Brigadier General Adrienne Williams is the Commander, 86th Airlift Wing and Installation Commander Ramstein Air Base, Germany. As the installation host, the 86 AW supports the headquarters for U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa, Third Air Force, three tenant wings, and more than 120 mission partners to include the integration and caring for the greater Kaiserslautern Military Community and its 56,000 U.S. service members and their families. As the 86 AW commander, she leads a wing composed of seven groups and 30 squadrons across four bases in Germany, Spain, Belgium, and Portugal. The 86 AW’s mission is to Defend U.S. Interests, Project Power...Enable the Global Gateway. The wing conducts USAFE-AFAFRICA’s only airlift, airdrop, and aeromedical evacuation flying operations, providing rapid mobility and expeditionary combat support.
Brigadier General Williams entered the Air Force in 1996 after earning her undergraduate degree from the Air Force Academy. Throughout her 28 years of service in the Air Force, she has been a C-130 navigator, instructor, evaluator and staff officer at Air Mobility Command, USUN, PACOM,
DoD SAPRO Chief of Staff and served as the Director of Command and Control at the 618th Air Operations Center. She has held multiple leadership positions to include commander 734th Air Mobility Squadron, commander 387th Air Expeditionary Group and commander 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing. She last served as the Inspector General, Headquarters Air Mobility Command.
Brigadier General Williams is a master navigator having over 2400 total flight hours and more than 240 combat hours in the C-
130E/H aircraft. She has flown in multiple operations and contingencies to include SOUTHERN WATCH, JOINT FORGE, ENDURING
FREEDOM, FREEDOM EAGLE, IRAQI FREEDOM AND INHERENT RESOLVE.
EDUCATION
1996 Bachelor of Science, Humanities, United States Air Force Academy, CO
2001 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL
2006 Master of Science Degree in Aeronautical Science Technology, Embry Riddle, FL
2010 Master’s Degree in Military Arts and Science, Air Command Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL
2012 Air War College, Nonresident Program, Maxwell AFB, AL
2015 Asia-Pacific Orientation Course, Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, HI
2016 Legislative Affairs Certificate, Government Affairs Institute George Washington University, DC
2016 Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, VA
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 1996 – June 1998, Student, Undergraduate Navigator training, Pensacola NAS, FL with follow-on C-130 training at
Randolph AFB, TX and then Little Rock AFB, AR
2. June 1998 – March 2001, Navigator, Instructor Navigator, squadron Scheduler, squadron Executive Officer and Assistant Flight
Commander, Dyess AFB, TX
3. March 2001 – May 2004, Navigator Flight Commander/Chief Navigator, Stan/Eval, Operations Group & Wing Executive Officer,
Yokota AB, Japan
4. May 2004 – June 2006, AMC Intern, Chief SAAM Planning Shop, Chief Inspector General Ops Support, Scott AFB, IL
5. June 2006 – June 2009, Flt Training Instructor Navigator, ADO, Chief of Readiness, Chief of Wing Exercises, Little Rock AFB, AR
6. June 2009 – June 2010, Student Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL
7. June 2010 – January 2011, Deputy, AF Language, Region and Culture Office, SAF/IA Liaison Officer, Force Developmental
Directorate, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
8. January 2011 – April 2012, Chief, International Professional Military Education Branch and Deputy Chief of the Military
Personnel Exchange Program, International Airmen Division, International Affairs Policy Directorate, Office of the Deputy Under
Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
9. April 2012 – June 2013, Chief of Safety, Andersen AFB, Guam
10. June 2013 – February 2015, Commander 734th Air Mobility Squadron, Andersen AFB, Guam
11. February 2015 – June 2017, PACOM Legislative Liaison, Washington Liaison Office Branch Chief
12. June 2017 – May 2018, Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Chief of Staff
13. May 2018 – May 2019, Commander, 387th Air Expeditionary Group, Southwest Asia
14. July 2019 – June 2020, Director of Command and Control, 618th Air Operations Center, Scott AFB, IL
15. June 2020 – July 2022, Commander 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
16. July 2022 – April 2023, 18th AF Vice Commander, 18th AF, Scott AFB, IL
17. April 2023 – May 2024, Inspector General, Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, IL
18. May 2024 – Present, Commander, 86th Airlift Wing, Ramstein AB, Germany
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Master Navigator
Flight hours: 2,430
Aircraft flown: T-34, T-43, T-1A and C-130 E/H/H3
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Meritorious Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters
Kosovo Campaign Medal with bronze service star
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal with bronze service star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with bronze service star
Humanitarian Service Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 29, 1996
First Lieutenant May 29, 1998
Captain May 29, 2000
Major May 1, 2006
Lieutenant Colonel July 1, 2011
Colonel October 1, 2017
Brigadier General Frocked
(Current as of June 2024)