Lieutenant General Günter Katz

Commanding General Air Force Forces Command German Air Force

Commanding General Air Force Forces Command Lieutenant General Günter Katz  Born on August 29, 1962 in Wiesbaden Since April 2021, Lieutenant General Günter Katz has been the Command-ing General of the Air Force Forces Command, an air command with ap-proximately 1000 members of staff. The schools, the flying units, the ground-based units and the support units of the Air Force with a total of approximately 24,000 military and civilian personnel are subordinate to him. As the Commanding General, Lieutenant General Katz is responsible for planning, coordinating, controlling and providing Air Force forces that are ready for operations both in terms of personnel and materiel. His military career features numerous command assignments and ministe-rial posts at national and international level.

MILITARY CAREER 1982 Entry into the German Air Force as officer candidate 1982 – 1983 Basic officer training at the Air Force Officer School, Fürstenfeldbruck 1983 – 1985 Jet pilot training at the German Air Force Training Com-mand, USA and F-4 Phantom weapon system training 

MILITARY CAREER 1986 – 1992 Instructor pilot and weapon instructor, 2 Fighter Squadron, 71 Fighter Wing Richthofen, Wittmund 1992 – 1993 Training officer, Headquarters, 71 Fighter Wing Richthofen, Wittmund 1994 – 1996 Squadron Commander, 2 Fighter Squadron, 71 Fighter Wing Richthofen, Wittmund 1996 – 1998 General Staff Officers’ Course, Bundeswehr Command and Staff College, Hamburg 1998 – 2000 Staff Officer to COMAIRNORTH, HQ AIRNORTH, Ramstein 2000 – 2003 Assistant Branch Chief, Military Policy Foundations and Bilateral Relations, Armed Forces Staff, Federal Ministry of Defence, Berlin 2003 – 2004 Spokesman of the German Air Force, Federal Ministry of Defence, Berlin 2004 – 2007 Commander, 73 Fighter Wing Steinhoff, Laage 2007 – 2012 Branch Chief, Military Policy Foundations and Bilateral Relations, Armed Forces Staff, Federal Ministry of Defence, Berlin 2012 – 2013 ISAF Spokesman, Kabul 2013 – 2014 Division Chief, Air Capabilities, Air Force Operational Forces Command, Cologne 2014 – 2015 Deputy Chief of Staff 2 Air Force Operations, German Air Force Headquarters, Berlin 2015 – 2018 Commander, Flying Units, Air Force Forces Command, Cologne 2018 – 2021 Director-General, Federal Office of the Bundeswehr for Mil-itary Aviation (German Military Aviation Authority), Cologne Seit 04/2021 Commanding General, Air Force Forces Command, Cologne

DEPLOYMENTS ABROAD 06/2012 – 06/2013 ISAF, Kabul AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Gold Cross of Honour of the Bundeswehr Bundeswehr Foreign Duty Medal (ISAF) NATO Meritorious Service Medal NATO Medal for Service with ISAF Legion of Merit Award, United States Honorary Order of the Italian General Staff

PROMOTIONS 1985 Second Lieutenant 1987 First Lieutenant 1990 Captain 1994 Major 1996 Lieutenant Colonel 2004 Colonel 2012 Brigadier General 2016 Major General 2021 Lieutenant General WEAPON SYSTEMS AND FIGHT HOURS FLOWN P.149D, T-37, T-38, F-4E/F Phantom, Eurofighter and A400M. More than 3,500 flight hours.