2024 US Black Engineer & Information Technology | VETERANS - VOL. 48, NO. 4

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CONTENTS

FEATURES

20 YEARS OF STARS & STRIPES 10

THE SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE (SES) 10

DEPARTMENTS

PEOPLE & EVENTS 10

A Pictorial Journey from 2003 to the Present. COVER STORY 10

Discover how Rear Admiral Zeita Merchant traded med school for a foundation in the Coast Guard. Learn about the CSPI program that offers scholarships, and explore the diverse career options.

TOP LEADERS IN THE MILITARY 26

2024 marks the 20th year of USBE’s salute to Black flag officers.

This exclusive list honors people in federal leadership.

THE CENTENNIAL SEVEN: OUR COLD WAR HEROES 10

Delve into the untold stories of the seven naval officers who broke barriers and commanded nuclear submarines during the Cold War.

HISTORY

OF TRIBUTE HALL IN STEM CITY USA 10

Explore the hall’s rich history, from its inception to its present-day role as a hub for innovation and inspiration.

Catch up with the latest retirements, promotions, upcoming events, and other news.

EDUCATION 18

Meet a group of dedicated military leaders, who are shaping the next generation of STEM professionals.

CAREER VOICES 18

From childhood dreams of flying to leading a brigade of soldiers, Col. Hawkins’ story is one of passion, perseverance, and service.

LEADING VOICES 18

» James Braxton: A Life Well Lived

» Matthew Bowman: Veterans Deserve Better: Tackling Healthcare Challenges

CAREER OUTLOOK 18

The Future of American Defense: Lloyd Austin’s Vision for Innovation and Inclusion at BEYA.

Rear Admiral Zeita Merchant takes the salute.

Rear Admiral Zeita Merchant Commander, Personnel Service Center U.S. Coast Guard

20 YEARS OF SERVICE: HOW BEYA STARS & STRIPES MENTORS ARE SHAPING THE NEXT GENERATION OF STEM LEADERS

As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the BEYA Stars & Stripes Mentoring and Military Tribute, it’s a moment to reflect on the impact we continue to make. What began as a vision for military leaders—General Johnnie Wilson, General Lester Lyles, Vice Admiral Walter Davis, Lieutenant General Joe Ballard, Rear Admiral Tony Watson, and Lieutenant General Al Edmonds—has grown into something remarkable. They understood that service didn’t stop when they took off their uniforms.

EXECUTIVE OFFICE

Tyrone D. Taborn, CEO and Publisher

Jean Hamilton, CFO, President

Ty Taborn, Esq., Executive Sr. V.P. & General Counsel

Kwan Hurst, COO, Operations

Alana Winns, CCO and Editor-In-Chief

Alex Venetta, Exec. V.P. of Corporate Development

Eric Price, V.P., Human Resources

EDITORIAL AND CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Rayondon Kennedy, Manager, Digital and Print Operations

Lango Deen, Technology Editor

Michael Fletcher, Contributing Editor

Gale Horton Gay, Contributing Editor

Garland L. Thompson, Contributing Editor

Roger Witherspoon, Contributing Editor

GRAPHIC & DIGITAL DESIGN

Beverly Wladkowski, Art Director

Bryan Davis, Digital Director

Together, they established the BEYA Stars & Stripes Mentoring and Tribute Alumni Committee, igniting a spark that would inspire others. Soon, more leaders joined, including Rear Admiral Steven Rochon, General Von Richardson, and Major General Ronald Johnson. Moreover, William Brown stepped up within the Senior Executive Service community, helping shape a comprehensive approach to mentoring and coaching our youth.

Their goal was clear: to help America maintain its global leadership by guiding the next generation toward science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers, whether through enlisted service or via civilian roles in the Department of Defense. Today, that mission is more critical than ever.

Now under the leadership of Vice Admiral Andy Winns and Chief of Staff Matt Bowman, BEYA Stars & Stripes has ensured that the torch continues to burn brightly. The urgency can’t be overstated: As global powers like China accelerate in artificial intelligence (AI), space exploration, and deep-sea technology, the need for American leadership in STEM is becoming more pressing. The stakes are high, but our belief in the future remains strong.

Yet, we face a unique challenge. A pandemic that desocialized groups of young people left many disconnected from the ideals of service. Now more than ever, they need to see what service to the nation looks like. They need mentors who can reignite the flame of civic responsibility and dedication to a cause greater than themselves.

The next twenty years of Stars & Stripes are bound to be just as transformative. Together, we’ll continue this vital work, ensuring that the legacy of service and mentorship remains alive for generations to come.

Tyrone D. Taborn Publisher

As global competition in AI, space, and technology intensifies, the BEYA Stars & Stripes Alumni Committee stands at the forefront, guiding young minds toward service and STEM careers through mentorship and leadership. *USBE & Information

Rachael DeVore, Multimedia Designer

Courtney Taborn, Digital Marketing Manager

Jessica Hernandez, Graphic Designer

DIGITAL PLATFORM AND DEVELOPMENT

Nikkie Stevens, Director of Metaverse Platforms

Terrence Fooks, Metaverse Platform Program Manager & Client Relations Specialist

CORPORATE AND ALUMNI RELATIONS

Dr. Gwendolyn Boyd, CCG Alumni Committee Chair and President

Dr. Eugene DeLoatch, Chairman, BEYA Alumni Group

Vice Admiral Andy L. Winns, USN (Ret) National Chair, BEYA Military Alumni

Oliver “Bo” Leslie, Retired Program Manager, Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions, The Boeing Company

Monica E. Emerson, Women of Color STEM Conference National Chair

Matt Bowman, CCG Military Program Manager Stars and Stripes Committee Executive Director/Chief of Staff for VADM

Walt Davis, USN (Ret.)

SALES AND MARKETING

Gwendolyn Bethea, V.P., Corporate Development

Kameron Nelson, Account Executive

Lucille Kennedy, Sales Support Assistant

Jay Albritton, Social Media Account Manager

JOBMATCH AND STUDENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

Ashley Turner, University Relations Manager

Rod Carter, Recruitment Specialist, College Relations

Shelia Richburg, College Coordinator

CONFERENCE AND EVENTS

Jennifer Roberts, V.P., Partner Experience

Ana Bertrand, Conference Coordinator

Brandon Newby, Customer Service Associate

Sarah Blum, Youth Services Coordinator

Tarase Whetstone, Logistics Assistant

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PEOPLE & EVENTS PEOPLE

& EVENTS

MORE THAN 100 ROTC CADETS LEARN VALUABLE LIFE LESSONS FROM MILITARY LEADERS

The North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs announced February 2024 that the fourth annual North Carolina Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Roundtable was held at North Carolina Central University as part of the program of the African American Military and Veterans Lineage Day. Each February during Black History Month, the state of North Carolina remembers African American military service members who have made contributions to the state’s military history and to American history. The

panelists at the ROTC Roundtable included Walter Gaskin, a retired U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant general who led the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs department

from 2021 until April 1, 2024.

VINCENT

BROOKS

JOINS BEYA STARS AND STRIPES COMMITTEE AS A FOUNDER AFTER 20 YEARS OF SERVICE BY JOHNNIE WILSON

The BEYA Stars & Stripes Committee recently announced that General Vincent Brooks (RET) has joined the Stars & Stripes Committee as a founder. General Brooks—an advocate for leadership in science,

technology, engineering, and math (STEM)—follows General Johnnie Wilson (RET), who is stepping down after twenty years. General Wilson’s contributions have left a legacy behind. Vice Admiral Andy Winns (RET), chairman of the BEYA Stars & Stripes Committee, welcomed General Brooks as a founder and looks forward to him amplifying the mission. Under the leadership of General Brooks and Vice Admiral Winns, the committee’s efforts will be crucial in underrepresented communities. The BEYA Stars & Stripes Committee, founded as part of the BEYA STEM Conference, leverages military officers’ and professionals’ experience to guide youth toward STEM opportunities.

“FAIR WINDS AND FOLLOWING SEAS”

Several retirement ceremonies have recently taken place to honor high-ranking military officials. These include the retirement of Lieutenant General Kevin Vereen in August 2024 and U.S. Air Force Academy Superintendent Lieutenant General Richard Clark in May 2024; U.S. Representative Terri Sewell honoring Lieutenant General A. C. Roper on May 1, 2024, and Major General Reginald “Reg” G.A. Neal in August 2024; and Major General Robert L. Edmonson II launching the Edmondson Consulting Group in July 2024.

Additionally, several highranking military officials have transitioned to new roles postretirement. This includes Michel M. Russell, Sr., joining Bristol Myers Squibb, General James C. McConville hosting the retirement ceremony of Lieutenant General R. Scott Dingle, Boeing hiring retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General Samuel Greaves, Dr. Roosevelt Allen retiring as a

General (Retired)

Vincent K. Brooks

major general after a thirtyplus-year career in the U.S. Air Force, and Troy E. Dunn being selected as a member of the board of directors for Melwood in August 2024.

Moreover, Brigadier General (RET) Trent H. Edwards is now president and CEO of T.H. Edwards Consulting, LLC; Alfred K. Flowers has published a book after retiring as the longest-serving airman in the history of the U.S. Air Force; Carlton G. Smith has received a Distinguished Service Award after officially retiring; and Brigadier General Aaron R. Dean II and Brigadier General Maurice M. McKinney retired after forty-two and forty years of military service, respectively.

SAVE THE DATES

The White House has outlined the steps for the service academies’ application process. To be eligible, you must be between seventeen and twenty-three years old by July 1 of the entry year

Applicants seeking a vice presidential nomination must submit the online application

between March 1 and January 31 preceding the year of entrance to the academies. Paper applications are not accepted by the Office of the Vice President.

The academies have high admission standards and see fierce competition for appointments.

The White House recommends following a college preparatory curriculum emphasizing English and math as well as taking the ACT and SAT tests

early and multiple times.

Prospective cadets will undergo the Candidate Fitness Assessment, consisting of physical fitness events to evaluate upper body strength and endurance. USBE

RENECTUR? ELISTI BLAUTATE PORITAS

To stay up to date and all news and events, Visit our webpage www.BlackEngineer.com

Gen. James C. McConville, Army Chief of Staff, hosted the retirement ceremony of Lt. Gen. R. Scott Dingle, Army Surgeon General, Jul. 31 at Conmy Hall, Fort Myer, Va.

Photo by Joseph Kumzak

General (Retired)

Vincent K. Brooks

AI EMPOWERMENT SUMMIT

May 8-9 2025

Morgan State University, School of Engineering DeLoatch Auditorium

BEYA STEM DTXTM CONFERENCE

February 13-15, 2025

Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor, The Baltimore Convention Center, BEYA DTXTM Platform

WOMEN OF COLOR STEM DTXTM CONFERENCE

October 23-25, 2025

Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor, The Baltimore Convention Center, WOC STEM DTXTM Platform

ELISTI BLAUTATE PORITAS EXERFERRO IPIS AUT

by Gale Horton Gay editors@ccgmag.com

Strengthen America’s Technology Pipeline Active and retired military & SES pouring STEM into youth STARS & STRIPES VETERANS

The proverb “It takes a village to raise a child” is as relevant today as it ever was. It’s apparent that the active and retired admirals, generals, and Senior Executive Service (SES) members who mentor youth in the BEYA science, technology, engineering, and

Mentoring Program and National Scholarship Foundation, which to date have reached more than 7,000 high school students and engaged more than 3,000 active-duty admirals, generals, and members of the federal SES as mentors. Their programs involve in-person

math (STEM) programs have a deep appreciation for that proverb.

The BEYA Stars & Stripes Military Alumni Association and BEYA Stars & Stripes Committee focus on inspiring and motivating people, from kindergarten through retirement, to pursue STEM fields, according to Anthony “Andy” Winns, who currently serves as national chairman of the association and committee.

He also founded the BEYA National STEM Student

mentoring, monthly career day podcasts, and other activities.

These efforts are critically needed, as the United States is not maintaining a competitive edge globally, according to one expert involved in the programs.

“Americans are falling further behind in the world as it relates to STEM education. For example, China has a higher percentage of college graduates in STEM fields than the United States, and the gap is growing. Additionally, China

has more schools, research centers, and scientists involved in STEM than the United States. We’re being outpaced in several STEM areas by China,” said retired Vice Admiral Winns, chairman of BEYA’s Stars & Stripes, one of the nation’s largest annual events honoring active-duty and retired admirals, generals, and members of the SES.

“When you look across America, it’s increasingly clear that the best jobs today and in the future are going to be technology driven. Possessing a technical background certainly bodes well in the military,” said Winns.

“WHEN YOU LOOK ACROSS AMERICA, IT’S INCREASINGLY CLEAR THAT THE BEST JOBS TODAY AND IN THE FUTURE ARE GOING TO BE TECHNOLOGY DRIVEN,” SAID WINNS.

A former naval flight officer who served as the 37th Naval Inspector General from 2007 until his retirement in 2011, Winns said the active and retired admirals and generals who volunteer for the mentoring programs do it because they care about our nation and the future of its youth.

“They truly care,” said Winns. “They love this country, and they want to give back. They feel it’s important to help others.”

He said that inspiring and encouraging others is a twoway street.

“They (the mentors) get a lot out of it too,” said Winns. “They get inspired and encouraged too.”

Washington, D.C.’s notorious traffic was one catalyst for the start of BEYA’s mentoring

United States secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth speaks to BEYA Star & Stripes Mentees

program.

Winns recalled that students and military members would often arrive early for the BEYA Gala due to the U.S. capital’s reputation for traffic slowdowns and jams. Winns and retired Vice Admiral Walter Davis came up with the idea to have the military members arrive a little earlier to participate in a pre-dinner mentoring session with high school students.

The first year, 2010, seventyfive students were mentored by about thirty-seven activeduty admirals and generals. In 2024, those numbers escalated to more than six hundred high school students interacting with more than two hundred and fifty admirals, generals, and SES members, said Winns. A few years later, the mentoring program was expanded to the year-round Sustained Mentoring Program to accommodate the interest of retired admirals, generals, and SES members who wanted to participate and to give students regular mentor interactions throughout the year. In 2015, the year-round mentoring program began with four schools in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) and now includes six schools in the DMV.

While program officials are working on ways to capture data and success stories to measure the impact of the programs, they’ve said its success is undeniable.

“We have had high school students graduate…and receive appointments to all the service academies [West Point, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine],” said Winns, adding that many former student participants are invited back to speak to current participants and at the

“It’s been a huge impact and tremendous success,” said Winns, who takes pride in the mentoring and influencing efforts that touch the lives of more than 40,000 students and professionals annually.

USBE

“AMERICANS ARE FALLING FURTHER BEHIND IN THE WORLD AS IT RELATES TO STEM EDUCATION,” SAID WINNS.

Youth Flag Mentoring Session at BEYA Keynote session

Anthony Winns, BEYA Stars & Stripes chairman

annual BEYA Stars & Stripes Dinner.

by Career Day Students editors@ccgmag.com

DREAM BIG, FLY HIGH:

Colonel Louis Patrick Hawkins Inspires on BEYA Career Day Podcast

The BEYA Stars & Stripes Career Day podcast, a key initiative launched by the BEYA Stars & Stripes Committee, has become a cornerstone. This monthly podcast was the brainchild of retired Vice Admiral Walter Davis, a

an opportunity to hear from individuals who have navigated the challenges of their respective fields. The May 2024 episode featured Colonel Louis “Patrick” Hawkins, an aviator who shared his journey from dreamer to the U.S. Army.

Col. Hawkins gestures as he shows the interior of an Army helicopter to two BEYA Conference attendees.

former naval aviator who envisioned a platform where students could gain insights from professionals. Today, the podcast continues to thrive under the leadership of retired Army Lieutenant General Bruce Crawford.

Each episode—produced by students for students—offers

From Childhood Dreams to Military Aviator

For Col. Hawkins, the dream of flying is a passion. From the age of four, he was captivated by the idea of soaring through the skies, and by the time he was ten, he had already decided that a military career would be the perfect way to

combine his love of aviation with his desire to serve his country.

