BRIGADIER GENERAL MATTHEW A. BOURASSA
Assistant Adjutant General, Maine Air National Guard
Brigadier General Matthew A. Bourassa is the Assistant Adjutant General-Air, Joint Force Headquarters-Maine Air National Guard, Augusta, Maine. He assists the Wing Commander in ensuring the readiness and employment of 1100 Airmen assigned to the Maine Air National Guard, and is directly responsible for the full spectrum of command, discipline, training, and morale issues of a ten aircraft KC-135 air refueling wing. He ensures the Wing and all subordinate units are combat ready at all times to support USSTRATCOM War Order Plans, air refueling for Higher Headquarters directed taskings, ANG training and operational requirements, and all Northeast Tanker Task Force Coronet and air bridge refuelings for the Department of Defense.
Brig Gen Bourassa received his commission in 1989 from the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Maine. He completed Undergraduate Pilot Training at Reese AFB, TX in 1991 with follow on assignments with the 2nd Airborne Command and Control and 45th Reconnaissance Squadrons, Offutt AFB, NE. He flew as a T-1A Instructor pilot with the Joint Undergraduate Naval Flight Officer Training unit, VT-10, Pensacola, Florida. Brig Gen Bourassa joined the Maine Air National Guard in 2002, serving as a traditional Guardsman flying the KC-135E with the 132nd Air Refueling Squadron, Bangor Air National Guard Base. He transitioned to full-time duty with the 132nd Air Refueling Squadron in 2009. He was appointed Vice Commander of the 101st Air Refueling Wing in April 2018.
Prior to his current assignment, Brig Gen Bourassa served as the Wing Commander, 101st Air Refueling Wing, Bangor, Maine.
Brig Gen Bourassa is a command pilot with more than 7000 combined flying hours in the T-37, T-38, T-1A, EC/OC/TC/WC -135 and KC -135A/E/R/T aircraft.
EDUCATION
1989 Bachelor of Science, Business Administration, University of Maine, Orono, ME
1994 Master of Business Administration, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE
1996 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, GA
2006 Air Command Staff College by correspondence
2012 Air War College, by correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 1990 – January 1991, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Reese Air Force Base, Lubbock, TX
2. April 1991 – August 1991, KC-135A Combat Crew Training School, Castle Air Force Base, Merced, CA
3. August 1991 – July 1996, EC/OC-135 Pilot, T-37 Stan/Eval Pilot, Offutt Air Force Base, Omaha, NE
4. August 1996 – September 1999, T-1A Instructor Pilot, Joint Naval Flight Officer Training, VT-10, Pensacola Naval Air Station, Pensacola, FL
5. July 2002 – June 2009, Pilot/Instructor Pilot KC-135E/R, 132nd Air Refueling Squadron, Bangor, Maine
6. June 2009 – May 2012, Scheduler, Training Flight Instructor, 132nd Air Refueling Squadron, Bangor, Maine
7. May 2012 – Feb 2014, Chief of Training, 132nd Air Refueling Squadron, Bangor, Maine
8. Feb 2014 – May 2015, Chief of Stan/Eval, 101st Operations Group, Bangor, Maine
9. May 2015 - December 2015, Operations Officer, 132nd Air Refueling Squadron, Bangor, Maine
10. December 2015 – December 2017, Commander, 132nd Air Refueling Squadron, Bangor, Maine
11. December 2017 – April 2018, Director of Operations, Joint Force Headquarters, Augusta, Maine
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: More than 7000 military hours
Military aircraft flown: T-37, T-38, T-1A, EC-135C/J, OC-135B, WC-135W, TC-135S, KC-135A/E/R/T
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with four oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal with eight oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Southwest Asia Service Medal with one bronze star
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one bronze star
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal with one bronze star
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with gold border with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Longevity Service Ribbon with six oak leaf clusters
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with 5 ‘M’ Device
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon (pistol)
Air Force Training Ribbon
NATO Medal with one bronze star
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant – May 13, 1989
First Lieutenant – Sep 09, 1991
Captain – Sep 09, 1993
Major – Aug 12, 2003
Lieutenant Colonel – Aug 12, 2010
Colonel – Apr 26, 2018
Brig Gen – Oct 2022
(Current as of Dec 2022)