Brig. Gen. Preston F. McFarren is the Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The center is responsible for the total life cycle management of all aircraft, engines, munitions, electronic and cyber systems. As the senior reservist, he assists the Center Commander in leading 26,000 personnel in 13 program executive offices, 14 functional directorates and two air base organizations located at 60 worldwide locations. The center executes a $205 billion budget annually to support 5,100 Air Force, joint and international programs.
Brig. Gen. McFarren earned his Air Force commission in 1991 as a graduate of the Reserve Officer Training Corps from The University of Texas at Austin. A career logistician, Brig. Gen. McFarren has in served in logistics, training and operational planning roles in a variety of positions. While on active duty, he was selected to serve at the Joint Special Operations Command where he deployed on numerous high-profile actions. Upon assignment to the Reserve, he was chosen to command the 26th Aerial Port Squadron, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. In the spring of 2007, he ran the Defense Department’s busiest aerial port operation at Balad Air Base, Iraq, and served as the Director of Logistics for the Combined Forces Special Operations Component Command in Kabul, Afghanistan, from August 2009 to March 2010.
Prior to his current role, Brig. Gen. McFarren served as special Assistant to the Deputy Commander, Air Force Reserve Command, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. He was previously also the Mobilization Assistant to the Director of Operations, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Florida. In his civilian capacity, Brig. Gen. McFarren works as a Regional Business Manager for a pharmaceutical company.
EDUCATION
1991 Bachelor of Arts, Government, The University of Texas at Austin
1992 Basic Transportation Officer Course, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas
1996 Squadron Officer’s School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2000 Master of Arts, Management, with honors, Webster University, St. Louis
2006 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2014 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2015 Joint Enabling Capabilities Command Planner Course, Naval Station Norfolk, Va.
2016 Joint and Combined Warfighting School-Hybrid, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
2017 Reserve Component National Security Course, National Defense University, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. February 1992-August 1994, Flight Commander, Vehicle Operations & Combat Readiness, 28th Transportation Squadron, Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D.
2. December 1994-December 1995, Flight Commander, Air Freight, 3rd Aerial Port Squadron, Pope AFB, N.C.
3. December 1995-July 1997, Operations Officer, 3rd Aerial Port Squadron, Pope AFB, N.C.
4. July 1997-July 2000, Assistant Chief, Transportation Division, Headquarters Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.
5. July 2000-July 2001, Operations Officer, 324th Training Squadron, Lackland AFB, Texas
6. July 2001-August 2002, Flight Commander, Standards and Evaluations, 737th Training Group, Lackland AFB, Texas
7. August 2003-July 2011, Commander, 26th Aerial Port Squadron, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas (January 2007–May 2007, Flight Commander, Aerial Port Flight, 332nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron, Balad Air Base, Iraq and August 2009–March 2010, Director of Logistics, Combined Forces Special Operations Component Command, Kabul, Afghanistan)
8. July 2011-May 2015, Deputy Commander, 433rd Mission Support Group, JB San Antonio-Lackland, Texas
9. May 2015-July 2018, Commander, 953rd Reserve Support Squadron, Naval Station Norfolk, Va.
10. July 2018-January 2019, Senior Individual Mobilization Augmentee (IMA) to the Director of Logistics, Headquarters US Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington Va.
11. January 2019–December 2019, Mobilization Assistant to the Director of Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
12. December 2019–June 2020, Mobilization Assistant to the Director of Strategic Plans, Programs, and Requirements, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
13. June 2020–July 2021, Mobilization Assistant to the Director of Operations, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
14. July 2021–July 2022, Special Assistant to the Deputy Commander, Air Force Reserve Command, Robins AFB, Ga.
15. July 2022 - present, Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1997–July 2000, Assistant Chief, Transportation Division, Headquarters Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C., as a captain
2. August 2009–March 2010, Director of Logistics, Combined Forces Special Operations Component Command, Kabul, Afghanistan as a lieutenant colonel
3. May 2015–July 2018, Commander, 953rd Reserve Support Squadron, Naval Station Norfolk, Va. (with duties at the Joint Staff J7 South, Joint Force Development Directorate, Suffolk, Va.), as a colonel
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Army Commendation Medal
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Army Achievement Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award with gold border
Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with four oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal
National Defense Service Medal with device
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with device
Iraq Campaign Medal with device
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal
Air Force Overseas Ribbon Short
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with gold border and oak leaf cluster
Air Force Longevity Service Ribbon with silver oak leaf cluster
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with two “M” devices
Air Force Training Ribbon
NATO Medal with device
Parachutist Badge
Parachute Rigger Badge
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
Rating: basic parachutist
Number of Jumps: 31
Aircraft Used: C-130, C-141, MC-130P, MH-60, UH-60, DH-6 and Casa 212
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Oct. 1, 1991
First Lieutenant Oct. 1, 1993
Captain Oct. 1, 1995
Major July 1, 2002
Lieutenant Colonel Aug. 14, 2008
Colonel May 1, 2015
Brigadier General April 6, 2020
(Current as of July 2022)