Maj. Gen. Neil R. Richardson is the Commander of the Air Force District of Washington and the 320th Air Expeditionary Wing, headquartered at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. AFDW is the Air Force component to the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region and is responsible for organizing, training and equipping combat forces for aerospace expeditionary forces, homeland operations, civil support, national special security events and ceremonial events. AFDW also provides major-command-level support for 33,000 military and civilian personnel assigned worldwide.
Maj. Gen. Richardson hails from Santa Fe, New Mexico, and received his commission from the Reserve Officer Training Corps at New Mexico State University in May 1995, where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management Information Systems. He attended Undergraduate Navigator Training at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, and went on to serve as a C-130 Navigator, Instructor Navigator, C-130 Formal Training Unit Flight Instructor and C-130 Weapons Officer.
Maj. Gen. Richardson is a master navigator with over 2,250 hours and has operational experience in the Pacific, Europe and North Africa as well as combat tours in operations Joint Guardian, Allied Force, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn.
He has held a variety of positions at the squadron, wing, major command and combatant command levels. His headquarters staff assignments include duty at Air Mobility Command, U.S. Transportation Command, the Air Staff and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. Prior to his current assignment, he served as Deputy Inspector General of the Department of the Air Force, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force.
EDUCATION
1995 Bachelor of Arts, Management Information Systems, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces
2000 C-130 Weapons Instructor Course, United States Air Force Weapons School, Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark.
2001 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2006 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2007 Master of Military Operational Arts and Science, American Military University, by correspondence
2009 Intermediate Developmental Education, Legislative Fellowship, Washington, D.C.
2011 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2015 National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2020 Capstone General and Flag Officer Course, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2022 Senior Joint Information Operations Applications Course, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2024 Combined Forces Air Component Commander Course, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2024 Enterprise Leadership Course, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1995–December 1996, Student, Undergraduate Navigator Training, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas
2. December 1996–May 1997, Student, C-130 Initial Qualification Training, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
3. May 1997–May 2000, C-130 Navigator, Instructor Navigator, Squadron Executive Officer, 37th Airlift Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
4. May 2000–December 2000, Student, United States Air Force Weapons School, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
5. January 2001–May 2003, C-130 Weapons Officer, Formal Training Unit Instructor, Life Support Officer, Tactics Flight Commander, and Group Executive Officer, 314th Airlift Wing, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
6. May 2003–May 2005, C-130 Weapons Instructor Cadre, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
7. June 2005–May 2008, Chief, C-130 Combat Programs and Policy Branch, Chief, Information Operations and Aerospace Integration Branch, Headquarters Air Mobility Command/A3D, Scott AFB, Ill.
8. June 2008–December 2009, Student, Legislative Fellowship, Washington, D.C.
9. January 2010–January 2011, Director of Operations, 50th Airlift Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
10. February 2011–December 2011, Commander, 447th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron, Baghdad, Iraq
11. January 2012–June 2012, Deputy Commander, 19th Maintenance Group, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
12. July 2012–July 2014, Deputy Director, Legislative and Interagency Affairs, United States Transportation Command, Arlington, Va.
13. August 2014–July 2015, Student, National War College, Washington, D.C.
14. August 2015–May 2017, Vice Commander, 374th Airlift Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan
15. June 2017–July 2019, Commander, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and 87th Air Base Wing, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
16. August 2019–July 2021, Chief, Senate Legislative Liaison, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
17. July 2021–June 2023, Deputy Director of Operations, Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
18. June 2023–July 2024, Deputy Director for Strategic Planning and Policy, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii
19. July 2024–July 2025, Deputy Director for Operations, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii
20. July 2025–June 2026, Deputy Inspector General, Department of the Air Force, Headquarters Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
21. June 2026-present, Commander, Air Force District of Washington and the 320th Air Expeditionary Wing, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2012–July 2014, Deputy Director, Legislative and Interagency Affairs, United States Transportation Command, Arlington, Va., as a lieutenant colonel
2. June 2023–July 2024, Deputy Director for Strategic Planning and Policy, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii, as a brigadier general
3. July 2024–July 2025, Deputy Director for Operations, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii, as a major general
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: master navigator
Flight hours: more than 2,250
Aircraft flown: C-130E/H
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with three oak leaf clusters
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
(Current as of June 2026)