South Carolina National Guard

Col. Michael Hudson is commander of the 169th Fighter Wing, South Carolina Air National Guard, McEntire Joint National Guard Base, Eastover, South Carolina. He is the senior officer responsible for organizing, training and equipping the largest operational F-16 wing in the Air National Guard. He is responsible for the care, morale and welfare of approximately 1,500 military and civilian personnel, including 1,300 Air National Guard and 150 Active Duty airmen assigned to the 169th FW in an “Active Associate” construct. As the Joint National Guard base commander, he hosts the largest Army National Guard flying operation in South Carolina. Previously, he served as vice commander of the 169th Fighter Wing, and commanded the 169th Operations Group and the 157th Fighter Squadron.

Colonel Hudson was born in Columbia, S.C. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of South Carolina. He was commissioned through Officer Training School and graduated from Undergraduate Pilot Training at Reese AFB, TX in 1984. He is a command pilot with more than 4500 hours logged in AETC, PACAF, ACC and the ANG. He has flown 97 combat sorties in Operations Desert Storm, Northern and Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. In 2010 he served as deputy operations group commander at Joint Base Balad, Iraq.

• 1980 - Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
• 1984 - Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL
• 1986 - Masters of Science in Management, Houston Baptist University, Houston, TX
• 1999 - Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL
• 2002 - Air War College, Maxwell AFB, AL

• Legion of Merit
• Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
• Air Medal with six oak leaf clusters
• Aerial Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters
• Air Force Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clusters
• Combat Readiness Medal with 4 oak leaf clusters
• National Defense Service Meda
• Southwest Asia Service Medal
• Iraq Campaign Medal
• Afghanistan Campaign Medal
• Korean Defense Service Medal
• Humanitarian Service Medal
• AF Overseas Ribbon Short with two devices
• Armed Forces Reserve Medal
• Kuwait Liberation Medal Saudi Arabia
• Kuwait Liberation Medal Kuwait
• SC Meritorious Service Medal

• April 1983 - August 1987, Undergraduate pilot then T-38 Instructor Pilot, Reese AFB, TX
• September 1987 – May 1988, Student, F-16 Flying Training Unit, MacDill AFB, Fla.
• July 1988 – July 1989, Training Officer, 80th Fighter Squadron, Kunsan AB, ROK
• July 1989 – February 1992, F-16C Instructor Pilot, Flight Commander, 17th Fighter Squadron, Shaw AFB, SC
• June 1992 – April 2000, Instructor Pilot, Scheduler 157th Fighter Squadron, Wing Safety Officer, 169th Fighter Wing, McEntire JNGB, SC
• April 2000 – April 2001, Commander, 169th Operations Support, McEntire JNGB, SC
• April 2001 – December 2003, Director of Operations, 157th Fighter Squadron, McEntire JNGB, SC
• December 2003 – March 2008, Commander, 157th Fighter Squadron, McEntire JNGB, SC
• March 2008 – May 2011, Commander 169th Operations Group, McEntire JNGB, SC
• May 2010 – August 2010, Deputy Commander, 332th Expeditionary Operations Group, Joint Base Balad, Iraq
• May 2011 – January 2012, Vice Commander, 169th Fighter Wing, McEntire JNGB, SC
• January 2012 – Present, Commander, 169th Fighter Wing, McEntire JNGB, SC

• Rating: Command pilot
• Flight hours: 4,500
• Aircraft flown: T-38, F-16A/C/CJ

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION

• Second Lieutenant March 10, 1983
• First Lieutenant March 10, 1985
• Captain March 10, 1987
• Major Jan. 8, 1997
• Lieutenant Colonel Jan. 10, 2001
• Colonel Aug. 28, 2008

(Current as of January 2012)