Bullard named to succeed Dornbush as chief of staff

  • Published
  • By Maj. Dale Greer
  • 123rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
KENTUCKY AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, LOUISVILLE, Ky. --  Col. Steven P. Bullard has been selected as the next chief of staff at Headquarters, Kentucky Air National Guard, the adjutant general of Kentucky announced Aug. 23.

Bullard, who currently serves as vice wing commander of the Kentucky Air National Guard's 123rd Airlift Wing, is expected to assume the post in December, following the retirement of Brig. Gen. Michael J. Dornbush.

"Colonel Bullard excelled as vice commander and 123rd Mission Support Group commander for the 123rd Airlift Wing," said Maj. Gen. Edward W. Tonini in making the announcement.

"He also served successfully in several mobilization assignments, including NATO senior airfield authority and 451st Air Expeditionary Group Commander at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan; deputy director, Air Component Coordination Element, and USAF liaison with Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan and the government of Afghanistan."

"Colonel Bullard's success is a direct reflection of the level of professionalism and the deep talent base representative of the 1,200 Airmen in our nation's finest Air National Guard wing."

Upon accepting the position, Bullard will be eligible for promotion to the rank of brigadier general as a traditional Guardsman. He will maintain his civilian job as director of the Administrative Services Division in the Kentucky Department of Military Affairs.

The division is responsible for personnel administration and functions, procurement actions, accounting and fiscal functions, maintenance and storage of "War Records Bureau" documents and records, legislative activities, and state grant funding to the Civil Air Patrol.

Throughout his Air Force career, Bullard has served in numerous leadership roles, both at home and abroad. In addition to his duties in Afghanistan, the colonel served as chief of operations for the Joint Intelligence and Operations Center at Headquarters, U.S. Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., from August 2008 through January 2009.

At home, Bullard served as director of joint doctrine and training, Joint Forces Headquarters, Kentucky National Guard, from April 2005 to July 2008.

During Operation Iraqi Freedom, he deployed as operations officer, then commander, of the 10-aircraft, 306-personnel joint Guard-Reserve 38th Airlift Squadron (Provisional) at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, from March to October 2003.

Bullard has participated in Operations Just Cause, Desert Shield, Provide Promise, Restore Hope, Joint Endeavor, Joint Forge, Southern Watch, Bright Star, Coronet Oak, Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. He also has participated in numerous Special Operations low-level deployments and served as lead instructor during Red Flag and Green Flag exercises.

Bullard served two terms as elected president of the National Guard Association of Kentucky and was the volunteer executive director of the Kentucky Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve from 1993 to 2001.