“I’ve always wanted to fly,” Hawkins shared during the podcast. “As a kid, I was fascinated by airplanes, and the military seemed like the perfect place to make that dream come true.”

While Hawkins initially pursued his passion for aviation, he soon found himself immersed in the world of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Military aviation, as he discovered, isn’t just about flying—it’s also about mastering the complex technologies that make flight possible.

“I didn’t set out to have a STEM career,” Hawkins explained. “But when you’re working with military aviation,

“I DIDN’T SET OUT TO HAVE A STEM CAREER,” HAWKINS EXPLAINED. “BUT WHEN YOU’RE WORKING WITH MILITARY AVIATION, TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING ARE INEVITABLE. IT JUST KIND OF HAPPENED, AND I’M GLAD IT DID.”

technology and engineering are inevitable. It just kind of happened, and I’m glad it did.”

Mindset: The Key to Overcoming Challenges

Throughout the podcast, Hawkins emphasized the power of a positive mindset. Whether tackling a difficult exam in college or leading a brigade of soldiers in the U.S. Army, Hawkins has always relied on his mindset to help him navigate challenges.

“Mindset is everything,” he told the podcast’s listeners. “When you’re up against a challenge, it’s your mindset

that gets you through. You have to keep your eyes on the prize and push through, no matter what.”

This advice has struck a chord with the podcast’s student audience, many of whom are facing their own academic and personal challenges.

Leadership: A Commitment to Team and Service

As the commander of the 29th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade, Hawkins oversees more than 1,100 soldiers—a responsibility he approaches with a deep sense of duty and humility.

“For me, leadership isn’t about being the boss,” he said. “It’s about being part of a team. No one is above the team. In the military, we succeed together. My job is to bring people together, ensure everyone understands their role, and keep us all focused on the mission.”

“Whether we’re responding to natural disasters or supporting communities during difficult times, the National Guard’s mission is to serve,” Hawkins said. “And as a leader, my mission is to lead with that same spirit of service.”

Considering a Military Career? Here’s What You Need to Know

As the podcast ended, Hawkins offered advice for students considering a military career. He highlighted the opportunities available in the National Guard, where individuals can pursue civilian careers while serving part-time in the military.

“We have doctors, lawyers, engineers—people who have full-time careers but also serve in the Guard,” he explained. “It’s a way to give back to your community while continuing to grow in your civilian career.”

Hawkins encouraged students to dream big but also stressed

the importance of having a plan. “Dreams are wonderful,” he said, “but you need a plan to make them a reality. What you do now—whether it’s studying a bit harder or building relationships—will shape your future.” USBE

Did you enjoy this story? Be sure to catch the next career day on the 2nd Saturday each month on www.STEMcityUSA.com

“I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO FLY,” HAWKINS SHARED DURING THE PODCAST. “AS A KID, I WAS FASCINATED BY AIRPLANES, AND THE MILITARY SEEMED LIKE THE PERFECT PLACE TO MAKE THAT DREAM COME TRUE.”

The BEYA Stars & Stripes Career Day airs the second Saturday of every month from the Education & Discovery Center in STEM City USA.

U.S. Army Colonel Louis “Patrick” Hawkins Commander, 29th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade Maryland Army National Guard

2019 attendees posing for a group shot after the event.

Members of The Centennial Seven at a BEYA STEM Conference

L-R: Gen. Duncan J. Mcnabb, Adm. Robert J. Papp, Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Ronald S. Coleman, Vice Adm. Melvin G. Williams, CCG Publisher and CEO Tyrone Taborn

At a Stars and Stripes Dinner, BEYA Stars and Stripes Chairman emeritus Johnnie E. Wilson led a line of supporters as they presented an award. General Daniel K. Hokanson represented the Army National Guard, with retired generals, including Ron Johnson, Anthony L. Winns, and Velma L. Richardson, who led BEYA Career Day mentorship, education, and youth programs.

The annual BEYA Stars & Stripes event brings everyone together.

Founding members of the BEYA Stars and Stripes

Rap and hip-hop at the BEYA Stars and Stripes Color Guards

Stars and Stripes Award plaque

FOR TWO DECADES,

the BEYA Stars and Stripes Conference has been a beacon of innovation, leadership, and inspiration. This special feature offers a visual retrospective, celebrating the groundbreaking achievements, pivotal events, and influential figures that have shaped the conference’s legacy. Through captivating images and thought-provoking quotes, we revisit the most memorable moments, from groundbreaking technological advancements to inspiring stories of personal triumph. Join us as we honor the past, celebrate the present, and look forward to a future filled with continued excellence.

Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (2007-2011) is fllanked by retired U.S. Army general Al Edmonds, retired Air Force general Lester Lyles, BEYA Stars & Stripes chair emeritus Johnnie Wilson, and Walt Davis, retired Navy vice admiral.

Audience watches in awe as guards perform with riflles

2019 attendees pose for a group shot after the event

Stars & Stripes attendees, including Matt Bowman, executive director

Michelle J. Howard, retired four-star admiral who served as the 38th Vice Chief of Naval Operations, speaks at BEYA30 in Philadelphia, PA.

U.S. Military Academy at West Point cadets are valued members of the BEYA STEM community

United States Navy admirals at BEYA. Navy band

Zeita Merchant’s Mission to Empower the Next Generation

REAR ADMIRAL PROUD OF COAST GUARD’S 234-YEAR HISTORY

COAST GUARD PROGRAM OFFERS HBCU STUDENTS TUITION, PAY, BENEFITS, AND MORE

By Gale Horton Gay

Opportunities in the U.S. Coast Guard come in many forms, even for those with no military experience seeking a way to embark on a Coast Guard career.

Rear Admiral Zeita Merchant knows that all too well.

Merchant has spent twenty-seven years in the military commanding maritime operations across Lake Michigan and along the Western Rivers and directing critical marine safety and security missions across an array of leadership assignments in the Gulf of Mexico and along the Southeastern Atlantic Seaboard. She was promoted to rear admiral in spring 2024.

As commander of the Personnel Service Center in Washington, D.C., she’s responsible for executing the Coast Guard’s human resource and talent management policies by recruiting, accessing, assigning, developing careers, maintaining well-being, compensating, separating, and retiring the nearly 45,000 members of the active duty and reserve workforces.

Previously, Merchant served as the commander of the U.S. Coast Guard Sector New York and Captain of the Port, where her priority was the safety, security, and sustainability of the nation’s most consequential marine transportation system.

However, joining the U.S. Armed Forces wasn’t part of young Zeita Merchant’s initial career plan. Her long-held goal was clear: to become a doctor—possibly a neurosurgeon. However, during her college years, a conversation with a Coast Guard recruiting officer changed her mind. She was introduced to the Coast Guard College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative Scholarship Program (CSPI) that paid for two years of college and gave her a salary and benefits such as medical insurance and a housing allowance.

“Upon graduation from college, officer trainees complete Officer Candidate School and receive a

U.S. Coast Guard pilots join Rear Admiral Zeita Merchant at Sector Clearwater, FL.

“I feel hands down it was the best decision I could have made,” said Merchant of her decision to join the Coast Guard. “I feel it was divine intervention.”

Rear Admiral Zeita Merchant Commander, Personnel Service Center (PSC) U.S. Coast Guard

commission as ensigns,” according to a Coast Guard description of the program. “They go on to serve as leaders in a wide array of assignments— from counterdrug and counterterrorism; to preventing and responding to oil and chemical spills; to ensuring safe navigation, and much more.”

“I feel hands down it was the best decision I could have made,” said Merchant of her decision to join the Coast Guard. “I feel it was divine intervention.”

The CSPI program, according to Merchant, is one way for minorities to gain access to careers that rely on STEM expertise and have the potential to lead to career advancement in a broad range of fields.

In September 2024, Merchant traveled to Jackson, Mississippi, to sign an agreement to launch the CSPI at her alma mater, Tougaloo College. She said the initiative shows the Coast Guard’s unwavering commitment to building a workforce that mirrors the diversity, talent, and excellence of our nation.

“Through this partnership with Tougaloo College, we are opening doors to unparalleled opportunities—equipping students not only with the education and leadership tools to succeed but also the values and vision to drive meaningful change,” said Merchant. “This initiative speaks to the power of collaboration, where service and scholarship intersect to cultivate the next generation of leaders who will shape the future of the Coast Guard and our country with distinction.”

The program is open to students of other historically Black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions. Full-time students who are qualified and selected for the program receive up to two years of tuition, books, fees, a monthly salary, medical benefits, and other benefits. The current stipend is $3,500 per month.

Available career fields include marine safety, law enforcement, humanitarian and natural disaster response, engineering, communications, computer science, and aviation. “You may also enter intelligence, human resources, international affairs, financial management, recruiting, and health and medical professions,” states promotional information about the program.

Despite her numerous achievements and awards, Merchant said she’s most proud of her involvement in education and mentoring programs for young students as well as mentoring military personnel and the impact that mentoring has made on those who are now moving up through the ranks and who eventually will replace her.

“This initiative speaks to the power of collaboration, where service and scholarship intersect to cultivate the next generation of leaders who will shape the future of the Coast Guard and our country with distinction.”

TOP: U.S. Coast Guard Commandant, Admiral Linda L. Fagan, swearing in Rear Admiral Zeita Merchant on April 22, 2024, in New York.

MIDDLE: Admiral Linda L. Fagan, the 27th commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, left, and Rear Admiral Zeita Merchant.

BOTTOM: Tougaloo College President Dr. Donzell Lee, left, and U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Zeita Merchant sign an agreement cementing a partnership to provide Tougaloo students with unique opportunities for career advancement, leadership development, and pre-commissioning pathways into the U.S. Coast Guard.

Students interested in learning more about the Coast Guard or CSPI should go to www.gocoastguard.com/cspi. USBE

TOP LEADERS

IN THE U.S. MILITARY

USBlack Engineer & Information Technology (USBE&IT) magazine continues its tradition of honoring the exceptional achievements of military personnel who have ascended to the highest ranks of their respective branches. This year’s edition highlights a new generation of top-ranking officers, joining a legacy that stretches back decades.

For nearly two decades, USBE&IT has annually highlighted the biographies of over fifty flag officers, showcasing their diverse experiences and contributions to the U.S. Armed Forces. The magazine’s commitment to highlighting these leaders extends beyond its annual list, as it also hosts conferences and events to inspire the next generation of military professionals.

Each year, USBE&IT also hosts an impactful conference during Black History Month, where prominent military leaders share their stories and inspire the next generation to pursue careers in the armed forces. As part of the annual BEYA weekend, Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) cadets from high schools across the country have the opportunity to engage with general officers, receiving valuable mentorship and insight into military service and leadership.

In recent years, the U.S. military has witnessed significant milestones in diversity and representation. General Charles Q. Brown became the first African-American military chief of staff, and retired Army General Lloyd J. Austin III served as the first African American U.S. secretary of defense. These appointments, along with the continued progress in the ranks, underscore the ongoing efforts to create a more inclusive and equitable military.

TOP LEADERS IN THE U.S. MILITARY

U.S. ARMY

GENERAL GARY M. BRITO is the commanding general of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). He is responsible for building and sustaining the Army’s foundation by training soldiers, guiding Army culture, and shaping the future force. Gen. Brito assumed the duties of TRADOC’s 18th Commanding General on September 8, 2022. Prior to this, he made history in 2018 when he became the first Black commanding officer of the Maneuver Center of Excellence at the U.S. Army base in Fort Benning. According to the TRADOC Communication Directorate, during TRADOC’s 50th-anniversary year in 2023, Gen. Brito delivered a keynote speech on inclusion at the Hampton Roads Chapter of the ROCKS organization. Named in honor of its late founder, General Roscoe C. Cartwright, ROCKS was established in 1974 at Fort Leavenworth, KS. The organization, comprised primarily of military veterans, seeks to strengthen the officer corps by providing young officers with mentorship, leadership development, scholarships, and networking opportunities. Gen. Brito became a ROCKS member and captain while at Fort Benning, GA. During his 2023 speech, he shared TRADOC’s priorities with the local chapter to help identify how the two organizations can continue collaborating on developing future leaders. Gen. Brito explained that the Army must continue leveraging the support of organizations, such as ROCKS, to connect with the community and raise awareness of the career opportunities and benefits military service offers. He revealed that TRADOC is approaching a new epoch in training and recruiting. The officers questioned closing the accession gap, increasing representation within the recruiting process, and developing leaders. Organizations such as ROCKS are an asset to maintaining the goal of incorporating equity and inclusion into the force. A supportive group of active-duty, reserve, and retired officers to mentor junior officers can encourage them to continue striving for inclusion.

GENERAL (SELECT) XAVIER T. BRUNSON

is the commanding general of America’s I Corps and Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The I Corps is a major formation of the U.S. Army Pacific, and its primary mission includes administrative oversight of Army units in the Asia-Pacific region, which encompasses the Pacific Pathways program. Gen. Brunson has held various staff and command positions as a general officer. He has served in Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, Freedom’s Sentinel, and Inherent Resolve. Initially commissioned as an infantry officer after graduating from Hampton University with

a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science, Gen. Brunson later completed a Master of Arts degree in human resource development from Webster University and a Master of Science degree in national security strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College. He has received notable civic awards, including an Omega Psi Phi Gamma Epsilon Founder’s Leadership Award and the Park Service’s Trailblazer Award from the Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument. The following honors were awarded by regimental associations: Honorable Order of Saint Barbara (field artillery), Centurion Order of Saint Maurice (infantry), Order of Aaron and Hur (chaplains), Thomas Knowlton Award (military intelligence), and Colonel Eli E. Nobleman Award (civil affairs).

GENERAL (SELECT) RONALD P. CLARK

serves as the senior military assistant to the secretary of defense in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. In this role, he is the highest-ranking commissioned officer and reports directly to the secretary of defense. His responsibilities include handling administrative matters on behalf of the secretary and managing relations with other government entities such as the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Congress, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Prior to this position, Gen. Clark was the commanding general of the U.S. Army Central, a division with a significant history of service in World War I and II, the 1991 Gulf War, and Iraq. Before that, Gen. Clark served as the chief of staff for the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. In 1988, he graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and was commissioned as an infantry 2nd lieutenant, beginning his career as a rifle platoon leader and scout platoon leader in the 5th Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, and 3rd Armored Division in Germany and Southwest Asia.

GENERAL CHARLES R. HAMILTON

is the current commanding general of the U.S. Army Materiel Command. In this capacity, he oversees one of the Army’s largest commands, which includes 165,000 military, civilian, and contractor personnel and impacts fifty states and over one hundred and fifty countries. Gen. Hamilton started his military career by enlisting in the Army. After completing basic and individual training, he was stationed at Fort Hood, which was renamed Fort Cavazos in 2023. Following his time at Fort Hood, he attended Officer Candidate School and was later commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the Quartermaster Corps. He was recognized as a distinguished

military graduate and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Virginia State University, a master’s degree in public administration from Central Michigan University and completed military studies at Marine Corps University. He also graduated from a Senior Service College Fellowship–Secretary of Defense Corporate Fellows Program. Throughout his military career, Gen. Hamilton has held various key positions, including deputy chief of staff, G-4 for the U.S. Army; assistant deputy chief of staff, G-4, U.S. Army; deputy chief of staff for operations, G-3 for AMC; commander of the 8th Theater Sustainment Command; chief logistics officer for U.S. Forces Korea; and commander of Defense Logistics Agency (DLA)Troop Support. He also served as the executive officer to the Army deputy chief of staff for logistics at the Pentagon, an assignment officer in the Logistics Branch in the Office of the Army Chief of Staff, and the executive officer to the vice director of the DLA. In addition to these roles, Gen. Hamilton served as commander of the DLA Contingency Support Team in Afghanistan, commander of the U.S. Forces-Afghanistan Support South, and commander of the 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division.

GENERAL DARRYL A. WILLIAMS

is the commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) Allied Land Command. Throughout his career, Gen. Williams has held various roles as a field artillery officer, including commanding the Division Artillery for the 1st Armored Division, leading the U.S. Army Warrior Transition Command, overseeing U.S. Army Africa (USARAF), directing NATO Allied Land Command, and, most recently, serving as the 60th superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy. He has also held various leadership positions across tactical, operational, and strategic levels, such as the deputy commanding general (Support) of the 2nd Infantry Division in the Republic of Korea, the deputy chief of staff (G-3/-5/-7) at U.S. Army Europe, and the deputy director for Soldier Comprehensive Fitness at the Department of the Army G-3/-5/-7. Additionally, Gen. Williams has participated in various operations, including serving as a battery commander during Desert Shield/Desert Storm, acting as a division fire and effects coordinator in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and leading as a USARAF commander in Operation United Assistance, contributing to the fight against the Ebola outbreak in Liberia. He has an extensive military education background, having completed the Field Artillery Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Command and General Staff College, School of Advanced Military

Studies, and the U.S. Naval War College. He holds master’s degrees in leadership development, military art and science, and national security and strategic studies. Gen. Williams, originally from Alexandria, VA, graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1983 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. His outstanding achievements have been recognized with awards and decorations, including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Parachutist Badge, the Presidential Service Badge, and the Army Staff Identification Badge.

LIEUTENANT GENERAL KEVIN D. ADMIRAL

is the commanding general of the III Armored Corps and Fort Cavazos. He recently served as the commanding general of the 1st Cavalry Division. His previous command assignments included being the commander of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment and commander of the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment in the 1st Armored Division. Lt.Gen Admiral has led soldiers at all levels across four United States and overseas divisions. His staff and special assignments include roles such as the director of force management at the Headquarters, Department of the Army G-3/5/7; the 52nd chief of armor and commandant of the U.S. Army Armor School; the deputy commanding general (Maneuver) of the 4th Infantry Division; the executive officer to the commanding general of the United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command and U.S. Forces Korea; and the aide-de-camp to the 36th Army Chief of Staff. Lt.Gen Admiral has had multiple operational deployments supporting operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea, and Europe. He was commissioned as an armor officer in 1994 and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Kansas and a Master of Science degree in campaign planning and strategy from the Joint Advanced Warfighting School. Lt.Gen Admiral also served as a senior service college fellow at the UK’s Royal College of Defence Studies.

LIEUTENANT GENERAL MILFORD H. BEAGLE,

JR. currently serves as the commander of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth, KS. He is also the commandant of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and the deputy commanding general for the Combined Arms Center within the U.S. Army TRADOC. Lt.Gen Beagle was commissioned as an infantry officer upon graduating from South Carolina State University in 1990 as a distinguished military graduate. He holds master’s degrees from Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, and the U.S. Army School of Advanced Military Studies, Fort Leavenworth, KS. He has held leadership positions at various levels, from platoon to division level, and has served in combat

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in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Lt.Gen Beagle has also been deployed in various global assignments, including Hawaii and the Republic of South Korea. His recent assignments include serving as the deputy commanding general (Support) of the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) at Fort Drum, NY, in support of Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq. Additionally, Lt.Gen Beagle has served as the 51st commanding general of the U.S. Army Training Center and Fort Jackson, SC, and as the commanding general of the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) at Fort Drum, NY.

LIEUTENANT GENERAL TELITA CROSLAND

currently serves as the director of the Defense Health Agency. Throughout her career, she has held various leadership positions in South Korea, Texas, Washington, Germany, Virginia, and Kentucky. Lt.Gen Crosland began her career in the Army as a Medical Corps officer in 1993. She is board-certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and has been honored as a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. In addition to her Doctor of Medicine degree, Lt.Gen Crosland holds a master’s degree in public health from the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences and a Master of Science degree in national resource strategy from the Eisenhower School. She also holds degrees from the U.S. Military Academy, the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. Her military career has earned her several accolades, including the Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, the Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters, and the Army Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters, among others. Lt.Gen Crosland is also a member of the Order of Military Medical Merit.

LIEUTENANT GENERAL ANTONIO M. FLETCHER

is the 7th commander of the Allied Special Operations Forces Command (SOFCOM). Before taking command of SOFCOM, Lt.Gen Fletcher served as the deputy director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. He began his career in the 197th Infantry Brigade at Fort Benning, GA. Lt.Gen Fletcher has led soldiers and joint teammates in infantry and special operations units in the United States, South America, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Throughout his career, he has commanded at the detachment, company, battalion, and group levels, including commanding the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne). As a general officer, Lt.Gen Fletcher has held various assignments, including serving as the

deputy commander of Special Operations Joint Task ForceAfghanistan from 2016–2017, the assistant commanding general for support within the 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) in 2017, the director of Strategy, Policy, and Plans (J-5) at the U.S. Southern Command from 2017–2018, and the commander of Special Operations Command South from 2018–2020. He was born in South Carolina and graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, NY, in 1989. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from West Point and a master’s degree in strategic studies from the Marine Corps War College.

LIEUTENANT GENERAL SEAN A. GAINEY

is the commander of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command and Joint Functional Component Command for Integrated Missile Defense. In this position, he leads 2,600 military and civilian professionals in providing trained and equipped space and global ballistic missile defense forces, as well as space, missile defense, and high-altitude capabilities to the Army and joint force. The command serves as the Army Service Component Command (ASCC) to both the U.S. Space Command and U.S. Strategic Command and as the ASCC for ground-based midcourse defense to the U.S. Northern Command. Lt.Gen Gainey’s previous roles include serving as the director of the Joint C-UAS Office and director of fires in the G-3/-5/-7 at the Headquarters Department of the Army. Other assignments include leadership positions and deployments in support of operations. Lt.Gen Gainey holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Georgia Southern University and a Master of Science degree in personnel management from Central Michigan University. He completed his professional military education at the Air Defense Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Command and General Staff College, and Senior Service College at the Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security, where he earned a Master of Science degree in national security and resource strategy.

LIEUTENANT GENERAL (SELECT) GAVIN A. LAWRENCE

currently serves as the deputy chief of staff for logistics and operations of Army Materiel Command. He has held key staff and joint positions, including assignments with the Joint Task Force-82 in Afghanistan, the 82nd Airborne Division, and tours in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-4, at the Headquarters Department of the Army. Lt.Gen Lawrence’s command assignments include the Headquarters and Distribution Company

for the 225th Forward Support Battalion, Division Support Command, 25th Infantry Division (Light) at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, and the 801st Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, KY. His combat and operational service includes multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Recently, he served as the commander of the DLA Troop Support and the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command and served as the deputy chief of staff, G-4, at the U.S. Army Forces Command. Lt.Gen Lawrence was commissioned as a quartermaster officer upon graduating from the U.S. Military Academy. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in international relations from U.S. Military Academy, a Master of Arts degree in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College, and a Master of Arts degree in strategic studies from the Army War College.

LIEUTENANT GENERAL DONNA W. MARTIN

is currently the inspector general of the U.S. Army. She is from Yorktown, VA, and graduated from Old Dominion University with a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice. She was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the Military Police Corps in 1988. Lt.Gen Martin also earned a master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle Barracks, PA. Previously, she served as the provost marshal general of the U.S. Army, advising the secretary of the Army and the Army’s chief of staff on policing matters, including law enforcement, criminal investigations, and detention operations. She also served as the commanding general of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command. Lt.Gen Martin has held various staff positions and commanded at various levels, including battalion and brigade. She has had deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq and has also served in Germany. Additionally, she held roles as the deputy commanding general of the U.S. Army Recruiting Command, the chief of the Military Police Corps Regiment, and the commandant of the Military Police School.

LIEUTENANT GENERAL (SELECT) JETH B. REY

has served as the director of the Network, Command, Control, Communications, and Computer (C4) Services and Integration since July 2024. In this position, he is responsible for providing strategy, policy, and guidance to facilitate mission command across the Army’s Global Enterprise Network. Previously, Lt.Gen Rey served as the director of the Network Cross-Functional Team

in the Army Futures Command, focusing on integrating and modernizing the Army’s network. He played a pivotal role in the continuous improvement of the network, command, control, communications, and intelligence system to enable mission command across the tactical network. His previous assignments include serving as the director of C4 Systems, J-6, U.S. Central Command (2019–2021); Army Cyber Command G-3 (2018–2019); executive officer to the Army chief information officer/G-6 (2017–2018); commander of the 516th Signal Brigade, Fort Shafter, HI (2015–2017); commander of the 112th Signal Battalion (Special Operations) (Airborne), 528th Sustainment Brigade (2012–2014), and many other significant roles within the U.S. Army. Lt.Gen Rey enlisted in the Army in September 1983. In 1994, he graduated from the Army’s Warrant Officer Candidate School and received his commission into the U.S. Army Signal Corps from the Army’s Officer Candidate School in 1996.

LIEUTENANT GENERAL DAVID WILSON

became the Headquarters Department of the Army’s deputy chief of staff, G-9, on September 4, 2024. He is a distinguished military graduate of The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina, and was commissioned in the field artillery in 1991. Lt.Gen Wilson is the first African-American graduate from The Citadel to become a three-star general. His assignment highlights include the roles of commanding general of the Army Sustainment Command, commanding general of the 8th Theater Sustainment Command, director J/U-4 for the U.S. Forces Korea/United Nations Command, and deputy director of the C-4 Combined Forces Command. He has held various significant positions, including the 40th chief of ordnance and commandant of the U.S. Army Ordnance School, executive officer of Army Materiel Command, commanding general, brigade commander of the 406th Army Field Support Brigade, and battalion commander of the 121st Brigade Support Battalion in the 1st Armored Division. Lt.Gen. Wilson’s operational deployments include Operation Restore/Continue Hope, Operation Uphold Democracy, Operation Desert Thunder, and Operation Iraqi Freedom I and 09–10. In addition to his Bachelor of Science degree from The Citadel, he also holds a Master of Science degree in general administration from Central Michigan University and a Master of Science degree in national resource strategy from the National Defense University.

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MAJOR GENERAL

JOHNNY K. DAVIS is commander of the U.S. Army Recruiting Command and Fort Knox. Prior to this, Maj. Gen Davis served as the commanding general of the U.S. Army Joint Modernization Command at Fort Bliss, TX, from June 2018 to June 2020; the chief of staff at the U.S. Army Futures Command in Austin, TX, from June 2020 to July 2021; and the commanding general of the U.S. Army Cadet Command and Fort Knox, KY, from August 2021 to September 2022. He began his career with the 24th Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, GA. After attending the Command and General Staff College, Maj. Gen Davis served as the aide to the Joint Chiefs of Staff vice chair and Joint Staff J-8 capabilities officer. He was deployed to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom 10 as a task force commander from 2010–2011. Following that, Maj. Gen Davis was deployed to Iraq for Operation New Dawn and then transitioned to the Pentagon, serving as an aide to the Army vice chief of staff. In June 2014, he assumed command of the 3rd Infantry Regiment. Following this command, Maj. Gen Davis served as the United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command/U.S. Forces Korea commanding general executive officer in the Republic of Korea.

MAJOR GENERAL ANDREW C. GAINEY

is the commanding general of the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa. He also serves as the deputy commanding general for Africa within the U.S. Army Europe and Africa. Maj. Gen Gainey has served in a variety of key leadership positions throughout the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. Most recently, he was commanding general of the 56th Artillery Command, U.S. Army Europe and Africa. Prior to this, he was the deputy commanding general for operations of the 3rd (French) Division in Marseille. Throughout his career, Maj. Gen Gainey has led soldiers in combat. This includes serving as the commander of the 1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment at Fort Riley, KS, and later as the 17th Field Artillery Brigade commander at Joint Base Lewis McChord, Washington. He also commanded the 1st Infantry Division Headquarters (Forward) in Poland while serving as the deputy commanding general (Maneuver) of the 1st Infantry Division. Maj. Gen Gainey’s staff experience includes roles as an executive officer in the Office of the Vice Chief of Staff, Army, senior military assistant to the undersecretary of defense, and military assistant in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

CHAPLAIN (MG) WILLIAM BILL

GREEN, JR. has served as chief of chaplains in the U.S. Army since December 2023. He is a native of Savannah, GA, and grew up on Hilton Head Island, SC. Upon graduation from high school, he joined the U.S. Army as a cannon crewman and field radio repairman. In 1986, he left the active Army to pursue his calling and become an ordained minister and Army chaplain. Chaplain Green is a 1989 distinguished military graduate of Savannah State University, Savannah, GA, with a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice. In 1992, he graduated from Emory University with a master’s degree in divinity. He was endorsed by the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., and became an Army chaplain in 1994. Chaplain Green has held various significant positions throughout his career, including deputy chief at the Office of the Chief of Chaplains in the Army Pentagon, chaplain for the U.S. Army Pacific Command at Fort Shafter, and I Corps Command chaplain at Joint Base Lewis McChord. He has also served as the Strong Bonds program manager for the DACH Soldier and Family Ministry within the Office of the Chief of Chaplains, as well as the training and leader development officer for DACH 3/5/7. Furthermore, Chaplain Green served as the division chaplain for the 1st Armored Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and he has been involved with the U.S. Army Chaplain Center and School, as well as serving as the deputy division chaplain and 4th Brigade chaplain for the 1st Armored Division.

MAJOR GENERAL RICHARD HARRISON

is the commanding general of the 32d Army Air and Missile Defense Command. Prior to this assignment, he served as the deputy chief of staff, G-3/5/7, at U.S. Army TRADOC. Maj. Gen Harrison has served in a variety of command and staff positions throughout his career. His previous assignments include the role of the 44th commandant of the U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery (ADA) School; chief of ADA; deputy commanding general of the Fires Center of Excellence and Fort Sill, OK; executive officer to the commanding general of U.S. Forces Korea; executive assistant to the Joint Staff J-3; division chief for the Protection Division; commander of the 69th ADA Brigade; assistant chief of staff G-3 (Forward) for the 32d Army Air Missile Defense Command; commander of the 3rd Battalion, 4th ADA Regiment; and deputy commanding officer for the 108th ADA Brigade. Maj. Gen Harrison is one of only two African-American general officers to become the 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command commanding officer. He joined the Army as an enlisted

member in 1990. Maj. Gen Harrison was commissioned as an ADA officer at Elizabeth City State University, and he was assigned to Fort Bliss for his first duty assignment.

MAJOR GENERAL DARYL O. HOOD

is the commander of the U.S. Army Training Center and Fort Jackson. Before this position, he served as the commanding general of the 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground. Prior to that, he was the deputy director of operations, Team Four, J-3, and joint staff at the National Joint Operations Intelligence Center and National Military Command Center at the Pentagon from June 2021 to August 2022. From 2019–2021, he held the role of the 31st chief of chemical and commandant of the U.S. Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear School at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. During his time at the Pentagon, he served as the chief of the Full Dimension Protection Division, G-8, Department of the Army, and the deputy director of the Joint Requirements Office for CBRN Defense, J-8, Joint Staff. Maj. Gen Hood has held command roles such as commander of the 3rd Chemical Brigade, 110th Chemical Battalion, 87th Chemical Company, 4th Squadron (Aviation), and 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment. He is a graduate of the Chemical Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Army Combined Arms Services Staff School, Army Command and General Staff College, and Air Force Senior Service College.

MAJOR GENERAL JASON E. KELLY,

an engineer officer, assumed duties as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) deputy commanding general for civil and emergency operations on September 9, 2024, after recently serving as the 53rd commanding general of the U.S. Army Training Center and Fort Jackson, the U.S. Army’s main production center for basic combat training. In this role, Maj. Gen Kelly supervised the Initial Entry Training Center, which is responsible for training fifty percent of all soldiers and sixty percent of women in basic combat training each year. In February 2024, he was promoted to major general at Fort Jackson during a ceremony presided over by Gen. Gary M. Brito, the commanding general of the U.S. Army TRADOC. Before serving as commander at Fort Jackson, Maj. Gen Kelly was the commanding general of the South Atlantic Division, USACE. He was commissioned as an Army engineer after graduating from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1994. Maj. Gen Kelly has held various leadership positions, including commander of

the 20th Engineer Battalion in Afghanistan, deputy commander of the 36th Engineer Brigade during Operation Iraqi Freedom/ Operation New Dawn, and commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 11th Engineer Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division.

MAJOR GENERAL MARK C. QUANDER

took over as the commander of the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division, USACE on June 30, 2023. As the division engineer, he is the highest-ranking military officer in the division, which is based in Cincinnati, OH. The division is responsible for providing engineering and water resource solutions for the Great Lakes and Ohio River region, covering three hundred thirty-five thousand square miles and parts of seventeen states. Its civil works mission includes planning, construction, and operation of navigation structures, flood damage reduction, hydropower, environmental restoration, water management, recreation, and disaster response. The division is also involved in military construction in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan, focusing on designing and constructing barracks, hospitals, airfields, and family housing on military installations. Before this, Maj. Gen Quander served as the commandant of cadets for the U.S. Military Academy. His other command assignments include commandant of the U.S. Army Engineer School, commander of the Transatlantic Division, commander of the 36th Engineer Brigade, and commander of the 7th Engineer Battalion. Within the Joint Staff and Headquarters Department of the Army, he fulfilled duties as a Joint Chiefs of Staff intern/politico-military planner. Within the Headquarters Department of the Army, he fulfilled duties as director of the Office of the Chief of Engineers.

MAJOR GENERAL RONALD RAGIN

took command of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command on June 7, 2023. The 21st Theater Sustainment Command is responsible for executing mission command of operational sustainment across the European theater, conducting reception, staging, movement, and integration, executing theater opening, theater distribution, and theater sustainment in support of U.S. European Command and NATO operations, and providing joint security and support to U.S. Africa Command operations as directed. Maj. Gen Ragin has held various assignments, including troop commander of the Combat Support Squadron in the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (Fulda, Germany); company commander of the 225th Forward Support

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Battalion within the Divisional Support Command (DISCOM) of the 25th Infantry Division; battalion commander of the Group Support Battalion in the 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne); squadron commander of the Support Squadron in the 1st Special Forces Operations Detachment (Delta); brigade commander of the 4th Sustainment Brigade in the 4th Infantry Division; commander of the Operational Test Command; and commander of the 13th Expeditionary Sustainment Command in the III Armored Corps. He has also served in key staff assignments in various units and commands.

MAJOR GENERAL MONTÉ RONE

assumed command of the 1st Infantry Division in June 2024. The brigades in the 1st Division have deployed troops to support NATO allies. His most recent assignment was serving as the commandant of the Army Infantry School, chief of the Infantry, and director of the Soldier Lethality Cross-Functional Team. Maj. Gen Rone served as the deputy commanding general (Support) and later as the deputy commanding general (Maneuver) of the 1st Cavalry Division. He also served as the deputy chief of staff for operations for Multinational Corps Northeast, NATO. After completing the Infantry Officer Advanced Course, his assignments included serving as the commander of the 1st Cavalry Division (Forward), Poznan, Poland, in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, and brigade commander of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, where he also served as the deputy commander for Train, Advise, and Assist Command–East, in Afghanistan. His key staff assignments include serving as the Infantry Branch assignment officer at the Human Resources Command. Maj. Gen Rone enlisted on September 11, 1990, and served for five years. He was commissioned into the infantry upon graduation from Eastern Michigan University in 1995. He has over thirty years of service.

MAJOR GENERAL MICHEL M. RUSSELL,

SR. joined the United States Army Reserve in 1983 as an enlisted field artilleryman. In 1987, he graduated from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and was commissioned as a second lieutenant from Fordham University ROTC as a distinguished military graduate. In 1991, Russell was detailed to the Ordnance Corps from the Air Defense Artillery branch. Russell was the 28th chief of transportation. He then served as the U.S. Forces Korea J-4 and later as the commanding general for the

19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command in South Korea. Russell most recently served as the HQDA assistant deputy chief of staff, G4. Russell currently serves as the commanding general for the 1st Theater Sustainment and as the deputy commanding general—sustainment for U.S. Army Central. Russell is a graduate of the Marine Corps Staff College and the Eisenhower School for National Security and Resources. Russell’s awards and decorations include the Parachutist Badge, the Army Staff Badge, the Office of the Secretary of Defense Staff Badge, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Badge, and the Combat Action Badge. He currently holds three master’s degrees and is Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certified.

MAJOR GENERAL JAMES M. SMITH

serves as the deputy commanding general of the Installation Management Command. He has held various command assignments, including director of operations for the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff at the 21st Theater Sustainment Command in Kaiserslautern, Germany, and as the 31st chief of transportation/ commandant at the U.S. Army Transportation School. He has also served as interim president at the Army Logistics University in Fort Lee, VA, and in other significant assignments. Maj. Gen Smith was commissioned into the U.S. Army in 1992 from Christopher Newport University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting. He holds multiple degrees, including a master’s degree in business administration from Webster University, a Master of Science degree in logistics management from Florida Institute of Technology, a master’s degree in theater operations from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and a Master of Science degree in strategic studies from the Marine Corps War College.

MAJOR GENERAL MICHAEL J. TALLEY

assumed duties as the chief of staff and deputy commanding general (Support) of the U.S. Army Medical Command on December 18, 2023, . He also currently serves as the chief of the Medical Service Corps. Maj. Gen Talley’s recent position was the commanding general of the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence. Throughout his career, he has held several command and key staff assignments, including deputy commanding general (operations) of the U.S. Army Medical Command; commanding general of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command and

Fort Detrick; deputy commanding general of the Regional Health Command-Atlantic; Army Forces Command surgeon; commander of the 44th Medical Brigade and Task Force Medical, Joint Task Force Civil Support; assistant deputy chief of staff G-3/-5/-7 at the Office of the Surgeon General and U.S. Army Medical Command; commander of the 6th Medical Logistics Management Center; and commander of the Defense Distribution Depot Tobyhanna. In 1983, Maj. Gen Talley volunteered for military service as a combat medic and served with the 1st Infantry Division, 197th Separate Infantry Brigade, and William Beaumont Army Medical Center until his discharge in 1989. He graduated with honors from the University of Texas at El Paso and received a commission as a Distinguished Military Graduate in 1991.

MAJOR GENERAL WILLIAM THIGPEN

is the former commander of the U.S. Army South, the ASCC of the U.S. Southern Command. Maj. Gen Thigpen has had a remarkable thirty-two-year career, commanding at every level and impacting thousands of service members and their families worldwide. During his time as commander, he significantly strengthened the U.S. relationship with thirtyone countries and fifteen areas of special sovereignty in Central and South America and the Caribbean territories, as well as their militaries and public forces. Maj. Gen Thigpen’s efforts have enhanced U.S. Southern Command’s operational readiness and regional cooperation, solidifying the United States as the partner of choice in the Western Hemisphere. He spearheaded critical initiatives, including various Army operations, activities, and investments in over seventy-five locations across twenty-five countries within U.S. Southern Command’s area of responsibility. Additionally, Maj. Gen Thigpen collaborated closely with Army commanders from over twenty-six countries in the Western Hemisphere, and he was honored with the Peruvian Cross for Military Merit on June 26, 2024, for strengthening the friendship and cooperation between the U.S. and Peru. His leadership has left a lasting impact on the U.S. Army South and its relationships in the region.

BRIGADIER GENERAL AMANDA I. AZUBUIKE

was appointed the chief of public affairs for the U.S. Army in June 2024. Her previous roles within the U.S. Army include acting director for community relations in the Office of the Chief of Public Affairs, public affairs director for U.S. Forces Afghanistan, public affairs director for the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, GA, chief of public affairs for the

U.S. Southern Command, chief of staff/senior military advisor to the principal deputy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and most recently, deputy commanding general for the Army Cadet Command. Brig. Gen Azubuike began her military career as an Army aviator and progressed through various aircraft, starting with the UH-1H Huey helicopter and transitioning to the RC-12D/H Guardrail (fixed wing). Her responsibilities included leading aircraft mechanics and pilots, training, planning, mission validation/certification, logistics, and maintenance operations supporting assigned units. In 2005, Brig. Gen Azubuike was appointed the 3rd Army/U.S. Army Central Public Affairs officer at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. Her duties included producing public affairs guidance, annexes, and media releases and providing media awareness training for leaders. In 2006, she took on the role of 3rd Army/U.S. Army Central Public Affairs Operations chief.

BRIGADIER GENERAL MAURICE BARNETT

assumed command of the U.S. Army Cadet Command on August 7, 2024. As the commanding general, Brig. Gen Barnett leads Cadet Command’s mission to educate, train, and commission college students as officers and leaders of character. He also oversees the formation of partnerships with high schools to conduct JROTC programs aimed at developing citizens of character for a lifetime of commitment and service to the nation. Brig. Gen Barnett graduated from Indiana University in 1994 and was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the ADA Corps. In his twenty-nine years of service, he has held various command and staff positions, including commander of the 30th ADA Brigade and deputy commanding general for the U.S. Army Cadet Command from July 2021 to June 2022. He most recently served as the commander of Germany’s 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command. Brig. Gen Barnett has held various significant positions, including serving as an instructor in the Department of Physical Education at the U.S. Military Academy. He has also served as a senior air and missile defense analyst, the branch chief for the Middle East and North Africa Office at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), and the ADA Branch chief for the U.S. Army Human Resources Command. Furthermore, he held the position of executive officer to the Director of the Army Staff.

BRIGADIER GENERAL KENDALL CLARKE

is the deputy director and chief of staff of the Futures and Concepts Center. Brig. Gen Clarke has served in a host of leadership capacities, from the platoon to the brigade level. He previously served in the 10th Mountain Division, 1st Armored Division, 1st Infantry Division, 1st Cavalry Division, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), U.S. Central Command, the Joint Staff Pentagon, and the Army Staff Pentagon. Brig. Gen Clarke has been deployed to operations in Sinai, Egypt, Joint Task Force-Bravo-Soto Cano Air

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Base in Honduras, Afghanistan, and the Southwest border. He commanded the 1-41 Field Artillery Battalion, part of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, and the 10th Mountain Division (LI). Brig. Gen Clarke’s military awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, the Ranger Tab, Expert Infantryman Badge (EIB), Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB), Parachutists Badge, and Air Assault Badge. He is a native of Richmond, VA, and was commissioned into the infantry upon graduation from the Virginia Military Institute in 1995. Brig. Gen Clarke holds a Master of Science degree from the National War College and a Master of Arts degree from Webster University.

BRIGADIER GENERAL KEVIN L. COTMAN

is the commander of the 593rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command. He was commissioned in the Quartermaster Corps through the U.S. Military Academy in 1994. Brig. Gen Cotman later served as the petroleum officer for the Eighth Army at Yongsan Garrison. Subsequently, he served as a petroleum and water instructor and commanded the 16th Quartermaster Company, 49th Quartermaster Group. Following his command, Brig. Gen Cotman completed his training with the industry program at ExxonMobil Corporation. He then served as the materiel management officer of the Division Support Command in the 2nd Infantry Division at Camp Casey, Korea. After reassignment to Fort Bragg, he was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division. He later returned to the 307th Forward Support Battalion and deployed to Operation Enduring Freedom. He served as battalion operations officer, concluding his duty as the battalion executive officer. He was then assigned as the executive officer to the vice director of the Army Staff and later served in the Joint Staff J-4 Logistics Directorate. Brig. Gen Cotman also served as the senior sustainment observer, coach, and trainer at the Joint Readiness Training Center. Additionally, he served as the chief of the Plans and Exercise Division, U.S. Forces Korea J-4. He then assumed command of DLA Energy Americas, Houston, TX.

BRIGADIER GENERAL ALRIC L. FRANCIS

is the commandant of the U.S. Army Field Artillery School and chief of the Field Artillery at Fort Sill. Before taking on his current role, he held several key positions. He served as the executive officer for the Army vice chief of staff and later as deputy commanding

general (support) and deputy commanding general (operations) for the 1st Armored Division. Prior to that, Brig. Gen Francis was the director for defense policy and strategy at the National Security Council in the Executive Office of the President at the White House and also served as the commander of the 3rd Infantry Division Artillery. Additionally, he has served as a special assistant to the Director of Army Staff, commanded the Field Artillery Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment, and completed a deployment to Afghanistan. In 2016, he served as a military assistant to the secretary of the Army, and in 2009, he joined the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, where he served as the executive officer for the 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery and later as the executive officer for the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division. During his deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Brig. Gen Francis also completed a fellowship at the United States Agency for International Development and served an assignment to the Human Resources Command, where he held the position of captain and major assignments officer of the Field Artillery Branch.

BRIGADIER GENERAL ANTOINETTE R. GANT

took on the role of chief of the Army Enterprise Marketing Office in Chicago, IL, in 2023. In this position, she oversees the corporate marketing office for the U.S. Army and is responsible for creating, implementing, and assessing national-level marketing campaigns to support the Army’s recruiting mission. Her responsibilities also include developing marketing strategies and branding to enhance talent acquisition and retention. Brig. Gen Gant is leading the team in modernizing the Army’s marketing approach in the information age, focusing on enhancing the prospect’s journey and cultivating future soldiers and leaders. Prior to her current role, Brig. Gen Gant served in various command and staff positions for engineering units. Before her current assignment, she was the division commander of the South Pacific Division, USACE, in San Francisco, CA. There, she oversaw a workforce of over two thousand five hundred military and civilian personnel and managed construction projects valued at over $8 billion. She also held positions as commander of the South Pacific Border District. Other significant roles in USACE include military assistant to the assistant secretary of the Army-Civil Works in Washington, D.C., and chief of operations for the engineering directorate, U.S. Army South.

BRIGADIER GENERAL LANDIS C. MADDOX

assumed command of the DLA Troop Support in 2023. Under his leadership, the DLA Troop Support annually provides over $20 billion worth of food, clothing, textiles, construction equipment, pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, and equipment for America’s warfighters and other customers. Brig. Gen Maddox supervises a global team comprising over two thousand one hundred civilian and military personnel to achieve this mission. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, he was recently assigned as the commander of the Joint Munitions Command in Rock Island, IL. Brig. Maj Maddox commanded the Special Troops Battalion 1st Theater Sustainment Command at Fort Bragg, NC, and assumed the role of a strategic staff officer within the logistics initiative group in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff G-4. After completing his studies at the Army War College, he served as the assistant chief of staff G-5 for the 8th Theater Sustainment Command before assuming command of the 25th Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade at Schofield Barracks, HI. Following his command, Brig. Gen Maddox served as the executive officer for the commanding general of the Army Materiel Command at Redstone Arsenal, AL. In his previous assignment, he served as the commander of the Joint Munitions Command, Rock Island, IL.

BRIGADIER GENERAL KENNETH REED

recently served as the USACE, Southwestern Division commander. He has held various leadership and staff positions at tactical, operational, and strategic levels. He had early leadership opportunities with the 23rd and 16th Engineer Battalions, where he served as a sapper and support platoon leader, company executive officer, and battalion maintenance officer during Operations Joint Endeavor and Joint Guard in Bosnia. He then joined the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Cavazos (formerly Fort Hood), serving in staff and command positions, culminating in his role as company commander during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Brig. Gen Reed also served as commander for the Fort Worth District and the Transatlantic Expeditionary District. His field-grade leadership assignments were followed by critical developmental assignments in the 36th Engineer Brigade at Fort Cavazos and Afghanistan.

BRIGADIER GENERAL RONALD D. SULLIVAN’S

previous U.S. Army Reserve assignments include commander of the 87th Legal Operations Detachment and command judge advocate

of the Central Medical Area Readiness Group. As a civilian, he is the chief of acquisition, personnel, and ethics law for the U.S. Army Futures Command. Brig. Gen Sullivan served on active duty from 1996–2005. His assignments included legal assistance, national security law, and military justice. He served in the Army Trial Defense Service (Fort Meade, MD) as a trial defense counsel, in the Contract Appeals Division as a trial attorney, and in the Department of Defense Office of Military Commissions, Office of the Chief Prosecutor, as the general crimes team chief. Brig. Gen Sullivan earned his Bachelor of Business Administration (information systems) from Howard University and his Juris Doctor degree from The University of Kansas School of Law in 1996. Recently, he visited Fordham Law School to speak with undergraduates considering a career in military law. Howard University’s winter 2024 edition of Howard Magazine recently celebrated Brig. Gen Sullivan as Howard’s first Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) alumnus and the third Black Army soldier to hold the rank of brigadier general in the Army Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps.

BRIGADIER GENERAL CHARLONE E. STALLWORTH

assumed the role of director of the Talent Alignment and Development Directorate in the U.S. Army Human Resources Command in 2023. Her Army career began in the Republic of Korea, where she served as the executive officer for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 8th Personnel Command. She was commissioned in 1994 through the ROTC at Georgia State University. Since her initial assignments, she has served three combat tours supporting Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom operations. Brig. Gen Stallworth has held various staff and leadership positions, including test control officer and chief of the Testing Management Section at the San Antonio Military Entrance Processing Station in Fort Sam Houston, TX; strength manager for the 21st Theater Support Command in the U.S. Army Europe, Germany; commander of Detachment C, 90th Personnel Services Battalion in Kaiserslautern, Germany; chief G-1 plans officer for the 1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss, TX; joint staff action officer at the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Pentagon; team chief for the Enlisted Personnel Management Division at the U.S. Army Human Resources Command in Alexandria, VA; military assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1, U.S. Army in Washington, D.C.; deputy G-1 for the Assistant Chief of Staff at the 1st Armored Division in Fort Bliss, TX; and chief of Army Strength Management at the U.S. European Command in

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Stuttgart, Germany.

BRIGADIER GENERAL JACKIE L. THOMPSON,

JR . is currently serving as the chief defense counsel of the Military Commissions Defense Organization. Previously, he held the positions of chief of the U.S. Army Trial Defense Service, staff judge advocate for Fort Benning, GA, deputy staff judge advocate for the U.S. Army Europe, deputy staff judge advocate for the U.S. Army Central Command, southeast regional defense counsel, officer in charge of operational law at the Mission Command Training Program, and brigade judge advocate. Brig. Gen Thompson has completed three combat deployments in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Inherent Resolve. Prior to his current role, he also served as the chief of administrative law and chief of justice at Fort Jackson, the senior defense counsel for the U.S. forces in Northern Iraq, a training officer for the U.S. Army Trial Defense Service, and as a trial counsel, legal assistance, and tax attorney. He was an enlisted military police officer in the Illinois National Guard before starting active duty. Brig. Gen Thompson earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Illinois State University, a Juris Doctor degree from Northern Illinois University School of Law, and a Master of Laws in Military Law from the U.S. Army Judge Advocate Legal Center and School.

BRIGADIER GENERAL GEORGE C. TURNER, JR.

is the 38th commander of the White Sands Missile Range and deputy commander for developmental testing at the Army Test and Evaluation Command. Brig. Gen Turner leads testing and evaluation efforts to enable modernization and innovation for the Army’s 2030 and 2040 initiatives. He oversees six premier testing commands: Aberdeen Test Center, Dugway Proving Ground, Electronic Proving Ground, Redstone Test Center, White Sands Test Center, and Yuma Proving Ground. Brig. Gen Turner recently served as the chief of staff for the G-3/5/7 Force Management. Prior to this position, he served as the programs division chief for the G-3/5/7 Force Management, Headquarters, Department of the Army. Before that, he was the Ministerial Advisory Group–Defense chief of staff in Afghanistan. He has served in a variety of armor and force management assignments. These assignments include 1-37 Armor, 3rd Infantry Division, later re-flagged to 1-63 Armor, 1st Infantry Division; 2-72 Armor, 2nd Infantry Division at Camp Casey; G-3 Force Management, U.S. Army Central Command at Fort McPherson, GA; G-3 Force

Management, 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, GA; G-8 Force Development, Headquarters, Department of the Army in Washington, D.C.; and G-3 Force Management, U.S. Army Pacific Command at Fort Shafter.

BRIGADIER GENERAL CAMILLA A. WHITE

recently arrived at Aberdeen Proving Ground to serve within the Program Executive Office for Command, Control, and Communications–Tactical after completing an assignment as the chief of staff to the assistant secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology). In March 2024, she was officially promoted to brigadier general, becoming the first African-American woman to attain this position within the U.S. Army Acquisition Corps. Brig. Gen White’s journey began with her service as a Signal Corps officer, followed by a transition into the Acquisition Corps. She has served in several assignments. As a captain, she took command of a forwarddeployed Signal Company. Following that assignment, she served in training with an industry position at General Dynamics. Brig. Gen White was assessed as an information system analyst within the Army Acquisition Corps in 2003, and in 2012, she was assigned to a Battalion Command position, responsible for hitto-kill interceptors that defend against tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and aircraft. In 2018, the Missile Defense Agency assigned Brig. Gen White as the project manager for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD). She led THAAD to develop the capability to destroy short-range, medium-range, and intermediate-range ballistic threats.

U.S.MARINE CORPS

U.S.MARINE CORPS

GENERAL MICHAEL LANGLEY,

U.S. Marine Corps, assumed the role of the 6th commander of the U.S. Africa Command in August 2022 . This command, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, is one of seven jointservice geographic combatant commands and is tasked with overseeing all U.S. military operations and activities in Africa to protect and promote U.S. national interests. Prior to this, Gen. Langley held a number of command assignments, including deputy commanding general of the II Marine Expeditionary Force, commanding general of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, deputy commanding general of the Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic, and commanding general of the Marine Forces Command and Marine Forces Northern Command. Additionally, he has served in various staff and joint assignments, including roles at the Marine Corps Institute, 1st Marine Division, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Joint Staff J-5, Joint Staff J-3, and U.S. Central Command. Gen. Langley is a graduate of the U.S. Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare School and the College of Naval Command and Staff and holds advanced degrees, including a master’s degree in national security strategic studies from the U.S. Naval War College and a master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College. He was commissioned in 1985 after graduating from the University of Texas at Arlington and has commanded at every level, from platoon to regiment, including in support of operations such as Wildfire in the Western U.S. and Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

LIEUTENANT GENERAL MELVIN JERRY CARTER

has served as deputy commandant for information since August 2024. He is a Marine Air Ground Task Force intelligence officer with experience in special operations and strategic intelligence.

Lt.Gen Carter’s career began in 1985 when he enlisted in the Marine Corps. In 1992, as a 2nd lieutenant, he was awarded the Signals Intelligence Electronic Warfare Military Occupational Specialty before becoming a Marine Air Ground Task Force intelligence officer. Throughout his Marine Corps career, Lt.Gen Carter has held various roles, including serving as a Marine Air Ground Task Force intelligence

officer in Marine Corps units and as a joint intelligence officer during tours with the Joint Special Operations Command. He was promoted to brigadier general in 2019, then major general, and his current rank on August 1, 2024. Recently, he served as the deputy director for combat support of the Cybersecurity Directorate of the National Security Agency (NSA), where he was responsible for preventing and eliminating threats to U.S. national security systems. He has also served as executive officer for the director of the DIA and executive assistant for the associate director for military affairs of the CIA. Furthermore, Lt.Gen Carter has completed a National Security Fellowship.

LIEUTENANT GENERAL DIMITRI HENRY

assumed the role of director of intelligence, Joint Staff, in 2019. Prior to that, he was the chief of staff at the Intelligence Department, Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC). He also served as the director of intelligence for the U.S. Marine Corps until 2019 before assuming his current role. Before that, he was the commanding officer of Company H of the Marine Cryptologic Support Battalion. After command, Lt.Gen Henry reported to I Marine Expeditionary Force G-2, where he participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom as the deputy G-2 and intelligence planner for two years. He commanded the 1st Radio Battalion and executed two deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Lt.Gen Henry reported to the Naval War College after his command and was later assigned to the Intelligence Department, HQMC. He took command of the Marine Corps Intelligence Activity before serving as the J2 Operations Division chief and then as an executive officer in the DIA. Lt.Gen Henry enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1981 and attained the rank of staff sergeant. After completion of the Broadened Opportunity for Officer Selection Training (BOOST), he was selected for the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program and was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant.

LIEUTENANT GENERAL CALVERT L. WORTH

took command of the II Marine Expeditionary Force on August 2, 2024. He led the 2nd Marine Division until July 2024 and served as a task commander in the II Marine Expeditionary Force in 2019. Lt.Gen Worth has been involved in various operations, including the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan. He has served as the director of strategy, policy, and plans (J-5) in the U.S. Southern Command. Lt.Gen Worth has also worked at The Basic School, where he

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was an instructor. He also served as the commanding officer of the Recruiting Station Detroit and as the director of the U.S. Marine Corps Enlisted Professional Military Education. He was commissioned through the U.S. Marine Corps Officer Candidates Course in 1991 and has held various command and staff positions, including commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, 6th Marines; commanding officer of the 6th Marine Regiment; and commander of the Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force Crisis Response Africa. Lt.Gen Worth is a graduate of the Amphibious Warfare School, the Marine Corps Command and Staff College, the School of Advanced Warfighting, and the National War College, and is an MIT Seminar XXI Fellow. Additionally, he holds degrees from Marine Corps University and the National Defense University.

MAJOR GENERAL SEAN N. DAY

currently serves as the mobilization assistant to the deputy commander of the U.S. Space Command. His assignments include multiple rifle and weapons platoon commander roles in the 1st and 4th Marine Divisions; commanding officer of the Weapons Company and the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, during which he led Task Force 2/23; commanding officer of the 3rd Civil Affairs Group, during which he led Combined Joint Civil Affairs Task Force Cobra Gold; officer in charge of the Reserve Detachment and Deputy Director (Reserve) of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force Staff Training Program; and deputy commander of the Force Headquarters Group within the Marine Forces Reserve. Maj. Gen Day’s other operational assignments include serving as the executive officer of a field artillery battery, an infantry battalion, and the Civil Affairs Group. He has held the position of operations officer for two infantry battalions, an Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, the Civil Affairs Group, and a Marine Security Guard Battalion at the Regional Headquarters of the State Department. Maj. Gen Day has also served as a fire support coordinator, air officer, logistics officer, and inspecting officer. He joined the Navy in 1989 and was assigned to the Naval Academy Preparatory School in Newport, RI. Maj. Gen Day received a commission upon graduating from the Naval Academy.

MAJOR GENERAL LORNA MAHLOCK

assumed her current duties as the commander of the Cyber National Mission Force in January 2024. Prior to her current assignment, she served as the deputy director for combat support at the NSA Cybersecurity Directorate, the assistant deputy commandant for information, the director of C4, and the chief information officer for the Marine Corps. Maj. Gen Mahlock is a certified Federal Aviation Administration tower local controller and Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics instructor. She has served in various leadership roles, including as an Air Traffic Control Detachment commander, 1st Stinger Battery leader, Marine Corps

Instructional Management School leader, G-3 Future Operations 1st Marine Aircraft Wing leader, leader during Operation Southern Overwatch and Iraqi Freedom, leader during Iraqi Freedom 02, Marine Air Command and Control Systems Experimental leader, commanding officer during Iraqi Freedom 08, Headquarters European Command leader, Marine Corps Office of Legislative Affairs leader, and deputy director of operations, plans, policy, and operations at Headquarters U.S. Marine Corps.

BRIGADIER GENERAL NICK BROWN

is the commanding general of the Marine Corps Installations West-Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, CA. He commanded Marine Wing Support Squadron 172 in Okinawa and Combat Logistics Regiment 17 at Camp Pendleton. Brig. Gen Brown has held various key operational roles, including motor transportation officer and assistant logistics officer in the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines, and company commander and operations officer in the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. He deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 and 2005. From 2010–2013, he served with the III Marine Expeditionary Force in Okinawa, Japan, and was later deployed to Liberia for Operation Onward Liberty as a brigade staff advisor. Brig. Gen Brown’s supporting establishment roles include branch head at the Amphibious Warfare School, aviation ground support coordinator at HQMC, and chief of the Global Prepositioned War Reserve Materiel Branch on the Joint Staff Logistics Directorate (J-4). He graduated from the Army Logistics Captains Career Course, Army Command and General Staff College, and Marine Corps War College. He also holds a master’s degree from Central Michigan University. Brig. Gen Brown’s personal decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, and Meritorious Service Medal. He is a New York native and a graduate of Stony Brook University.

BRIGADIER GENERAL TAMARA CAMPBELL

made history in June 2024 as the first Black female and Jamaican-born commander of the Marine Corps Systems Command. With a career that includes multiple tours at the Marine Corps Systems Command, she first served as a project officer for the Command Aviation Command and Control Systems and Joint Interface Control Officers Support System. She later returned as a product manager for the Marine Air-Ground Task Force Command, Control, and Communications. Under Brig. Gen Campbell’s leadership, the Marine Corps Systems Command will

continue to advance the goals of Force Design by enhancing talent management within the acquisition community and contributing to clean audit findings. She graduated from the Naval Academy in 1997 with a Bachelor of Science degree in oceanography. She then attended The Basic School in Quantico and proceeded to the Marine Corps Communications and Electronics School for Air Defense Control Officer training. Later, Brig. Gen Campbell was assigned to Camp Pendleton, where she earned her qualifications as an air intercept controller. In 2001, she was selected to attend the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), where she earned a dual Master of Science degree in program management and financial management. After graduating from NPS, she was assigned to the Marine Corps Systems Command. Over the next decade, she served in various programs and commands.

BRIGADIER GENERAL DAVID EVERLY

is currently assigned as the director of Manpower Plans and Policy, HQMC. His operational assignments include forward observer, guns and headquarters platoon commander, assistant executive officer, fire direction officer, artillery liaison officer, and battery executive officer, 3rd Battalion, 10th Marines; target information officer, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit; operations officer and battery commander, 1st Battalion, 12th Marines; executive officer, 1st Battalion, 11th Marines; operations officer, 11th Marines; commanding officer, 5th Battalion, 11th Marines; AC/S G-5 II Marine Expeditionary Force; chief of staff and commander, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade; chief of staff, II Marine Expeditionary Force. Brig. Gen Everly has served in various assignments, including as faculty at The Basic School, deputy J-3 at the Joint Interagency Task Force for Former Regime Elements, and faculty advisor at the Expeditionary Warfare School. His previous assignments include monitoring, manpower management, commanding officer at The Basic School, Operations Directorate at Joint Staff, and junior military assistant to the 24th and 25th Secretaries of Defense. Brig. Gen Everly has an extensive background in both civilian and military education, which encompasses Army Field Artillery Officer courses, participation in the Marine Corps Command and Staff Seminar Program, and advanced degrees, including an M.S. in management and leadership, as well as an M.A. in strategic security studies from National Defense University.

BRIGADIER GENERAL KELVIN GALLMAN

assumed the duties as the assistant wing commander of the 1st Marine

U.S.MARINE CORPS

Aircraft Wing in 2023. He has extensive operational and tactical experience in the CH-46 and MV-22, including multiple deployments aboard amphibious ships as part of the Marine Expeditionary Unit. His staff assignments include serving as the deputy division chief of the Joint Capabilities Division, Joint Staff J-8; executive officer of The Basic School, Training and Education Command; branch head of Aviation Plans and Programs Three, HQ Marine Corps Aviation; Type/Model/Series transition officer, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing; operations officer, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 166; Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Volume Manager, 561st Joint Tactics Squadron, Nellis Air Force Base, southern Nevada; weapons and tactics instructor, Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron 1; and various squadron billets in operations, aviation maintenance, and pilot training. Brig. Gen Gallman graduated from Tuskegee University with a degree in aerospace engineering in 1992. He completed the Basic Officer Course at The Basic School in 1995, having been commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in 1994 through the Officer Candidate Course. In 1997, he earned his wings as a naval aviator and was selected to pilot the CH-46E, a medium-lift tandem-rotor transport helicopter powered by twin turboshaft engines.

