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Paul Moga

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(Redirected from Paul D. Moga) U.S. Air Force general (born 1972)

Paul Moga
Nickname(s)Mugsy, Max
Born (1972-11-13) November 13, 1972 (age 52)
Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
Service / branchUnited States Air Force
Years of service1995–present
RankMajor General
CommandsThird Air Force
Commandant of Cadets, U.S. Air Force Academy
33rd Fighter Wing
525th Fighter Squadron
Battles / warsNATO bombing of Yugoslavia
Iraq War
AwardsDefense Superior Service Medal (3)
Legion of Merit (2)
Alma materUnited States Air Force Academy (BS)
Southwest University (MS)

Paul Daniel Moga (born November 13, 1972) is a United States Air Force major general who has served as the commander of Third Air Force since April 3, 2024. He most recently served as chief of staff of United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa from 2023 to 2024. He previously served as the Commandant of Cadets of the United States Air Force Academy from 2021 to 2023, and as the deputy director for operations of the United States Northern Command.

Moga was also the host of American Heroes Channel (formerly named the Military Channel) Television shows Showdown: Air Combat and Great Planes.

Early life

Paul Moga was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on November 13, 1972, and lived in the Saint Paul suburb of North Oaks, Minnesota. He attended Cretin-Derham Hall High School, graduating in May 1991. After high school, Moga attended the United States Air Force Academy and graduated with the Class of 1995.

Military career

After graduating from the Air Force Academy, Paul Moga remained at the Academy on casual status until he attended Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas. He graduated as the Distinguished Graduate, Academic Award, Flying Award and AETC Commander's Trophy recipient. Moga then attended Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi, and F-15 Eagle Formal Training Unit (FTU) at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida Upon graduation, he was then assigned to Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, for three years. Following that assignment, Moga moved back to Tyndall Air Force base to serve as an F-15C FTU Instructor Pilot where he taught for four years. During that time, he attended Squadron Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, and received Distinguished Graduate honors.

Moga was one of thirteen pilots Air Force-wide accepted into the F-22A Raptor program as initial FTU IP cadre in the 43rd Fighter Squadron at Tyndall AFB. He was the 43rd Fighter Squadron Flight Commander of the year in 2005 and the 325th Fighter Wing Lance P. Sijan Award nominee for 2006. In February 2006 he was selected to be the first F-22 Demonstration Pilot and moved to Langley Air Force Base in August of that year.

Between May 2011 and June 2012, Moga was an F-22 Evaluator and Commander of the 525th Fighter Squadron flying out of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. Between June 2012 and February 2013, he was a student at the NATO Defense College in Rome, Italy. After graduating from the NATO defense college, he became the Executive Officer to the Chief of Staff of the U.S. European Command, in Stuttgart, Germany until June 2015 when he was assigned as the Vice Commander of the 80th Flying Training Wing. Moga would serve as a vice wing commander until April 2017 when he became the commander of the 33rd Fighter Wing. Moga commanded the 33rd Fighter Wing for over two years between April 2017 and June 2019. In June 2019, then Colonel Moga became the Strategic Planning and Integration Division Chief, for Headquarters U.S. Air Force A8, at the Pentagon. Moga eventually became the Deputy Director for Operations of the United States Northern Command after 13 months at the pentagon in July 2020. Moga has over 2,600 flying hours in fighter aircraft and over 250 combat hours over Yugoslavia and Iraq.

In March 2023, Moga was nominated for promotion to major general with assignment as chief of staff of United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa. His nomination was among those under a hold by Senator Eric Schmitt in relation to DEI programs in the military.

Awards and decorations

Personal decorations
Defense Superior Service Medal
Bronze oak leaf clusterWidth-44 crimson ribbon with a pair of width-2 white stripes on the edges Legion of Merit with one bronze oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Bronze oak leaf clusterBronze oak leaf clusterBronze oak leaf clusterWidth-44 crimson ribbon with two width-8 white stripes at distance 4 from the edges. Meritorious Service Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters
Bronze oak leaf clusterBronze oak leaf cluster Air Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Bronze oak leaf cluster Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal
Unit awards
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with one silver oak leaf cluster
Service Awards
Bronze oak leaf cluster Combat Readiness Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
Campaign and service medals
Bronze starWidth=44 scarlet ribbon with a central width-4 golden yellow stripe, flanked by pairs of width-1 scarlet, white, Old Glory blue, and white stripes National Defense Service Medal with one service star
Bronze star Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with one service star
Bronze star Kosovo Campaign Medal with one service star
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Service and training awards
Bronze oak leaf cluster Air Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon with one bronze oak leaf cluster
Air Force Longevity Service Award with one silver and one bronze oak leaf cluster
Air Force Training Ribbon
Foreign awards
NATO Medal for Former Yugoslavia
Other accoutrements
US Air Force Command Pilot Badge
Headquarters Air Force Badge

Effective dates of promotion

Insignia Rank Date of rank
Second Lieutenant May 31, 1995
First Lieutenant May 31, 1997
Captain May 31, 1999
Major July 1, 2005
Lieutenant Colonel March 1, 2009
Colonel June 1, 2015
Brigadier General December 2, 2020

References

  1. ^ https://s3.amazonaws.com/usafayearbooks/1995.pdf
  2. ^ "Lt. Col. Paul "Max" Moga : Military Channel : Discovery Press Web".
  3. "Third Air Force welcomes new commander". U.S. Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa. Ramstein Air Base, Germany: HQ USAFE-AFAFRICA Public Affairs. April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  4. "BRIGADIER GENERAL PAUL D. MOGA". www.af.mil.
  5. "Academy's new commandant reports for duty". United States Air Force Academy. May 27, 2021.
  6. "Lt. Col. Paul "Max" Moga : Military Channel : Discovery Press Web". press.discovery.com.
  7. "Col. Paul D. Moga visits the 96th Civil Engineer Squadron". DVIDS.
  8. "Brig. Gen. Paul Moga picked as Air Force Academy's commandant of cadets". KOAA. April 9, 2021.
  9. "Brigadier General Paul D. Moga".
  10. "PN456 — Air Force, 118th Congress (2023–2024)". U.S. Congress. March 21, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  11. "General Officer Announcements". U.S. Department of Defense. March 22, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  12. Roughton, Randy (June 21, 2023). "Brig. Gen. Marks Takes Command of Cadet Wing". U.S. Air Force Academy. U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  13. Shane, Leo (December 7, 2023). "23 top military leaders still in limbo after nominations blockade ends". Marine Corps Times.

External links

Military offices
Preceded byLansing Pilch Commander of the 33rd Fighter Wing
2017–2019 		Succeeded byJon S. Wheeler Jr.
Preceded byMichele C. Edmondson Commandant of Cadets of the United States Air Force Academy
2021–2023 		Succeeded byGavin P. Marks
Preceded byBrian S. Laidlaw Chief of Staff of United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa
2023–2024 		Succeeded byOtis C. Jones
Preceded byDerek France Commander of Third Air Force
2024–present 		Incumbent
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