Maj. Gen. James R. Sears Jr. is the Deputy Commander, Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas. The command is responsible for the recruiting, training and education of Air and Space Force personnel and includes Air Force Recruiting Service, two Numbered Air Forces and Air University. AETC operates more than 1,400 trainer, fighter and mobility aircraft, 24 wings, 11 bases and five geographically-separated groups. It governs approximately 60,000 active-duty, Reserve, Guard, civilian and contractor personnel who train more than 293,000 students per year. Maj. Gen. Sears was commissioned in 1991 as a graduate from the United States Air Force Academy. He has commanded the 61st Fighter Squadron, 20th Operations Group, 14th Flying Training Wing and 455th Air Expeditionary Wing and has held a variety of staff positions. His flight experience includes C-130 Hercules low-level special operations, every conventional mission in the F-16 Fighting Falcon, and three AETC assignments as an instructor pilot. Prior to his current assignment, Maj. Gen. Sears was the Commander, Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. Maj. Gen. Sears is a command pilot with more than 3,600 flying hours, including contingency and combat sorties over Bosnia, Yemen, Iraq and Afghanistan.