Lieutenant General Joseph Lengyel, was confirmed as the first three-star vice chief of the National Guard Bureau on 27 July 2012. The position of vice chief was re-established and elevated to the three-star level by the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act.
Maj. Gen. Joseph L. Lengyel was previously the Senior U.S. Defense Official; Chief, Office of Military Cooperation; and Defense Attaché, Cairo, U.S. Central Command, Cairo, Egypt. He was the principle military official at the American Embassy in Cairo and the Department of Defense representative to the U.S. embassy country team and host nation. As Chief, Office of Military Cooperation, Egypt, he oversaw a budget of $1.3 billion and two divisions responsible for all aspects of the security assistance mission in Egypt. The office provides advice and assistance to Egypt on a wide range of military procurement and training issues, serves as a liaison between the Egyptian Ministry of Defense and U.S. Central Command and provides administrative and logistical support to more than 2,100 military and civilian personnel and their families stationed in Egypt.
General Lengyel was commissioned in 1981 through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at North Texas State University in Denton. He served in various operational and staff assignments, primarily as an F-16 instructor pilot and weapons officer. His experience in the F-16 includes tours in Air Combat Command, Pacific Air Forces, U.S. Air Forces in Europe and the Texas Air National Guard. He has commanded a fighter squadron, operations group, air expeditionary group and the Air National Guard Readiness Center.
EDUCATION
1981 Bachelors degree in chemistry, North Texas State University, Denton, Texas
1984 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1988 USAF Fighter Weapons Instructor Course, Nellis AFB, Nev.
1994 Air Command and Staff College, by seminar
2001 Air War College, by correspondence
2008 National Security Management Course, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, N.Y.
2009 Capstone General and Flag Officer Course, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2010 Combined Force Air Component Commander course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2010 Program for Senior Executives in National and International Security, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
2011 Master of Business Administration, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
ASSIGNMENTS
1. March 1982 - February 1983, student, undergraduate pilot training, Laughlin AFB, Texas
2. March 1983 - May 1983, student, fighter lead-in training, Holloman AFB, N.M.
3. May 1983 - December 1983, student, F-16 upgrade training, MacDill AFB, Fla.
4. January 1984 - April 1986, instructor pilot, Nellis AFB, Nev.
5. April 1986 - March 1987, instructor pilot flight examiner, Kunsan Air Base, South Korea
6. May 1987 - June 1987, F-16C conversion training, Luke AFB, Ariz.
7. June 1987 - August 1991, instructor pilot, and Chief of Weapons, 512th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
8. September 1991 - November 1995, instructor pilot flight examiner and weapons officer, 182nd Fighter Squadron, Texas Air National Guard, Kelly AFB, Texas
9. November 1995 - April 1997, Commander, 149th Operations Support Flight, 149th Operations Group, Kelly AFB, Texas
10. April 1997 - October 1998, operations officer, 182nd Fighter Squadron, Kelly AFB, Texas
11. October 1998 - October 1999, Commander, 182nd Fighter Squadron, Kelly AFB, Texas
12. October 1999 - March 2002, Commander, 149th Operations Group, Lackland AFB, Texas
13. March 2002 - May 2004, Vice Commander, 149th Fighter Wing, Lackland AFB, Texas
14. June 2004 - September 2004, Commander, 455th Expeditionary Operations Group, Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan
15. October 2004 - October 2006, Air National Guard adviser to Commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein AB, Germany
16. October 2006 - September 2008, Commander, Air National Guard Readiness Center, Andrews AFB, Md.
17. September 2008 - June, 2009, Deputy Director, Air National Guard, Arlington, Va., and Commander, Air National Guard Readiness Center, Andrews AFB, Md.
18. June 2009 - July 2010, Military Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
19. July 2010 - June 2011, Vice Commander, 1st Air Force (Air Forces Northern), Tyndall AFB, Fla.
20. June 2011 - present, Senior U.S. Defense Official; Chief, Office of Military Cooperation; and Defense Attaché, Cairo, U.S. Central Command, Cairo, Egypt
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: More than 3,000
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-38 and F-16
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1983 Distinguished graduate, undergraduate pilot training
2009 Maj. Gen. I.G. Brown Command Excellence Award
Multiple civilian pilot ratings, including Airline Transport Pilot
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Dec. 21, 1981
First Lieutenant Dec. 21, 1983
Captain Dec. 21, 1985
Major Dec. 13, 1994
Lieutenant Colonel Dec. 23, 1998
Colonel Sept. 18, 2002
Brigadier General Sept. 26, 2008
Major General April 1, 2011
Stumble It!
