MIDDLE RIVER, Md. – Maryland Air National Guard Col. Richard D. Hunt, commander of the 175th Wing, was promoted to brigadier general during a ceremony at Warfield Air National Guard Base at Martin State Airport, February 28, 2025, surrounded by friends, family, and fellow Airmen.

Maryland Army National Guard Maj. Gen. Janeen Birckhead, adjutant general for Maryland, hosted the promotion ceremony and recognized Hunt’s family for their sacrifice and support while also highlighting why Hunt deserves his accolades.

“Whether executing precision strikes, dominating the airspace in combat, or training the next wave of elite pilots, Rich embodies the core values of ‘Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence in All We Do’ and I know he will continue in this vein well into the future,” said Birckhead. “Hunt’s dedication to the men and women of the Maryland Air National Guard, coupled with his commitment to mission excellence, makes him one of the most highly respected senior officers in both the Air National Guard and the U.S. Air Force.”

Hunt joined the U.S. Air Force in 1999 by commissioning from the Air National Guard Academy of Military Science after graduating from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in 1997. In June 2000, he earned his aeronautical rating at EURO-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training and subsequently graduated from the Air Force Weapons School in 2005.

Previously, Hunt commanded the 175th Operations Group, 175th Maintenance Group, and 175th Operations Support Squadron and was also an A-10 instructor pilot. He has flown over 1,000 A-10 combat hours, and as a civilian, Hunt is a pilot for a major airline.

During his career, Hunt has served in seven contingency deployments in the U.S. Central Command area of operations, including Iraq and Afghanistan.

“My military career has been a product of the period of time since September 11 happened, where two weeks later we deployed to the Middle East for a combat deployment, and I was a brand new A-10 pilot with my dream job,” Hunt said. “But that event and attack, followed by many other deployments, has absolutely shaped my thinking, my priorities to the mission and how I approach day-to-day problem solving by being very mission-focused and always supporting our mission partners.”

Hunt has also served as the National Guard Bureau A8 Planning and Programming Cyber and Space Branch Chief at the Air National Guard Readiness Center, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.

“I’ve had such a phenomenal list of leaders who have set an example, challenged me, held me accountable, and pointed out opportunities even if they seemed uncomfortable at the time,” said Hunt. “Such as my time working with the National Guard Bureau, I felt incredibly challenged, but the growth that came from it, the experiences that I walked away with, and the greater understanding I now have of how the U.S. Air Force functions have allowed me to bring these learning opportunities back to the Wing to apply and become more successful. Every bit of it has contributed to this growth, even if it wasn’t planned out.”

In his role as wing commander, Hunt oversees approximately 1,400 personnel, including an A-10 Operations Group, Cyberspace Operations Group, and an Intelligence Squadron. He is responsible for the combat readiness of 21 A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft, as well as the necessary aircrew and aircraft maintainers, supervising a budget of over $46 million and over $37 million for base infrastructure and real property.

Along with his position as commander of the 175th Wing, Hunt is responsible for resolving enterprise-wide issues from the field as the A-10 Weapon System Council Chair for the Air National Guard Readiness Center, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.

“For me, my faith takes care of tomorrow,” Hunt said. “My focus is always on doing the job that I’m tasked with today and if I do that to the best of my ability, then tomorrow takes care of itself.”