Scott M. Hanson is a Brigadier General with the U.S. Air Force and Special Assistant to the U.S. Air Force Vice Chief of Staff.  He has recently redeployed from Iraq, where he was director of the Iraq Training and Advisory Mission and commander of the 321st Air Expeditionary Wing in Baghdad. There he oversaw the mentoring, training and advising of the Iraqi air force and he conducted strategic level coordination with senior U.S., NATO and Iraqi leadership, including the Minister of Defense and the Iraqi air force commander.

General Hanson earned his commission in 1984 as a distinguished graduate of Officer Training School. His undergraduate degree is from Luther College and he holds two Master’s degrees–one in aeronautical science and the other in strategic studies.  His career has included various leadership courses, and more than a dozen major awards and decorations.  In addition to spending more than 3,500 hours flying a variety of aircraft, General Hanson has commanded multiple units, domestically and abroad and has held a range of staff assignments.