Lt. Gen. Leonard J. Kosinski is Director for Logistics, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. As the Director for Logistics, he integrates logistics planning and execution in support of global operations and assists the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in fulfilling his responsibilities as the principal military advisor to the President and Secretary of Defense.
Lt. Gen. Kosinski received his commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1993 as a distinguished graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Operations Research. He has served in operational assignments flying the KC-135 Stratotanker, C-5 Galaxy, and C-17 Globemaster III. He is a distinguished graduate of the Defense Language Institute and was an Olmsted Scholar in Tokyo, Japan. Lt Gen Kosinski has also served in major operations including Operations SOUTHERN WATCH, ALLIED FORCE, ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM, and UNITED RELIEF. Prior to his current position, the general was Deputy Commander, Fifth Air Force, and Director, Joint Air Component Coordination Element-Japan, Yokota Air Base, Japan.
EDUCATION
1993 Bachelor of Science, Operations Research, Distinguished Graduate, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1994 Master of Science, Industrial Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
1998 Squadron Officer School, Distinguished Graduate, Maxwell Air Force Base (AFB), Ala.
2000 Defense Language Institute, Distinguished Graduate, Japanese Course, Monterey, Calif.
2002 Master of Business Administration, International Corporate Strategy, Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy, Hitotsubashi University, Tokyo, Japan
2003 Master of Arts, International Relations, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, Medford, Mass.
2007 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2012 Master of Arts, Law and Diplomacy, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, Medford, Mass.
2014 Air Force Enterprise Leadership Seminar, University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School, Chapel Hill, N.C.
2015 Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
2016 China, Middle East, and Europe Seminar, Washington, D.C.
2019 Program for Executives in Logistics and Technology, University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School, Chapel Hill, N.C.
2020 Capstone, National Defense University, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 1993 - August 1994, Student, U.S. Air Force Academy Graduate School Program, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
2. September 1994 - September 1995, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Vance Air Force Base, Okla.
3. October 1995 - July 1999, Assistant Operations Officer, Aircraft Commander, Special Operations Pilot and Standardization/Evaluation Pilot, 344th Air Refueling Squadron, McConnell AFB, Kan. (March 1999- June 1999, Assistant Operations Officer, Mont-de-Marsan Air Base, France)
4. August 1999 - September 2000, Student, Defense Language Institute, Monterey, Calif.
5. October 2000 - July 2002, Olmsted Scholar, Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy, Hitotsubashi University, Tokyo, Japan
6. August 2002 - May 2003, Student, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, Medford, Mass.
7. June 2003 - May 2005, Assistant Operations Officer and Chief, Current Operations, C-17A Globemaster III Aircraft Commander, 16th Airlift Squadron, Charleston AFB, S.C.
8. June 2005 - January 2006, Deputy Chief of Current Operations and Instructor Aircraft Commander, 437th Airlift Wing, Charleston AFB, S.C.
9. October 2005 - January 2006, Commander, 817th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, Detachment 2, Southwest Asia
10. February 2006 - January 2007, Chief, Wing Aircrew Training, Director of Operations, Instructor Aircraft Commander, 437th Operations Support Squadron, Charleston AFB, S.C.
11. February 2007 - December 2008, Chief, Northeast Asia Branch and Japan Country Director, Joint Staff, Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
12. January 2009 - June 2010, Commander, Heavy Airlift Squadron, Heavy Airlift Wing, Pápa Air Base, Hungary
13. July 2010 - May 2013, Chief of Staff of the Air Force Ph.D. Program Fellow and National Defense Fellow, The Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, Tufts University, Medford, Mass.
14. June 2013 - June 2015, Vice Commander, 60th Air Mobility Wing, Travis AFB, Calif. (April 2014 – August 2014, Deputy Director of Mobility Forces, Southwest Asia).
15. June 2015 – July 2017, Commander, 62nd Airlift Wing, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
16. July 2017 – August 2018, Director, Commander’s Action Group, U.S. Africa Command, Stuttgart, Germany
17. August 2018 – July 2020, Director for Logistics (J4), U.S. Africa Command, Stuttgart, Germany
18. July 2020 – July 2022, Deputy Commander, Fifth Air Force, Yokota Air Base, Japan
19. August 2022 – Present, Director for Logistics, the Joint Staff, Arlington, Va.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. February 2007 - December 2008, Chief, Northeast Asia Branch and Japan Country Director, Joint Staff, Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a major and lieutenant colonel
2. July 2017 – July 2020, Director, Commander’s Action Group and Director for Logistics (J4), U.S. Africa Command, Stuttgart, Germany, as a colonel and a brigadier general
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight Hours: more than 3,300
Aircraft Flown: C-5A/B, C-12J, C-17A, KC-135 R/T/RT, T-38, and T-37
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit Medal with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with oak leaf cluster
Army Commendation Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 2, 1993
First Lieutenant June 2, 1995
Captain June 2, 1997
Major Aug. 1, 2003
Lieutenant Colonel Sept. 1, 2007
Colonel Sept. 1, 2011
Brigadier General July 3, 2018
Major General May 7, 2021
Lieutenant General Aug 2, 2022
(Current as of August 2022)