Brig. Gen. Matthew C. Isler is the Assistant Deputy Commander, U.S. Air Forces Central Command, and Assistant Vice Commander, 9th Air Expeditionary Task Force, Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. In this position, the general assists with the development of contingency plans and the execution of air operations for the 20-nation U.S. Central Command area of responsibility covering Central and Southwest Asia.
Brigadier General Isler was commissioned in 1991 after graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy. His flying assignments include duties as an instructor pilot, flight commander, flight examiner and weapons instructor. He commanded an operational 24-aircraft F-15C squadron and led deployments supporting homeland defense missions and partnership training for Operation Enduring Freedom. He also served as Air Liaison Officer to the Republic of Korea Army, deployed with the XVII Airborne Corps during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and as the Vice Commander of the 14th Flying Training Wing at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi, and the Commander of the 12th Flying Training Wing at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas.
Prior to his current position he was the Deputy Commanding General – Air, Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command – Operation Inherent Resolve; Director, Joint Air Component Coordination Element, Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve; and Vice Commander, Ninth Air Expeditionary Task Force – Levant, Southwest Asia.
Brig. Gen. Isler flew during operations Southern Watch, Northern Watch and Noble Eagle and is a command pilot with more than 3,400 flying hours including more than 130 combat hours.
EDUCATION
1991 Distinguished Graduate, Bachelor of Science, physics, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1995 Joint Firepower Control Course, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
1996 Master of Science, aeronautical science and management, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla.
1998 Distinguished and Top Squadron Graduate, Squadron Officer's School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2001 F-15 Fighter Weapons Instructor Course, Nellis AFB, Nev.
2004 Distinguished Graduate, Master of Science, military operational art and science, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2009 Distinguished graduate, master's degree in national security strategy, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2011 Fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Seminar XXI
2013 U.S. Air Force Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Darden, Va.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 1991 - October 1992, Student Pilot, Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training, Sheppard AFB, Texas
2. November 1992 - February 1993, Student Pilot, T-37 Pilot Instructor Training, 559th Flying Training Squadron, Randolph AFB, Texas
3. February 1993 – December 1995, T-37 Instructor Pilot, Check Pilot, and RSU Controller, 35th Flying Training Squadron, Reese AFB, Texas
4. January 1996 - January 1997, Air Liaison Officer, Third Republic of Korea Army Air Liaison Office, Camp Red Cloud, South Korea
5. December 1997 – January 2001, F-15 Instructor Pilot, Chief of Squadron Scheduling, and Flight Commander, 71st Fighter Squadron, Langley AFB, Va.
6. February 2001 – July 2003, F-15 Instructor Pilot, Weapons Officer, and Wing Weapons Officer, 60th Fighter Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla.
7. July 2003 – June 2004, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
8. August 2004 – May 2006, F-15 Weapons Instructor, Operations Officer, and Chief of 57th Wing Standardization and Evaluation, 433rd Weapons Squadron, U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
9. June 2006 – December 2007, Commander, 58th Fighter Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla.
10. January 2008 – May 2008, Air Liaison Officer, Multi-National Corps-Iraq, Camp Victory, Baghdad, Iraq
11. July 2008 – June 2009, Student, National War College, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C.
12. July 2009 – May 2010, Operations Officer, J-33 Global Force Management, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
13. May 2010 – May 2011, Special Assistant, Assistant to the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
14. July 2011 – March 2013, Vice Commander, 14th Flying Training Wing, Columbus AFB, Miss.
15. March 2013 – June 2014, Executive Officer to the Commander, Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
16. June 2014 – April 2016, Commander, 12th Flying Training Wing, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas
17. April 2016 – June 2017, Deputy Commanding General – Air, Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command – Operation Inherent Resolve; Director, Joint Air Component Coordination Element, Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve; Vice Commander, Ninth Air Expeditionary Task Force Levant, Baghdad, Iraq
18. June 2017 – present, Assistant Deputy Commander, U.S. Air Forces Central Command, and Assistant Vice Commander, 9th Air Expeditionary Task Force, Shaw AFB, S.C.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2009 – May 2010, Operations Officer, J-33 Global Force Management, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a lieutenant colonel
2. May 2010 – May 2011, Special Assistant, Assistant to the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a lieutenant colonel
3. April 2016 – June 2017, Deputy Commanding General – Air, Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command – Operation Inherent Resolve; Director, Joint Air Component Coordination Element, Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve, as a brigadier general
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight Hours: More than 3,400, including more than 130 combat hours
Aircraft Flown: T-6, T-37, T-38, F-15C/D
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 29, 1991
First Lieutenant May 29, 1993
Captain May 29, 1995
Major March 1, 2002
Lieutenant Colonel March 1, 2006
Colonel August 1, 2011
Brigadier General September 3, 2016
(Current as of July 2017)