Stanly County Man Promoted to Major General in N.C. National Guard

NEW LONDON, N.C. (03/12/2011)(readMedia)-- Albemarle native Robert M. Stonestreet became a major general today at a ceremony at the New London Air National Guard Station adjacent to the Stanly County Airport here. The Adjutant General of North Carolina, Maj. Gen. Gregory A. Lusk, presided over the ceremony that included U.S. Rep. Larry Kissell and a formation of North Carolina Air National Guard Airmen.

The promotion comes with a new assignment, effective May 15, as Air National Guard assistant to the commander of U.S. Air Force Space Command, headquartered at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colo.

"I am extremely excited about the position I am moving into and know this is an incredible opportunity," said Stonestreet whose new duties will include helping defend the nation's computer infrastructure and managing and protecting U.S. space assets such as Department of Defense satellites, space launch facilities and ground-based radar systems. "There are some 8,000 Air National Guard members aligned with Air Force Space Command, and I look forward to the challenges of moving the Air Guard, and the North Carolina Air National Guard, forward in this exciting mission area."

Accompanied by his wife, Vickie, son Jason Stonestreet, daughter Emily Buffum, her husband Luke and grandchildren Ginny Grace, Caroline, Victoria and Amelia Buffum, Stonestreet becomes only the third N.C. Air National Guard officer to rise to the rank of major general.

Born in Albemarle, Stonestreet earned his bachelors and masters degrees in business and economics at Appalachian State University. He began his military career in May 1970 when he enlisted in the N.C. Air National Guard and was assigned to the 263rd Combat Communications Squadron, then located in Badin, N.C. He earned his commission in 1979 after graduating from the Academy of Military Science and went on to accept a full-time post at the 263rd as a maintenance officer and detachment commander.

His service includes a combat deployment to Saudi Arabia in 1991 in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He assumed command of the 263rd in August 1991 and became 145th Airlift Wing comptroller in Charlotte in 1994. He is the past commander of the 145th Mission Support Group in Charlotte as well as a former Wing vice commander. He deployed a second time in 2003 as the senior air reserve component liaison to U.S. Central Command then deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia. Stonestreet returned to become the vice chief of staff at the N.C. National Guard Joint Force Headquarters in Raleigh and was promoted to brigadier general in 2006 when he was made chief of staff of the N.C. Air National Guard.

Maj. Gen. Stonestreet will continue to live in Albemarle and commute to Colorado for duty.

The promotion ceremony was broadcast live on the internet at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nc-air-national-guard-brigadier-general-robert-m-stonestreet-promotion-ceremony.