Joseph William Ashy,[1] (born October 16, 1940)[2] is a retired
United States Air Force (USAF) general who was commander in chief of
North American Aerospace Defense Command and
United States Space Command, and commander of
Air Force Space Command, headquartered at
Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. As commander of NORAD, General Ashy was responsible for the air sovereignty of the United States and Canada, as well as for providing tactical warning and attack assessment. As USCINCSPACE, he commanded the unified command responsible for directing space control and support operations including theater missile defense. As COMAFSPC, he directed satellite control, warning, space launch and ballistic missile operations missions through a worldwide network of support facilities and bases.
July 1979 – August 1982, division chief, plans and operations, then executive officer to the Air Force chief of staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
February 1986 – June 1988, director, Joint Control Group, U.S. Atlantic Command Exercise Ocean Venture '86; then inspector general, chief of staff; deputy chief of staff, plans; Headquarters Tactical Air Command,
Langley Air Force Base, Virginia
June 1988 – July 1989, commander, U.S. Air Force Tactical Fighter Weapons Center, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada
July 1989 – June 1990, deputy chief of staff, operations; then vice commander, Tactical Air Command, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia
June 1990 – December 1992, commander, Air Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas
December 1992 – February 1994, commander, Allied Air Forces Southern Europe and deputy commander in chief, U.S. Air Forces in Europe for the Southern Area
February 1994 – September 1994, commander, Allied Air Forces Southern Europe and commander, 16th Air Force, U.S. Air Forces in Europe
September 1994 – 1996, commander in chief, North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Space Command, and commander, Air Force Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado