Richard C. Harding

Richard C. Harding
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Air Force
Rank	Lieutenant General
Commands held	United States Air Force Judge Advocate General's Corps Air Force Legal Operations Agency
Awards	Defense Superior Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Legion of Merit

Richard C. Harding is an American Lieutenant General who is the current Judge Advocate General of the United States Air Force. He is the highest-ranking attorney in the Air Force, and is responsible for over 2200 uniformed and 300 civilian lawyers.^[1]

Biography

U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Richard Harding, left, the judge advocate general, speaks to commanders and first sergeants at a leadership luncheon March 29, 2013, during a visit to Kadena Air Base, Japan

General Harding is a graduate of the University of Arkansas and the University of Arkansas School of Law (in 1975 and 1979, respectively). He was a student at the University of Arkansas School of Law when a young Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton were on the faculty. He received a direct commission as a First Lieutenant in 1980 and was assigned to Bitburg Air Base in West Germany. Over the next few decades, Harding rose through the ranks of the United States Air Force Judge Advocate General's Corps and served as the Staff Judge Advocate to six separate commands: 12th Flying Training Wing, 3d Wing, United States Strategic Command, Headquarters 8th Air Force, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, and Headquarters Air Combat Command. From 2007 to 2010, he served as the Commander of the Air Force Legal Operations Agency. In 2010, he was promoted to Lieutenant General (skipping the rank of Major General) and became The Judge Advocate General of the United States Air Force.^[2]

General Harding created a pilot program called the Special Victims Counsel Program, which provides victims of sexual assault with their own independent attorneys.

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