Paul J. Selva

General Selva assuming command of Air Mobility Command

Selva was born in Biloxi, Mississippi on September 27, 1958.[3] He graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science in aeronautical engineering, and completed undergraduate pilot training at Reese Air Force Base, Texas. He has held numerous staff positions and has commanded at the squadron, group, wing and headquarters levels.

Selva is also a graduate of Abilene Christian University, the Air Command and Staff College, and Auburn University. Selva is a command pilot with more than 3,100 hours in the C-5, C-17A, C-141B, C-37, KC-10, KC-135A and T-37. He has served in a number of leadership positions including as Commander of the 9th Air Refueling Squadron, 60th Operations Group, 62nd Airlift Wing, and 618th Air and Space Operations Center (Tanker Airlift Control Center). He was promoted to four-star rank in November 2012 and assumed command of Air Mobility Command.[4][5] In 2014 Selva was appointed commander of U.S. Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill., where he was responsible for managing all global air, land and sea transportation.

Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Paul Selva with Secretary of Defense General James Mattis and Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work at The Pentagon on January 21, 2017.

General Paul Selva piloting a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III.

Selva speaks about the character and leadership of Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as an introduction during the USO Metropolitan Washington – Baltimore 37th Annual Awards Dinner, March 26, 2019

Selva was suggested as President Barack Obama's nominee for Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in news reports the day before the nomination was to be made, on May 5, 2015. The report also named General Joseph Dunford, who was at the time serving as Commandant of the Marine Corps, to serve as the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.[6] Selva was nominated for a second term as Vice Chairman by President Donald Trump on May 16, 2017.[7][8]

• 1980 Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
• 1983 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
• 1984 Master of Science degree in management and human relations, Abilene Christian University, Abilene, Texas
• 1992 Distinguished graduate, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
• 1992 Master of Science degree in political science, Auburn University, Montgomery, Ala.
• 1996 National Defense Fellow, Secretary of Defense Strategic Studies Group, Rosslyn, Va.

• 1. June 1980 – July 1981, student, undergraduate pilot training, Reese AFB, Texas
• 2. July 1981 – December 1984, co-pilot and aircraft commander, 917th Air Refueling Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas
• 3. January 1984 – December 1988, co-pilot, aircraft commander, instructor pilot, and flight commander, 32d Air Refueling Squadron, Barksdale AFB, La.
• 4. January 1989 – July 1991, company grade adviser to Commander, Strategic Air Command, later, manager of offensive aircraft systems and executive officer, Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Resources, Headquarters Strategic Air Command, Offutt AFB, Neb.
• 5. August 1991 – July 1992, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
• 6. July 1992 – June 1994, instructor pilot and flight commander, 9th Air Refueling Squadron, later, Commander, 722d Operations Support Squadron, March AFB, Calif.
• 7. June 1994 – June 1995, Commander, 9th Air Refueling Squadron, later, Deputy Commander, 60th Operations Group, Travis AFB, Calif.
• 8. July 1995 – June 1996, National Defense Fellow, Secretary of Defense Strategic Studies Group, Rosslyn, Va.
• 9. July 1996 – August 1998, assistant to the Director, Office of the Secretary of Defense for Net Assessment, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
• 10. August 1998 – July 2000, Commander, 60th Operations Group, Travis AFB, Calif.
• 11. July 2000 – June 2002, Commander, 62d Airlift Wing, McChord AFB, Wash.
• 12. June 2002 – June 2003, Vice Commander, Tanker Airlift Control Center, Scott AFB, Ill.
• 13. June 2003 – November 2004, Commander, Tanker Airlift Control Center, Scott AFB, Ill.
• 14. December 2004 – August 2006, Director of Operations, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
• 15. August 2006 – June 2007, Director, Air Force Strategic Planning, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
• 16. June 2007 – October 2008, Director, Air Force Strategic Planning, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, and Director, Air Force QDR, Office of the Vice Chief of Staff, Washington, D.C.
• 17. October 2008 – October 2011, Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, D.C.
• 18. October 2011 – November 2012, Vice Commander, Pacific Air Forces, Joint-Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
• 19. November 2012 – May 2014, Commander, Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
• 20. May 2014 – July 2015, Commander, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
• 21. July 2015 – July 2019, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, D.C.

• Rating: Command pilot
• Hours flown: More than 3,100
• Aircraft flown: C-5, C-17A, C-141B, C-37, KC-10, KC-135A and T-37

	Air Force Command Pilot Badge
	Basic Parachutist Badge
	Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
	Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge

	Defense Distinguished Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
	Air Force Distinguished Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
	Defense Superior Service Medal
	Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
	Defense Meritorious Service Medal
	Meritorious Service Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters
	Air Force Commendation Medal
	Air Force Achievement Medal
	Joint Meritorious Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with four oak leaf clusters
	Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with four oak leaf clusters
	Department of State Distinguished Honor Award
	Combat Readiness Medal with two oak leaf clusters
	Air Force Recognition Ribbon
	National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star
	Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with service star
	Southwest Asia Service Medal with bronze service star
	Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
	Armed Forces Service Medal
	Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
	Air Force Longevity Service Award with silver and three bronze oak leaf clusters
	Air Force Longevity Service Award (second ribbon to denote tenth award)
	Navy Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon
	Air Force Training Ribbon
	Legion of Honour, Officer (France)[9]

• On April 5, 2018, Selva was presented with the Eisenhower Award.

• Second Lieutenant May 28, 1980
• First Lieutenant May 28, 1982
• Captain May 28, 1984
• Major January 1, 1990
• Lieutenant Colonel March 1, 1994
• Colonel September 1, 1998
• Brigadier General January 1, 2004
• Major General June 2, 2007
• Lieutenant General October 8, 2008
• General November 29, 2012

Paul Selva with his wife Ricki Selva in 2019

Selva was acknowledged in President Obama's announcement speech on May 5, 2015.[10]

Selva achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America in 1974.[11]

In an April 5, 2020 phone call to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer touted Selva as a potential COVID-19 czar to oversee the production and disbursement of medical equipment.[12]

In October 2020, after having retired, he joined "nearly 500" national security experts and multiple former Trump appointees in endorsing the presidential candidacy of Joe Biden.[13]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Paul J. Selva.

• Appearances on C-SPAN