught there...
, Maxwell AFB, Alabama - 1986 United States Air Force Fighter Weapons School, distinguished graduate, Nellis AFB, Nevada
- 1992 Master of arts in education leadership and management, Troy State University, Troy, Alabama
- 1995 Master's degree in national security and strategic studies, College of Naval Command and Staff, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
- 2001 Air War CollegeAir War CollegeThe Air War College is a part of the United States Air Force's Air University, headquartered at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. Air University's higher headquarters is Air Education and Training Command headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. The Air War...
, by correspondence - 2002 Air Force Fellow, The Brookings Institution, Washington, D.C.
- 2005 Senior Executive Fellows Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Assignments
- January 1982 - June 1982, student, Basic Air Weapons Controller School, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
- June 1982 - January 1983, air weapons controller, Homestead AFB, Fla.
- January 1983 - January 1985, instructor air weapons controller and live-fire senior director, 81st Range Control Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
- January 1985 - February 1986, Chief of Training; and Chief of Standards and Evaluations, 848th Air Control and Weapons Squadron, Wallace Air Station, the Philippines
- February 1986 - September 1986, air weapons controller, Air Weapons Controller Division, USAF Fighter Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
- September 1986 - December 1986, student, USAF Fighter Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
- December 1986 - October 1989, instructor and course manager, Air Weapon Control Division, USAF Fighter Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
- October 1989 - August 1992, Chief of Current Operations and command briefer, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
- August 1992 - May 1993, air weapons controller, 552nd Air Control Wing, Tinker AFB, Okla.
- June 1993 - June 1994, Chief, Weapons and Tactics Branch, 965th Airborne Warning and Control Squadron, Tinker AFB, Okla.
- July 1994 - June 1995, student, College of Naval Command and Staff, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
- June 1995 - September 1995, student, Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
- September 1995 - December 1997, command, control and communication officer, Deputy Chief of Staff, and executive assistant to the Director, Defense Information Systems Agency, Arlington, Va.
- December 1997 - June 1998, student, mission crew commander training, Nellis AFB, Nev.
- June 1998 - February 2000, Commander, Command and Control Operations Division, USAF Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
- February 2000 - July 2001, executive officer to the Commander, Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va.
- July 2001 - June 2002, Air Force Fellow, The Brookings Institution, Washington, D.C.
- June 2002 - August 2004, Commander, 552nd Operations Group, Tinker AFB, Okla. (March 2003 - May 2003, Vice Commander, 405th Air Expeditionary Wing, Southwest Asia)
- August 2004 - August 2005, Commander, 17th Training Wing, Goodfellow AFB, Texas
- August 2005 - September 2006, Director, Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Staff of the Air Force Executive Action Group, Washington, D.C.
- September 2006 - May 2007, Chief, Air Force House Liaison Office, Legislative Liaison, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
- May 2007 - August 2008, Commander, 552nd Air Control Wing, Tinker AFB, Okla.
- September 2008 - October 2010, Deputy Director for Force Application and Support, Directorate of Force Structure, Resources and Assessment, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
- October 2010 – present, Director, Legislative Liaison, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
Flight information
- Rating: Senior Air Battle Manager
- Flight hours: more than 1000
- Aircraft: E-3B/C and E-8C
Major awards and decorations
Legion of MeritLegion of MeritThe Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
Bronze StarBronze Star MedalThe Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
Defense Meritorious Service MedalDefense Meritorious Service MedalThe Defense Meritorious Service Medal is the third-highest award bestowed upon members of the United States military by the United States Department of Defense...
Meritorious Service MedalMeritorious Service Medal (United States)The Meritorious Service Medal is a military decoration presented to members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguished themselves by outstanding meritorious achievement or service to the United States subsequent to January 16, 1969...
with three oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement MedalAerial Achievement MedalThe Aerial Achievement Medal is a decoration of the United States Air Force which was first created in 1988. The decoration is intended to recognize the contributions of aircrew members who would, otherwise, not be qualified for the award of the Air Medal....
Air Force Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Effective dates of promotion
-
Second Lieutenant May 24, 1981 -
First Lieutenant September 11, 1983 -
Captain September 11, 1985 -
Major January 1, 1994 -
Lieutenant Colonel July 1, 1998 -
Colonel August 1, 2002 -
Brigadier General July 22, 2008 -
Major General October, 2010