BRIGADIER

GENERAL

ANTHONY M. HENDERSON

currently serves as the commanding general of the Marine Corps Training Command. He has also commanded the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade and served as deputy commanding general of the II Marine Expeditionary Force. Brig. Gen Henderson has served as an infantry officer in a range of command, staff, and joint roles, progressing from platoon to Battalion Landing Team, Marine Expeditionary Unit, and corps. Additionally, he has deployed to the Arctic, Africa, Asia, Cuba, Europe, and the Middle East. Previously, Brig. Gen Henderson served as the special assistant to the 18th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and as a military assistant to the 76th secretary of the Navy. He has completed numerous combat assignments, including two deployments to Iraq with the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines and deployments to Helmand Province with the Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 6th Marines. Additionally, he has served with the International Security Assistance Forces, Regional Command Southwest, and the Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan (Marine Expeditionary Brigade-A). Brig. Gen Henderson is a graduate of the Southern University Law Center, Naval War College, National War College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Seminar XXI,

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and Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program. He was born in Washington, D.C., holds a Juris Doctor degree in law, and came on active duty in 1993.

BRIGADIER GENERAL OMAR RANDALL

is the deputy commander of the U.S. Marine Forces Reserve and U.S. Marine Forces South. His command assignments have included the Landing Support Platoon, 1st Landing Support Battalion, 1st Force Service Support Group; Transportation Support Detachment, MEU Service Support Group-13, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit; Headquarters Company, Headquarters Battalion, 2nd Marine Division; Combat Logistics Battalion-31, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit; and Combat Logistics Regiment-37, 3rd Marine Logistics Group. Brig. Gen Randall has also held various staff assignments, serving as inspector-instructor for the 4th Air Delivery Platoon and Beach and Terminal Operations Company “A,” where he deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom; battalion logistics officer for 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines, where he deployed with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom; battalion logistics officer for Headquarters Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, where he deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom; assistant chief of staff for logistics, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade; and assistant chief of staff for logistics, 3rd Marine Division. Brig. Gen Randall has held various joint and service headquarters assignments, including positions in the Logistics Plans Division at the U.S. Central Command, as section head for Logistics Plans and Operations within the Installations and Logistics at headquarters, branch head of the Futures Branch in Installations and Logistics at headquarters, and director of the Logistics Combat Element Integration Division in the Capabilities Development Directorate of Combat Development and Integration at Headquarters Marine Corps.

BRIGADIER GENERAL JAMES A. RYANS II

is the commanding general of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Western Recruiting Region. He began his career as a platoon commander and company executive officer with the 1st Battalion, 8th Marines. Throughout his military service, Brig. Gen Ryans II has held various command positions, including serving as the company commander for Company F and Headquarters and Service Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines. He has also served as the commanding officer for the 3rd Battalion, 6th

Marines; Headquarters Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment; and the 8th Marine Regiment. His deployments include Operation Silver Wake in Albania, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Freedom Sentinel in Afghanistan. Brig. Gen Ryans II’s staff roles have included officer, selection officer, and instructor at the Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron-1, and senior military assistant to the Secretary of the Navy. He is a graduate of the Infantry Captain Career Course, Marine Corps Command and Staff College, and the Naval War College, with additional studies at Harvard Business School and the Council on Foreign Relations. Brig. Gen Ryans II’s personal decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, and multiple other awards for valor and service. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1988 and earned a commission in 1995 after graduating from Jacksonville University with a Bachelor of Science degree in physics.

BRIGADIER GENERAL DOUGLAS C. “SWAMI” SANDERS

is the commandant of the Marine Safety Division. His staff and joint assignments include serving as a Marine Air-Ground Task Force planner in the Marine Corps Aviation branch, a strategic planner at J-3/-5 at U.S. Special Operations Command, section head and Aviation Branch head in Programs and Resources, strategic engagements chief in Combined Joint Task Force –Operation Inherent Resolve, and branch head in Air Warfare Systems Assault Support in Marine Corps Aviation. Brig. Gen Sanders is a graduate of the Marine Corps Command and Staff College (with distinction), the School of Advanced Warfighting, and the Eisenhower School. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the Naval Academy, as well as master’s degrees from Marine Corps University and National Defense University. Additionally, he earned a doctorate in conflict resolution studies from Nova Southeastern University. Commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in 1996 after graduating from the Naval Academy, Brig. Gen Sanders became a naval aviator in 1999 and qualified as an AH-1W attack helicopter pilot. He was selected for the MV-22B Osprey transition in 2004. His operational assignments include Marine Light/Attack Helicopter Squadron 269, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 365 (reinforced), air officer for the 2D Battalion, 2D Marines, Marine Tiltrotor Test and Evaluation Squadron 22, and Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 266.

BRIGADIER GENERAL WILLIAM WILBURN

is a newly appointed intelligence general officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. He previously served as the deputy commander of Joint Task Force ARES and Joint Force Headquarters-Cyber (Marines). Before that, Brig. Gen Wilburn was the director of plans and strategy at the Joint Task Force–ARES, Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command. Throughout his career, he has held various command positions and participated in contingencies and

operations, including missions in Kosovo and Congo, response to the Indian Ocean tsunami, combat missions in Afghanistan, and evacuation operations in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

Alongside his operational experience, Brig. Gen Wilburn has obtained advanced degrees and completed military education programs such as the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and the National War College. On March 15, 2024, Lt.Gen Dimitri Henry, director of intelligence, Joint Staff, promoted Brig. Gen Wilburn to his current position at the National Museum of the Marine Corps. A week later, he visited Whale Branch Early College High School to speak with students about careers in the cybersecurity field. Brig. Gen Wilburn shared insights about pathways in his field and how young people can become the next-generation leaders in cybersecurity.

BRIGADIER GENERAL AHMED WILLIAMSON

took on his current role on June 14, 2024, as the commanding general of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island and Eastern Recruiting Region. Some of his previous key assignments include serving as the director of the Manpower Plans and Policy Division, Manpower and Reserve Affairs at Headquarters Marine Corps, and as the chief diversity officer of the Marine Corps.

Most recently, he served as the deputy director of current operations, J-3, U.S. Cyber Command. Brig. Gen Williamson graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and was commissioned in 1994. Throughout his career, he has commanded platoon, company, and battalion communications units and has held various staff and supporting positions at different locations. Brig. Gen Williamson completed his professional military education, which includes the Basic Officer Course, Basic Communications Officers Course, Expeditionary Warfare School, USMC Command and Staff College, and JointCombined Warfighting School. He holds a B.S. in computer science from the U.S. Naval Academy, an M.S. in management from the Naval Postgraduate School, and a master’s degree in military studies from the Marine Corps University.

U.S.NAVY

ADMIRAL (SELECT) ALVIN HOLSEY

has served as the commander of United States Southern Command since November 7, 2024. He is a career aviator who has commanded the Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light Three Seven and the Navy’s first hybrid electric propulsion warship, the USS Makin Island. As a flag officer, he has served as commander of Carrier Strike Group One, embarked aboard the USS Carl Vinson, and as commander of the International Maritime Security Construct/Coalition Task Force Sentinel. Adm. Holsey’s staff assignments have included deputy chief of Naval Operations (Warfare Requirements and Programs N6/N7) and executive assistant to the chief of Naval Operations. As a flag officer, he also served as deputy director for operations at the National Military Command Center, Joint Chiefs of Staff. In 2020, he was selected to serve as director of Task Force One Navy, where he analyzed and evaluated issues in society and the military that detract from Navy readiness. Most recently, he served as deputy chief of Naval Personnel/commander of Navy Personnel Command. Adm. Holsey assumed the position of military deputy commander of the U.S. Southern Command on February 1, 2023.

VICE ADMIRAL DION D. ENGLISH

currently serves as the director for logistics, J-4, Joint Staff. He is designated as a Surface Warfare Supply Corps and Navy Expeditionary Supply Corps officer. His previous assignments include serving as the director of logistics, fleet supply, and ordnance, N4, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Pearl Harbor, HI; vice director of logistics, J-4, Joint Staff; and director of the logistics division, N4L, in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. Vice Adm. English is a member of the Defense Acquisition Corps and a Joint Qualified officer. Under his leadership, the Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Sigonella received the prestigious Admiral Stan Arthur Award for 2018 Logistics Team of the Year. Vice Adm. English entered the Navy’s BOOST program in 1987 and graduated from Louisiana State University. He received his commission through the Navy ROTC program at Southern University. His assignments

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include afloat and shore positions—from disbursing and sales officer, cargo, and stock control officer to commanding officer. He earned master’s degrees in business administration from Old Dominion University and in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College. Vice Adm. English is also a graduate of the Joint Forces Staff College.

VICE ADMIRAL JOHN FULLER

assumed duties as the 42nd naval inspector general in 2021. His flag assignments include serving as the commander of the Navy Region Hawaii and Naval Surface Group, Middle Pacific; commander of Carrier Strike Group 1; and director of strategy, policy, and plans (J-5) of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command. Additionally, he has served as the deputy director for Force Protection on the Joint Staff, J-8, where he also led the Joint Integrated Air and Missile Defense Organization, Force Protection Division, Joint Requirements Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Defense (JRO-CBRND), and chaired the Protection Functional Capabilities Board. Vice Adm. Fuller’s sea tours have included assignments on the USS Vandegrift, USS Kauffman, Atlantic Fleet Propulsion Examining Board, Amphibious Force, U.S. 7th Fleet, USS Curtis Wilbur, commanding officer of USS Mason, and commander of Task Group-Iraqi Maritime. He also served as deputy commander and commander of the Destroyer Squadron 22. On land, Vice Adm. Fuller has served at the U.S. Naval Academy, OPNAV, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense’s Staff. He earned his commission from the U.S. Naval Academy and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in political science, a Master of Science degree in management from the Naval Postgraduate School, and a Master of Arts degree in national security and strategic studies from the College of Naval Command and Staff at the Naval War College.

REAR ADMIRAL STEPHEN D. BARNETT

is the commander of the Navy Region Hawaii and Navy Closure Task Force–Red Hill, a position he assumed in 2022. Before this role, Rear Adm. Barnett commanded the Navy Region Northwest and Navy Region Southwest. During his sea duty assignments, he held various positions, including serving as a naval flight officer in the Patrol Squadron (VP) forty-six aboard USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) and as department head for VP-5 at the Naval Air Station Jacksonville, FL. He also led VP-47, stationed at Kaneohe, HI, during a simultaneous deployment to Japan and Iraq, completing more

than two hundred and fifty missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The squadron executed over nine hundred and fifty sorties, comprising five thousand hours during this deployment. Barnett’s previous roles also include serving as a naval flight officer instructor, an assistant secretariat to the Joint Requirements Oversight Council, a senior program analyst for the Chief of Naval Operations, and a deputy executive assistant to the vice chief of Naval Operations. Additionally, he has held the positions of commanding officer of Naval Base Coronado, CA, chief of staff for Commander, Navy Region Southeast and Commander, Navy Installations Command, and deputy commander of Navy Installations Command.

REAR ADMIRAL GEORGE BRESNIHAN

assumed the role of commander of DLA Energy in June 2024, which manages the supply chain for petroleum and lubrication products, alternative fuel/renewable energy, and aerospace energy. The organization also provides fuel quality/technical support, fuel card programs, and installation energy services. DLA Energy is one of the six DLA major subordinate commands, alongside DLA Aviation, Disposition Services, Distribution, Land and Maritime, and Troop Support. During the welcome ceremony held in June, RADM Bresnihan shared his experience of observing DLA Energy’s operations during the Sudan crisis and over the last ten months in post-coup Niger from his prior flag assignment as director, Logistics Directorate, J-4, U.S. Africa Command. He holds various officer roles, including Surface Warfare Supply Corps officer, Naval Aviation Supply Corps officer, Navy Expeditionary Supply Corps officer, and Naval parachutist. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in management from Clemson University in 1992 and was commissioned as an ensign through Officer Candidate School in September 1994. He continued his education by obtaining master’s degrees from Webster University and Air Command and Staff College. Additionally, he completed The Executive Program: Strategic Leadership at the Top at Darden School of Business in 2016.

REAR ADMIRAL JAY CLARK

assumed the role of director of Navy Culture and Force Resilience in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations in May 2024. His shore duty assignments include serving as Flag Aide to the commander of the U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa and commander of Allied Joint Force Command Naples, as well as holding positions in OPNAV N96 as Destroyer’s branch head,

deputy executive assistant to the Vice Chief of Naval Operations, commanding officer of Afloat Training Group Mayport, deputy director of the 21st Century Sailor Office (OPNAV N17), and executive assistant to the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Clark’s sea duty assignments include tours in USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) as an engineering and deck division officer, USS Hayler (DD 997) as navigator/administration officer, USS Ross (DDG 71) as the chief engineer, and Destroyer Squadron 28 as the materiel and logistics officer. He also served as executive officer and commanding officer of the USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) and as deputy commodore and commodore for Destroyer Squadron 1. RADM Clark graduated from Morris Brown College in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science and received his commission through ROTC Morehouse. He also holds a master’s degree from the Naval Postgraduate School and a master’s degree from the Naval War College.

REAR ADMIRAL ADAN G.

CRUZ assumed the role of commander of Carrier Strike Group 3 in May 2024. He has held various positions as a flag officer, including deputy director, Political-Military Affairs (Middle East), J-5, and Joint Staff. Rrear Adm. Cruz’s shore assignments include flag aide to commander, Military Sealift Command; action officer, Navy Surface Warfare Directorate (N86); future operations director for U.S. Naval Forces Central Command; director of professional development at the U.S. Naval Academy; assistant deputy director for Politico-Military Affairs, Joint Staff; and deputy for Combat Systems and Warfare Integration (N96), Navy Staff. His sea duty assignments include serving as the Destroyer Squadron 28 (CDS 28) and USS Lake Champlain (CG 57) commander. RADM Cruz has deployed to the 5th, 6th, and 7th Fleets. As commanding officer of the USS Mason (DDG 87), he completed a Strike Group deployment to the U.S. 5th Fleet and was the flagship for the Counter Piracy Task Force (CTF-151). As commanding officer of the USS Lewis Puller (ESB 3), he sailed the ship on its maiden deployment and completed the Navy’s first overseas commissioning. Furthermore, during RADM Cruz’s time as commander of Destroyer Squadron 50 in Manama, Bahrain, he commanded a task force of forward-deployed patrol coastal ships, Coast Guard cutters, the Maritime Security Advanced Interdiction Team, and deployed destroyers.

REAR ADMIRAL KENNETH EPPS

is the commander of the Naval Supply Systems Command/Chief of Supply Corps. He previously commanded the NAVSUP Weapon Systems Support and the Fleet Logistics Center in Pearl Harbor. Afloat, he served on the USS Kitty Hawk, USS Leyte Gulf, and USS Carl Vinson. Other assignments include serving as an instructor and educational counselor for the Navy Supply Corps School; aide and flag lieutenant to the commander of NAVSUP and Chief

of Supply Corps; readiness analyst and program objective memorandum development assistant to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations; action officer of DLA (J-3); director of material budgets for the Naval Inventory Control Point, PA; assistant commander for financial management and comptroller at NAVSUP; chief of strategy and readiness division for the Joint Staff (J-4); assistant commander for supply operations and logistics policy at NAVSUP; assistant professor of Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy; and director of fleet ordnance and supply for the U.S. Fleet Forces Command. Epps is a 1990 graduate of Vanderbilt University, where he was commissioned through the ROTC program. He holds a master’s degree in business administration from UNC at Chapel Hill and is a distinguished Industrial College of the Armed Forces graduate.

