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)