Mike Minihan
Born1967 (age 5556)
AllegianceUnited States
Service/branchUnited States Air Force
Years of service1989–present
RankGeneral
Commands heldAir Mobility Command
89th Airlift Wing
19th Airlift Wing
Battles/warsIraq War
AwardsDefense Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal (2)
Legion of Merit (3)

Michael A. "Mike" Minihan (born 1967) is a general in the United States Air Force who has served as the commander of Air Mobility Command since October 5, 2021.[1][2]

Career

Minihan was commissioned in 1990 through Air Force ROTC at Auburn University in Alabama, where he had earned a Bachelor of Science in economics the year prior.[3] He began his service in the Air Force as a Lockheed C-130 Hercules pilot.[4]

From 2013 onwards, Minihan held multiple key roles in the Pacific.[4] He served as the deputy commander of United States Indo-Pacific Command from September 2019 to August 2021. He previously served as its chief of staff from January 2019 to September 2019.[3]

General Michael Minihan piloting a Lockheed-Martin C-130J Super Hercules.

In July 2021, he was nominated and confirmed for promotion to general and assignment as the commander of Air Mobility Command, set to succeed Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, who has been nominated to head United States Transportation Command.[5][6]

In September 2022, Minihan said at a military conference that the Air Force was responsible for the biggest "pile of our nation's enemy dead" among the branches of the American military and that "[w]hen you can kill your enemy, every part of your life is better. Your food tastes better. Your marriage is stronger."[4]

In January 2023, Minihan issued a memo predicting that China would invade Taiwan in 2025 using the 2024 presidential elections in Taiwan and the United States as an excuse and a distraction respectively. He also suggested that subordinates should prepare for war with more aggressive training and in respect to their personal affairs. Minihan's memo also asked airmen with weapons qualifications to empty clips into shooting targets while aiming for the head, saying that "unrepentant lethality matters most".[4]

Minihan's memo stated that all commanders within the Air Mobility Command must report acknowledgement of the memo in preparation for "the China fight".[7] His Commander's Intent stated, "Go faster. Drive readiness, integration, and agility for ourselves and the Joint Force to deter, and if required, defeat China. This is the first of 8 monthly directives from me. You need to know I alone own the pen on these orders. My expectations are high, and these orders are not up for negotiation. Follow them. I will be tough, fair, and loving in my approach to secure victory".[7] An official at the United States Department of Defense later told NBC News that Minihan's memo was "not representative of the department's view on China."[8]

Awards and decorations

US Air Force Command Pilot Badge
Air Force Basic Manpower and Personnel Badge
Headquarters Air Force Badge
Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Defense Superior Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
Width-44 crimson ribbon with a pair of width-2 white stripes on the edges Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Width-44 crimson ribbon with two width-8 white stripes at distance 4 from the edges. Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Silver oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with silver oak leaf cluster
Aerial Achievement Medal with one silver and one bronze oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Meritorious Unit Award with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor device and two silver oak leaf clusters
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award
Combat Readiness Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Recognition Ribbon
Bronze star
Width=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 bronze service star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with two service stars
Bronze star
Southwest Asia Service Medal with service star
Kosovo Campaign Medal with two service stars
Bronze star
Iraq Campaign Medal with service star
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Korea Defense Service Medal
Bronze star
Armed Forces Service Medal with service star
Bronze star
Humanitarian Service Medal with service star
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Air Force Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with gold frame and three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Longevity Service Award with one silver and two bronze oak leaf clusters
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
Air Force Training Ribbon
Order of National Security Merit, Cheonsu Medal (Korea)
NATO Medal for the Balkans (non-article 5)

Effective dates of promotions[3]

Minihan is administered the reaffirmation oath by General Charles Q. Brown Jr., chief of staff of the Air Force after his promotion to general, on October 4, 2021.
RankDate
Second LieutenantNovember 12, 1989
First LieutenantNovember 12, 1991
CaptainNovember 12, 1993
MajorMarch 1, 2001
Lieutenant ColonelApril 1, 2004
ColonelSeptember 1, 2007
Brigadier GeneralMarch 2, 2015
Major GeneralJuly 3, 2018
Lieutenant GeneralSeptember 27, 2019
GeneralOctober 5, 2021


References

  1. "Webcast: AMC Change of Command 2021". DVIDS. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
  2. "GENERAL MIKE MINIHAN". Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 "Lieutenant General Mike Minihan (USAF)". U.S. Air Force. July 30, 2021. Archived from the original on July 30, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2021. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Lamothe, Dan (January 27, 2023). "U.S. general warns troops that war with China is possible in two years". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  5. "PN809 — Lt. Gen. Michael A. Minihan — Air Force". U.S. Congress. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  6. McCullouch, Amy (2021-07-14). "Biden Nominates First Commander for Space Systems Command, New Boss at AMC". Air Force Magazine. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  7. 1 2 Hadley, Greg (2023-01-30). "Read for Yourself: The Full Memo from AMC Gen. Mike Minihan". Air & Space Forces Magazine. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  8. "U.S. general predicts war with China in 2025, tells officers to get ready". NBC News. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
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