REAR ADMIRAL REGINALD H. HENDRIX

has been assigned as the deputy commander of the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command. This command is responsible for manning, training, equipping, organizing, and sustaining the Navy Expeditionary Combat Force to execute combat, combat support, and combat service support missions across the full spectrum of naval, joint, and combined operations, enabling access from the sea and freedom of action throughout the sea-to-shore and inland operating environments. Prior to this assignment, Hendrix served as the deputy commander for Maritime Expeditionary Security Group TWO. A native of Georgia, RADM Hendrix graduated from Savannah State College with a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering technology and earned his officer commission through the Navy’s Baccalaureate Degree Completion Program. He holds a master’s degree in business administration from Howard University. He was commissioned as a Surface Warfare Officer in 1993 after graduating from Officer Candidate School in Newport, RI. RADM Hendrix’s military awards include various personal and campaign medals. He also served with units awarded the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Meritorious Unit Commendation Medal, and Battle “E” ribbons.

REAR ADMIRAL TRACY HINES

is the deputy director of global space operations at the U.S. Space Command. As a flag officer, she served as the director of enterprise networks and cybersecurity in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare at the Pentagon in 2022. In August 2023, she assumed her current position as the deputy director of global space operations

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(J-3) at the U.S. Space Command. Hines received her commission through the Limited Duty Officer Program, graduated from American InterContinental University with a degree in business management, and transferred into the Information Warfare community. She earned a master’s degree in information technology cyber-forensics from Trident University.

RADM Hines has held various operational assignments, including the role of assistant chief of staff for the U.S. 7th Fleet’s Information Systems and Networks aboard the USS Blue Ridge, USS Constellation, and USS Cleveland. She has also served as the officer in charge of the Communications Team for Explosive Ordnance Group One and Expeditionary Strike Group 3. RADM Hines has also held various ashore assignments, including roles at the Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence; serving as the deputy executive assistant for the deputy chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare; acting as the officer community manager for the Bureau of Naval Personnel; commanding officer of the Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station in San Diego; leading Hopper Information Services; and functioning as the executive assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations.

REAR ADMIRAL MELVIN R. SMITH

is the deputy director of global operations, J-3, at the U.S. Strategic Command. He recently served as the executive assistant to the commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. Smith’s previous assignments include serving on the commandant’s staff as a company officer at the U.S. Naval Academy, principal assistant to the director of Naval Reactors within the Submarine Assignments Branch, head executive officer detailer at the Naval Personnel Command, division chief for nuclear policy and strategic deterrence under the J-5 Policy Directorate on the Joint Staff, and deputy commander of the Submarine Development Squadron 5. His sea assignments include serving aboard the USS Oklahoma City (SSN-723), as an engineer officer aboard the USS Maine (Gold Crew), as an executive officer on the USS Annapolis, as the commanding officer of the USS Jimmy Carter, and as the commanding officer of Submarine Squadron 1. RADM Smith is a native of Long Island, NY, and a 1997 graduate of the Naval Academy. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering, and his personal awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, and various service and campaign awards.

REAR ADMIRAL ALEXIS T. WALKER

currently serves as the commander of Carrier Strike Group 10. His most recent assignment was as commander of the Navy Recruiting Command, where he led several initiatives, such as increasing the age limit for enlistments to forty-two and adjusting the policy to provide single parents with custody of minor children service eligibility. These changes helped modernize the recruiting process nationwide. His focus on mission attainment led Navy recruiting to assess sixty thousand active and reserve enlisted sailors and eight thousand six hundred and twenty-four prior service affiliations. Walker began his naval service in 1989 through the BOOST program and later attended Jacksonville University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in broadcast communications. He was commissioned through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps. Throughout RADM Walker’s naval career, he has held various sea and shore assignments, including positions such as commanding officer of the USS Stockdale, executive officer of the USS Bulkeley, and deputy and commodore of Destroyer Squadron 7. Additionally, RADM Walker has served in significant staff positions, including as the senior military assistant to the Secretary of the Navy and deputy chief of legislative affairs at the Navy Office of Legislative Affairs.

REAR ADMIRAL DARRYL L. WALKER

is president of the U.S. Naval War College. He began his military career in 1985 in the Air Force as an air traffic controller. He later joined the Navy through the Naval Aviation Officer Candidate School and was designated a Naval flight officer. Walker is a graduate of EmbryRiddle Aeronautical University and the U.S. Naval War College. During his operational tours, he served as commander and executive officer of the

“Cougars” VAQ-139 aboard USS Ronald Reagan. He also held the positions of commodore and deputy commodore of the Electronic Attack Wing U.S. Pacific Fleet, where he flew the EA-18G Growler. He has amassed an impressive three thousand nine hundred flight hours and six hundred ninety-six carrier-arrested landings throughout his career. RADM Walker’s shore assignments include serving as the deputy director of naval aviation officer assignments at the Navy Personnel Command, diversity director, member of the Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Studies Group, chief of staff to the chief information officer of the Secretary of Defense, and executive assistant to both the 11th vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the 32nd chief of Naval Operations. As a flag officer, RADM Walker served as the deputy

director of operations (J-3) at the U.S. Cyber Command and, most recently, as deputy commander of the Joint Force HeadquartersCyber (Navy), Tenth Fleet.

REAR ADMIRAL LARRY WATKINS

is the vice commander of the U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa. His previous flag assignments include director at the Joint Fires and Effects Center, deputy director of operations in the Operations Directorate at the U.S. Southern Command, and vice commander of the Navy Reserve at the U.S. Third Fleet. Watkins has held various command and mobilization assignments, including commanding the Navy Reserve USS Klakring detachment, the Navy Reserve U.S. Fleet Forces Maritime Operations Center, and the Navy Reserve U.S. European Command J-3. He also mobilized in support of two operations, serving as a counter-terrorism analyst and battlestaff briefer. As a plank owner, he was assigned to Joint Force Command, Norfolk, where he helped establish a NATO command. Upon completing the Surface Warfare Officer School in 1991, he was assigned to the USS Reid. He earned his surface warfare designation in 1992. RADM Watkins completed a follow-on tour, serving as the assistant operations and combat systems officer. He was subsequently assigned to Naval Space Command, where he served as a space support member deployed to Saudi Arabia to support Operation Southern Watch as the space liaison officer and theater ballistic missile defense officer for the U.S. Central Command. RADM Watkins transferred to the Navy Reserve in 1998.

REAR ADMIRAL DAVID G. WILSON

serves as the commander of the Naval Legal Service Command in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAGC). In this role, he oversees attorneys, enlisted legal personnel, and civilian employees from thirteen commands who provide prosecution and defense services, legal assistance to individuals, specialized legal training, and legal support to U.S. Navy units across the globe. Wilson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Delaware, a Juris Doctor degree from Delaware Law School, and a Master of Laws degree in international and comparative law from The George Washington University School of Law. He received his Navy commission through the JAGC Student Program in 1992 and is licensed to practice law in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Throughout his career, RADM Wilson has held various shore duty assignments and deployed operational roles, serving in

U.S. AIR FORCE

different legal capacities in locations such as Jacksonville, Naval Station Norfolk, Naval District Washington, and various fleet and command positions.

U.S. AIR FORCE

GENERAL CHARLES Q. BROWN,

JR. is the 21st chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest-ranking military officer, and the principal military adviser to the president of the United States, secretary of defense, and national security council. He assumed his current position on October 1, 2023. Before this role, he served as the 22nd chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force. Gen. Brown received his commission in 1984 as a distinguished graduate of the Air Force ROTC program at Texas Tech University. Throughout his career, he has held various positions at the squadron and wing levels, including serving as an F-16 Fighting Falcon instructor at the U.S. Air Force Weapons School. Gen. Brown has also held staff positions, such as aide-de-camp to the chief of staff of the Air Force, director of the secretary of the Air Force, and chief of staff of the Air Force Executive Action Group. Regarding joint assignments, he has served at U.S. Central Command in roles such as Air Operations Officer, Deputy Director, Operations Directorate, and Deputy Commander. He has also commanded a fighter squadron, the U.S. Air Force Weapons School, two fighter wings, and has served as a commander with tours at the U.S. Air Forces Central Command and Pacific Air Forces. Gen. Brown is a command pilot with over three thousand flight hours in the F-16, including one hundred and thirty combat hours, and has flown fixed and rotary-wing aircraft. His deployments or direct support missions have included Operation Southern Watch, Operation Northern Watch, Operation Unified Protector, and Operation Inherent Resolve. Gen. Brown holds a master’s degree in aeronautical science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and qualifications from the U.S. Air Force Fighter Weapons School, Air Command and Staff College, and Air War College. Additionally, he served as a National Defense Fellow at the Institute for Defense Analyses.

GENERAL ANTHONY J. COTTON

is the commander of the U.S. Strategic Command. He leads one of the eleven Unified Commands under the DoD. The U.S. Strategic Command is responsible for strategic deterrence, nuclear operations, global strikes, missile defense, joint electromagnetic spectrum operations, analysis and targeting, and missile threat assessment. It consists of forty-one thousand soldiers, sailors, airmen,

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marines, guardians, and civilians who conduct missions globally. The command provides the secretary of defense and the president with assorted options to deter adversaries and support allies. In an interview with the Joint Force Quarterly in February 2024, marking the 50th year of the all-volunteer force, Gen. Cotton emphasized the importance of the men and women of the U.S. Strategic Command as the foundation of strategic deterrence capabilities, highlighting the increasingly complex and challenging environment in which they operate. He expressed his trust in the command’s personnel at all levels and acknowledged the decline in recruitment numbers. To address this, efforts are being made to engage talent from various sources, including think tanks, college campuses, and military units worldwide. Additionally, the command is actively promoting open positions through local job fairs and social media platforms and directly hiring qualified individuals for specific roles. The command also collaborates with local government, civic, and civilian leaders in the Omaha area, emphasizing its leadership in quality of life and national security. Before serving in his current role, Gen. Cotton held various leadership positions in the Air Force, including commander of Air Force Global Strike Command and commander of Air Forces Strategic–Air, U.S. Strategic Command.

GENERAL RANDALL REED

is the 15th commander of U.S. Transportation Command, one of 11 combatant commands in the Department of Defense. USTRANSCOM’s mission is to project and sustain military power globally to assure our friends and allies, deter potential adversaries, and, if necessary, respond decisively. Subordinate commands include the deputy commander of the Air Mobility Command, the 18th Air Force, the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center, the 618th Air Operations Center, seventeen wings, and two groups. Approximately one hundred seven thousand activeduty Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve airmen, and civilians provide global command and control, inter-theater and intratheater airlift, air refueling, aeromedical evacuation, air mobility support, as well as presidential and senior leader air transport in support of national interests. The U.S. Transportation Command plays a crucial role in supporting the Joint Force, advancing American interests, and providing strategic flexibility to the nation’s leaders. Gen. Reed has been nominated to head the U.S. Transportation Command. However, before assuming this new role, he will need to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee, and his nomination must be approved by the Senate. Gen. Reed previously held the position of Third Air Force

commander at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. He is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and has a wealth of experience, including commanding a numbered Air Force wing, two expeditionary operations groups, and a flying training squadron. He has also been involved in strategic airlifts, special operations, air refueling, and joint operations. Gen. Reed is a graduate of the U.S. Army Light Fighter Air Assault School and is a command pilot with more than three thousand five hundred hours.

LIEUTENANT

GENERAL STACEY T. HAWKINS is the commander of the Air Force Sustainment Center (AFSC), which is part of the Air Force Materiel Command. The AFSC has more than forty thousand airmen. Its primary mission is to provide life-cycle sustainment and logistical support for aerospace systems to maintain warfighting readiness. The AFSC also manages the Air Force supply chain, provides software solutions, offers installation management, and provides expeditionary capabilities to support the Joint Force and allies of the United States. Before taking on his current role, Lt.Gen Hawkins held various positions, including director of logistics, engineering, and force protection at Headquarters Air Combat Command. He received his commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy and possesses experience in operational logistics, having served in warfighting theaters across southwest Asia, the Horn of Africa, and the Korean Peninsula. As a general officer, he has overseen logistics, installation support, force protection, and nuclear integration efforts across various significant commands within the Air Force, as well as the air component for the U.S. Transportation Command and the U.S. Space Force. Lt.Gen Hawkins has also held positions at the White House, including serving as a special advisor for defense policy and intelligence programs in the Office of the United States Vice President.

LIEUTENANT GENERAL BRIAN S. ROBINSON is the commander of the Air Education and Training Command at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, TX. He is responsible for the recruitment, training, and education of Air and Space Force personnel. His command includes the Air Force Recruiting Service, two numbered Air Forces, and Air University. The Air Education and Training Command oversees over one thousand four hundred trainer, fighter, and mobility aircraft, along with twenty-four wings and eleven installations. It trains more than two hundred and ninetythree thousand students annually with approximately sixty

thousand active duty, reserve, guard, civilian, and contractor personnel. Prior to assuming his current role, Lt.Gen Robinson served as deputy commander of the Air Mobility Command, where he was responsible for the U.S. Transportation Command’s air component, executing the air mobility mission in support of the Joint Force, allies of the United States, and partners with a fleet of nearly one thousand and one hundred aircraft. Lt. Gen. Robinson has served in various staff roles at the Joint Staff, Headquarters Air Force Staff, Air Mobility Command, and the U.S. Air Forces Central 609th Combined Air Operations Center. Additionally, he has held command at the squadron, wing, operational, and global levels of the 618th Air Operations Center.

LIEUTENANT GENERAL ADRIAN L. SPAIN

is the deputy chief of staff for operations at Headquarters U.S. Air Force. He leads the development and implementation of policy, directly supporting global operations, force management, training, and readiness for the Air Force. Lt.Gen Spain also serves as the Air Force Operations deputy to the Air Force chief of staff. He has spent most of his career in aviation and command assignments, accumulating more than two thousand one hundred and fifty flight hours, deploying, and serving in joint positions extensively. Prior to his current position, Lt.Gen Spain was the director of training and readiness and deputy chief of staff for operations at Headquarters U.S. Air Force. He entered the Air Force in 1994 through the ROTC program, graduating from Villanova University.

MAJOR GENERAL KENYON K. BELL

is the commander of the Ogden Air Logistics Complex at Hill Air Force Base, UT. As commander, he leads six thousand nine hundred military and civilian personnel who perform depot maintenance, repair, overhaul, and modification of the A-10, C-130, T-38, F-16, F-22, F-35, and the Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile system. The complex also oversees the Airpower Reservoir for aircraft storage, reclamation, regeneration, and disposal at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, AZ. Additionally, the complex produces aerospace commodities, including electronics, avionics, instruments, power systems, and software, for the assigned weapon systems and is the landing gear center of excellence for the Air Force. Maj. Gen Bell’s responsibilities as commander also extend to operating locations in Japan, Texas, California, Wyoming, North Dakota, and Montana. The Ogden Air Logistics

Complex directly supports a global supply chain enabling the DoD and allied combat operations. Prior to his current assignment, Maj. Gen Bell served as the director of logistics and engineering at Headquarters Air Force Global Strike Command in Barksdale Air Force Base, LA. In that capacity, he was responsible for integrating strategy, policy, resources, performance management, and human capital development to support maintenance, munitions, supply, transportation, and civil engineering personnel serving across the command.

MAJOR GENERAL ROBERT M. BLAKE

was promoted to his current rank in December 2023. He is the mobilization assistant to the chief of staff of the Air Force at Headquarters U.S. Air Force. As the chief of staff’s senior adviser on reserve matters, Maj. Gen Blake assists with the organization, training, and equipping of six hundred and eighty-nine thousand active-duty, guard, reserve, and civilian forces serving in the United States and overseas.

Before this assignment, he served as the mobilization assistant to the commander of the Air Force Global Strike Command. In 1996, Maj. Gen Blake became a member of the DoD Acquisition Professional Community during his prior civilian career as an aerospace engineer at the Naval Air Systems Command. He also worked as a pilot for a major airline during this time. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and received his commission as a distinguished graduate of the Officer Training School. After completing the undergraduate pilot training, he flew the C-141B/C Starlifter at Andrews Air Force Base before converting to the KC-135R Stratotanker. Maj. Gen Blake has also flown the C-130H2 Hercules and has amassed over four thousand five hundred flying hours in military aircraft, including combat sorties in Iraq and Afghanistan.

