Col Carl Magnusson is the Deputy Commander of the Air Force Reserve Command Force Generation Center (FGC), Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. The FGC is the single organization responsible for generating Air Force Reserve forces by leveraging Reserve strategic capability to meet operational needs in support of global force management and performs all aspects of force generation to include oversight, visibility, and accountability of all Air Force Reserve forces. His span of control extends from the individual Reservist to entire combat capable units, supporting a broad array of organizations from Air Force units to joint exercises and combatant commands, through all stages of activation from volunteerism up to and including full mobilization.
The colonel entered the Air Force in December 1990 through Air Force ROTC at the University of Oklahoma. He joined the Air Force Reserve in 1999. Since then, he has held a wide variety of command and operational leadership assignments and has served at major command and joint headquarters. The colonel has over 5,000 flying hours in various USAF and NASA aircraft. Prior to his current position, the Colonel was the Commander, 94th Airlift Wing, Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia.
EDUCATION
1990 Bachelor of Business Administration, University of Oklahoma, Norman
1992 Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training, Mather AFB, Calif.
1992 KC-135 Combat Crew Training Course, Castle AFB, Calif.
1994 Central Flight Instructor Course--Navigator, Altus Air Force Base, Okla.
1998 Master of Business Administration, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, N. Dak.
2000 Squadron Officers School, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2001 Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Vance AFB, Okla.
2003 Contingency Wartime Planning Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2003 Joint Air Operations Planning Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2003 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2004 Arctic Survival School, Eielson AFB, Alaska
2006 KC-135 Instructor Aircraft Commander Course, Altus AFB, Okla.
2011 Joint Information Operations Orientation Course, Norfolk, Va.
2011 IJSTO Planning Course, Washington, DC
2012 Air War College, Air Reserve Component Seminar, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2014 Advanced Joint Professional Military Education, Norfolk, Va.
2020 KC-135 Aircraft Commander Transition Course, Altus AFB, Okla.
2022 C-130H Senior Officer Pilot Qualification, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
2022 DIRMOBFOR Course, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2022 National and International Security Leadership Seminar, Washington, D.C.
2023 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 1992 – March 1993, Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training, Mather Air Force Base, Calif.
2. March 1993 – August 1994, Navigator, Altus AFB, Okla.
3. August 1994 – August 1998, Instructor Navigator, Grand Forks AFB, N Dak.
4. June 1999 – December 2000, Navigator, Beale AFB, Calif.
5. January 2001 – February 2005, Wing Plans Officer, Beale AFB, Calif.
6. February 2005 – November 2007, Assistant Director of Operations, Beale AFB, Calif.
7. November 2007 – June 2009, Deputy Chief of Pacific Influence Operations, Beale AFB, Calif.
8. July 2009 – January 2011, Deputy Director of Air, Space, and Information Operations, Beale AFB, Calif.
9. January 2011 – August 2011, Director of Air, Space, and Information Operations, Beale AFB, Calif.
10. August 2011 – April 2012, Director of Staff, Beale AFB, Calif.
11. April 2012 – November 2015, Joint Crisis and Contingency Planner and Joint Fires Element Chief of Plans,
Future Operations Division, Headquarters U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H. M. Smith, Hawai’i.
12. November 2015 – September 2017, Director, Joint Exercise Control Group, Training and Exercises Division,
Headquarters U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H. M. Smith, Hawai’i. (August 2016 – January 2017, Chief, Operations Integration Cell-Turkey, Ankara, Turkey.)
13. September 2017 – July 2020, Chief of Plans Division, Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command, Robins
AFB, Ga. (April – October 2019, Chief of Staff, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.)
14. June 2020 – September 2021, Commander, 914th Air Refueling Wing, Niagara Falls ARS, N.Y.
15. October 2021 – July 2023, Commander, 94th Airlift Wing, Dobbins ARB, Ga.
16. July 2023 – Present, Vice Commander, Force Generation Center, Robins AFB, Ga.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. April 2012 – November 2015, Joint Crisis and Contingency Planner and Joint Fires Element Chief of Plans,
Future Operations Division, Headquarters U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H. M. Smith, Hawaii, as a lieutenant colonel and colonel.
2. November 2015 – September 2017, Director, Joint Exercise Control Group, Training and Exercises Division,
Headquarters U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H. M. Smith, Hawaii, as a colonel.
3. August 2016 – January 2017, Chief, Operations Integration Cell-Turkey, Ankara, Turkey, as a colonel.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot, Senior Navigator
Flight hours: More than 5,000
Aircraft flown: T-37B, T-43A, T-1A, KC-135A/E/R/T, HH-60, DC-8-72, B-200, YRQ-4A, EC-130H, and C-130H
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters and C-Device
Air Force Achievement Medal
State of Georgia Meritorious Service Medal
NASA Group Achievement Award, Tropical Composition, Cloud and Climate Coupling Experiment (TC4). 2007.
NASA Group Achievement Award, Operation ICEBridge (OIB). 2009-2017
GEORGIA 500. Georgia’s Most Influential Leaders 2022, Georgia Trends Magazine
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Dec. 21, 1990
First Lieutenant June 30, 1993
Captain June 30, 1995
Major Oct. 1, 2002
Lieutenant Colonel Oct. 1, 2009
Colonel Aug. 1, 2015
(Current as of August 2023)