Anthony James Cotton[1] is a United States Air Force four-star general who serves as the 12th commander of the United States Strategic Command since 9 December 2022. He most recently served as the commander of the Air Force Global Strike Command from 27 August 2021 to 7 December 2022, having served as the deputy commander from 2019 to 2021.[2] Prior to that, he was the president of the Air University.[3][4][5][6]
Anthony Cotton | |
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| Allegiance | United States |
| Service | United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1986–present |
| Rank | General |
| Commands | |
| Awards | |
| Alma mater | |
Cotton is from Dudley, North Carolina, where he graduated from Southern Wayne High School in 1981. He is the son of James H. and Amy K. Cotton; his father was a chief master sergeant in the Air Force.[7] Anthony Cotton was commissioned through ROTC at North Carolina State University in 1986, where he also earned a bachelor's degree in political science.[7] Prior to his AFGSC service, Cotton commanded the 20th Air Force, served as deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office, and was senior military assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence.[8]
In June 2022, Cotton was nominated for reappointment as general and assignment as commander of the United States Strategic Command.[9][10][11] He appeared for a hearing before the Senate Committee on Armed Services on 15 September 2022[12] and was confirmed by voice vote of the full Senate on 29 September 2022.[10] He assumed command on 9 December 2022.[13][14]
Awards and decorations
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Command Space Operations Badge |
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Command Missile Operations Badge |
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Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge |
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Headquarters Air Force Badge |
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Air Force Distinguished Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster |
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Defense Superior Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster |
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Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster |
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Defense Meritorious Service Medal |
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Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters |
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Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster |
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Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster |
 
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Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with one silver and two bronze oak leaf clusters |
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Air Force Organizational Excellence Award |
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National Reconnaissance Office Distinguished Service Medal (gold medal) |
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Combat Readiness Medal with oak leaf cluster |
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National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star |
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Global War on Terrorism Service Medal |
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Air and Space Campaign Medal |
 
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Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with "N" device |
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Air Force Longevity Service Award with one silver and three bronze oak leaf clusters |
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Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon with service star |
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Air Force Training Ribbon |
Effective dates of promotions
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| Rank | Date[2] |
|---|---|
 Second lieutenant |
7 June 1986 |
 First lieutenant |
7 June 1988 |
 Captain |
7 June 1990 |
 Major |
1 March 1998 |
 Lieutenant colonel |
1 March 2002 |
 Colonel |
1 December 2006 |
 Brigadier general |
10 November 2011 |
 Major general |
6 July 2015 |
 Lieutenant general |
15 February 2018 |
 General |
27 August 2021 |
References
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This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Government.
- ^ "97th Annual Commencement" (PDF). North Carolina State University. 1986. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 October 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ a b "General Anthony J. Cotton". United States Air Force. August 2021. Archived from the original on 17 March 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Harper, Brad (12 December 2019). "Air University leader has been nominated for Air Global Strike Command position in Louisiana". Montgomery Advertiser. Archived from the original on 27 April 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ Ramsouer, Tammie (15 February 2018). "Lt. Gen. Cotton assumes command of Air University". Maxwell Air Force Base. Archived from the original on 12 June 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "PN741 – Lt. Gen. Anthony J. Cotton – Air Force, 117th Congress (2021–2022)". U.S. Congress. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ Cohen, Rachel (24 June 2021). "Cotton nominated to run Air Force's nuclear enterprise at pivotal time". Military Times. Archived from the original on 27 April 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
- ^ a b Calkins, Christopher (30 August 2011). "Cotton: Stay sharp; Our mission demands it". 45th Space Wing Public Affairs, Air Force Space Command. Archived from the original on 10 October 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ Leishman, Angeline (28 June 2021). "Lt. Gen. Anthony Cotton Nominated to Lead AF Global Strike Command". executivegov.com. Archived from the original on 29 June 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
- ^ "Nominee Says Strategic Command Must Deal With Changing World". U.S. Department of Defense. Archived from the original on 16 February 2023. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
- ^ a b "PN2229 — Gen. Anthony J. Cotton — Air Force, 117th Congress (2021-2022)". U.S. Congress. 29 September 2022. Archived from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
- ^ "General Officer Announcements". U.S. Department of Defense. 8 June 2022. Archived from the original on 9 June 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
- ^ "Nomination - Cotton". U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services. 15 September 2022. Archived from the original on 30 September 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
- ^ United States Strategic Command [@US_STRATCOM] (3 December 2022). "One week from today, @USNavy Admiral Charles A. Richard will relinquish command of #USSTRATCOM to @usairforce General Anthony J. Cotton" (Tweet). Retrieved 4 December 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ Garamone, Jim (9 December 2022). "Stratcom Gets New Leader". U.S. Department of Defense. Archived from the original on 7 February 2023. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
External links
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Media related to Anthony J. Cotton at Wikimedia Commons
