Brigadier General Matthew A. Bourassa

Assistant Adjutant General MeANG - (ME) Joint Force Headquarters (JFHQ) Augusta, ME

 

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)