MAJOR GENERAL ROY W. COLLINS

is the deputy director for Force Protection, Joint Staff, J-8. He leads three force protection divisions, including the Joint IAMD organization, which is responsible for integrating Joint IAMD capabilities, and the Force Protection Division, which develops joint requirements for asset and personnel protection. Maj. Gen Collins holds the position of director at the Joint Requirements Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Defense, which is classified as a chairman-controlled activity. He also serves as the chair of the Protection Functional Capabilities Board. Prior to his current

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assignment, Maj. Gen Collins was the chief of staff of the Security Assistance Group—Ukraine, Wiesbaden, Germany. He joined the Air Force in 1995 as a U.S. Air Force Academy graduate. He also served as the chief of the Antiterrorism and Force Protection Branch on the Air Mobility Command staff and as the director of the Commander’s Action Group for the Air Combat Command. Maj. Gen Collins has commanded the 95th Security Forces Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base and the 341st Missile Security Forces Squadron at Malmstrom Air Force Base. Additionally, he served as deputy commander for the 341st Security Forces Group at Malmstrom Air Force Base.

MAJOR GENERAL DANA N. NELSON

serves as the mobilization assistant to the Transportation Command commander. The U.S. Transportation Command’s mission is to project military power to deter potential adversaries. The command provides air, land, and sea transportation for the DoD during peace and war. Before her current assignment, Maj. Gen Nelson was the mobilization assistant to the U.S. Air Force deputy commander in Europe-Air Forces Africa at Ramstein Air Base. In her civilian capacity, she is a pilot with a major airline. Maj. Gen Nelson began her flying career at Robins Air Force Base. While on active duty, she flew various models of KC135s for more than ten years. In 2002, she joined the Air Force Reserve. She served as a foreign area air attaché in Slovenia and Fiji, as an analyst at the Joint Intelligence Center, U.S. Transportation Command, and as the chief of the Survey Analysis Center in Doha, Qatar. She has also served in various flying, staff, and command assignments. Maj. Gen. Nelson is a veteran of operations Southern Watch, Allied Force, Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, New Dawn, and other operations and contingencies supporting the nation’s security strategy.

MAJOR GENERAL BRANDON D. PARKER

is the director of Global Operations at Headquarters U.S. Strategic Command. In his current role, he serves as the principal advisor to the commander of the U.S. Strategic Command on nuclear operations and is responsible for the day-today readiness of U.S. nuclear command and control and strategic deterrent forces. Maj. Gen Parker is also responsible for synchronizing components, joint and coalition operations, and directing assigned forces to achieve national objectives. Prior to this, he served as the director of air and cyberspace operations for Pacific Air Forces,

commanded the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess Air Force Base, TX, and served as vice commander of the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, LA. He also commanded the 23rd Bomb Squadron at Minot Air Force Base, ND. Maj. Gen Parker also deployed in support of operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and Inherent Resolve. He is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Weapons School, the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, and the Air Command and Staff College. Maj. Gen Parker also served as a National Defense Fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He is a command pilot with more than two thousand eight hundred hours in bomber aircraft and more than three hundred eighty combat hours.

BRIGADIER GENERAL TERRENCE ADAMS

serves as the deputy principal cyber advisor to the secretary of defense and senior military advisor for cyber policy. In this role, he advises the secretary of defense on military cyber forces and activities and oversees the department’s implementation of the cyber strategy. Brig. Gen Adams leads a team that coordinates military and civilian cyber forces and activities within the department. He has a distinguished military career, having commanded at various levels and served in deployments to various locations, supporting various operations. Before his current position, he was the director of cyberspace operations and warfighter communications at Headquarters U.S. Air Force. Brig. Gen Adams initially enlisted in the Army and later joined the Air Force through the ROTC after graduating from Auburn University in Montgomery, AL.

BRIGADIER GENERAL IVORY D. CARTER

is the director of Command, Control, Communications and Cyber (C4) Systems, for U.S. Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. Additionally, he is the USTRANSCOM Deputy Director for Cyberspace Operations. He is responsible for the planning, integration, operations, and maintenance of USTRANSCOM’s C4 systems, cyberspace operations and effects. He also serves as the command’s chief information officer, responsible for the investment strategy for all information technology resources. Brig. Gen. Carter began his Air Force career as an enlisted Information Manager in 1990. In 1994, he was selected for the Reserve Officer Training Corps and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in 1996 after completing his Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. His staff experience includes serving as Action Officer and Executive Officer at Headquarters Air Combat

Command and Action Officer and Liaison Officer to the Joint Staff, United States Strategic Command, and he is fully joint qualified. Prior to his present assignment, Brig. Gen. Carter was assigned to the Brooking Institution in Washington D.C. as a National Defense Fellow. He was selected from a small number of carefully chosen field-grade offices to attend the Brookings Institution. Here he gained insight into civilian defense policy & corporate communities where he broadened his perspectives and developed critical skills as a strategic & creative thinker.

BRIGADIER GENERAL GAIL E. CRAWFORD

is one of the highest-ranking AfricanAmerican female JAGC members. Since 2022, she has served as the director of the Military Justice and Discipline Directorate in the Air Force JAGC of the Department of the Air Force. In a comprehensive interview to mark Women’s History Month 2023, Brig. Gen Crawford spoke with Editorin-Chief Major Allison K.W. Johnson for the Air Force’s The JAG Reporter. The article titled “Celebrating A Leader in The Corps” highlights Brig. Gen Crawford’s experiences, including her journey from enlisting to becoming a paralegal and then an attorney, her insights on barriers and overcoming them, thoughts on women in the military, and things she wishes she had known earlier in her career. Some of her career highlights include her deployment in support of operations in Iraq. Crawford received a direct commission as an Air Force judge advocate in 1997 after serving as an active duty enlisted member. Currently, she oversees four hundred and fifty personnel at seventy-nine locations worldwide. These personnel are engaged in reviewing military justice policy and legislation, prosecution, defense, and victims’ representation at the trial and appellate levels, as well as clemency and parole and the representation of airmen in the disability evaluation system.

BRIGADIER GENERAL ALFRED K. FLOWERS, JR

. serves as the director of manpower, personnel, and resources and is also the chief of the Medical Service Corps in the Office of the Air Force Surgeon General. In his role, he provides guidance to the surgeon general of the Air Force on strategic planning, budgeting, and execution for a $6.1-billion annual budget, which supports 2.6 million beneficiaries and seventy-six military treatment facilities worldwide. Additionally, he oversees personnel policy, force development, and staffing requirements for over forty-four thousand active-duty officers, enlisted personnel, and civilians.

As the Medical Service Corps chief, Brig. Gen Flowers is responsible for all Air Force medical education and training globally. He is also responsible for the recruitment, development, and management of one thousand eight hundred active duty, guard, and reserve healthcare administrative professionals in the corps. He joined the Medical Service Corps through direct commission and completed Commissioned Officer Training School in 1997. Throughout his career, Brig. Gen Flowers has held various positions at different levels, including the Office of the Secretary of Defense and NATO. He is board-certified by the American Academy of Medical Administrators and is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

BRIGADIER GENERAL GWENDOLYN A. FOSTER

is the commander of the 59th Medical Wing, and director, San Antonio Military Health System, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. As the 59th Medical Wing Commander, Brig. Gen. Foster commands the Air Force Medical Service’s largest healthcare, medical education, and readiness platform comprising six groups with a staff of 5,600 personnel executing a $270 million budget. The wing conducts 900,000 clinic visits, performs 19,000 surgical procedures, and supports more than 300 worldwide deployments annually. Additionally, the 59th MDW staff at Brooke Army Medical Center supports 2.5 million patient visits and 19,000 admissions per year. As the director for the San Antonio Military Health System, Brig. Gen. Foster directs and manages the overall operations and resources of an integrated, joint-service health system with a collective operating budget of $1.2 billion. The market provides high-quality, safe, and reliable health care to more than 255,000 local beneficiaries. In her previous assignment, Brig. Gen. Foster served as director of staff to the surgeon general, Headquarters Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. As director of staff, she directly supported the Air Force surgeon general as they advised the Secretary of the Air Force, the Air Force chief of staff, Space Force chief of space operations and the assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs on matters pertaining to the medical aspects of the air expeditionary force and the health of Airmen and Guardians, supporting over a $6.1 billion, 44,000-person integrated health care delivery and readiness system serving 2.6 million beneficiaries at 76 military treatment facilities worldwide.

BRIGADIER GENERAL ROBERT E. JACKSON,

JR . is the mobilization assistant to the commander, Twentieth Air Force at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming. He assists the commander who is responsible for over 12,000 Airmen providing nuclear global strike and nuclear weapons sustainment for the United States Air Force. Twentieth Air Force compromises three missile wings, one air base wing, and one helicopter group. Brig. Gen. Jackson is a distinguished graduate of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Arkansas and

TOP LEADERS IN THE U.S. MILITARY

entered active duty in 1992. He served in a number of nuclear operations positions while on active duty and transitioned to the Air Force Reserve in 2001. Brig. Gen. Jackson has held a variety of assignments including health services administrator, executive officer, operational test and evaluation squadron commander, space acquisition officer, and nuclear operations staff assignments at a numbered Air Force, Headquarters Air Force, and major command. In his civilian occupation, Brig. Gen. Jackson is a senior operational test and evaluation engineer for a U.S. defense contractor.

BRIGADIER GENERAL OTIS C. JONES

has been serving as the chief of staff at Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Africa, based at Ramstein Air Base, since May 2024. In this role, he is responsible for implementing policies and programs for the strategic planning and operational execution of forces supporting the U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command. He oversees the administration of the headquarters and management across one hundred and four countries. Before taking on his current position, Brig. Gen Jones served as the commander of the 86th Airlift Wing commander. In that role, he provided support for the U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Africa, the Third Air Force, three tenant wings, and over one hundred and twenty mission partners, including fifty-six thousand U.S. service members and their families. Brig. Gen Jones led the 86th Airlift Wing in strengthening partnerships and executing important missions, including airlift, airdrop, and aeromedical evacuation flying operations. He has served as an examiner pilot in the C-130E Hercules and C-17A Globemaster III. Throughout his career, he has flown numerous combat sorties supporting various missions, including Operations Southern Watch, Joint Guard, Iraqi Freedom, and Enduring Freedom, and missions delivering humanitarian aid and vital supplies worldwide.

BRIGADIER GENERAL GAVIN P. MARKS

has served as the commandant of cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO, since June 2023. He commands the four thousand, three hundred-member Cadet Wing and more than two hundred Air Force and civilian personnel. Brig. Gen Marks guides military, leadership, character development, basic cadet training, and expeditionary skills training for the Air Force Cadet Wing and provides facilities and logistical support. He earned his commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1996 and his pilot wings from the Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training

at Columbus Air Force Base, MS, in 1998. Brig. Gen Marks has served as a T-1A instructor pilot at the undergraduate and graduate training levels and flight examiner, an E-3B/C instructor pilot and flight examiner, an Air Force intern, a staff officer on multiple joint staffs, and has commanded at the squadron and wing levels. Before his current assignment, he served as the director of electromagnetic spectrum superiority at Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. Brig. Gen Marks is a command pilot with more than three thousand four hundred flying hours in the T-3, T-37, T-1A, E-3B/C/G, RC-135S/U/V, TC-135W, OC-135B, and WC135C aircraft.

BRIGADIER GENERAL KELVIN D. MCELROY

is the commander, Force Generation Center, Air Force Reserve Command, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. The Force Generation Center is the single organization responsible for generating Air Force Reserve forces by leveraging Reserve strategic capability to meet operational needs in support of global force management. The Force Generation Center performs all aspects of force generation to include oversight, visibility, and accountability of about 70,000 Air Force Reserve forces. Brig. Gen. McElroy was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army in June 1994 through the Army Reserve Officer Training Program at Fort Valley State University, Georgia. While on active duty, he served as an air defense artillery officer before joining the Air Force Reserve in 2000. Since joining the Reserve, he has held numerous positions including chief of supply and fuels, Air Force ROTC instructor, deputy of war fighter logistics and maintenance squadron commander. He previously served as the commander of the 914th Maintenance Group, Niagara Falls, Air Reserve Station, New York, commander of the 512th Maintenance Group, Dover AFB, Dover, Delaware, the Director, Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, 22nd Air Force, Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Marietta, Georgia, Associate Director Logistics and Reserve Advisor to the deputy chief of staff for Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., and Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma.

BRIGADIER GENERAL ANDRÉ MCMILLIAN

serves as the mobilization assistant to the director of Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. He provides

leadership, management and integration of aircraft and munitions maintenance, civil engineers, security forces, transportation and material management, storage and distribution. His directorate supports the deployment, basing, sustainment, and redeployment of military forces across an area of operations covering 19 million square miles and 104 countries in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Additionally, he oversees force protection, logistics and base operating support for over 200 aircraft plus 63,000 military and dependents at 10 wings and 83 geographically separated units. Brig. Gen. McMillian received his commission following graduation from the U.S. Air Force Academy. In addition to commanding at the group and squadron level, he has held leadership positions at Joint Staff, Air Staff, major commands and 10th Air Force. Prior to his current assignment, Brig. Gen. McMillian was the mobilization assistant to the director of Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.

BRIGADIER

GENERAL RODERICK

C. OWENS

is the mobilization assistant to the principal deputy, office of the assistant secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. He is dual-hatted and serves as the mobilization assistant to the assistant secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisitions and Integration in a liaison capacity between the Air Force Acquisitions and the Space Force Acquisitions organizations. He is responsible for assisting in the development and execution of policies and procedures in support of the operation and improvement of the Air Force’s acquisition system. He assists in overseeing the Air Force research and development, test, production and modernization program portfolio of over $60 billion annually. He also assists in overseeing architecture and integration with respect to acquisition of space systems and programs in the armed forces, as well as overseeing and directing space acquisition centers in the Department of the Air Force. Brig. Gen. Owens received a commission in the Air Force through the United States Air Force Academy in 1993. In 1996, he obtained a Master of business administration. He served on active duty and transitioned to Individual Ready Reserve status until joining the Air Force Reserve in 2001. And, in 2015 graduated from Advanced Joint Professional Military Education, Joint Staff College, Norfolk, Virginia.

U.S. AIR FORCE

BRIGADIER GENERAL TRAVOLIS A. SIMMONS

is the director of Training and Readiness and deputy chief of staff for Operations at Headquarters U.S. Air Force. The directorate, encompassing eight divisions and the Air Force Agency for Modeling and Simulation, is responsible for policy, guidance, and oversight of Air Force operational training infrastructure, officer and enlisted operations career field management, operational readiness and reporting, and aircrew management. Prior to his current assignment, Brig. Gen Simmons served as the deputy director of training and readiness and deputy chief of staff for operations at Headquarters U.S. Air Force. Brig. Gen Simmons commanded at the squadron, group, and wing levels. Additionally, he held multiple joint, combined, and Air Force staff positions. He is a command pilot with over two thousand one hundred flying hours and qualifications in the F-16C/D, F-117A, and F-22A. Brig. Gen. Simmons holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Alabama and received his commission through ROTC as a distinguished graduate in 1997. He earned his pilot wings at the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program at Sheppard Air Force Base, TX.

BRIGADIER GENERAL KAYLE M. STEVENS

serves as the deputy commander of Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber), headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. Overseeing the operations of more than 44,000 personnel worldwide, she is responsible for delivering multisource intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance products, applications, capabilities, and resources. Sixteenth Air Force encompasses a wide range of units, including the 9th Reconnaissance Wing, 55th Wing, 67th Cyberspace Wing, 70th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing, 319th Reconnaissance Wing, 363rd Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing, 480th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing, 557th Weather Wing, 688th Cyberspace Wing, Air Force Technical Applications Center, and all U.S. Air Force cryptologic operations. A career intelligence officer with extensive joint experience at the national and tactical levels, Brig. Gen. Stevens has served in a variety of leadership positions, including squadron, group, and wing command. She has deployed multiple times as a SOF ISR Mission Commander, executing ISR missions and leading joint personnel around the globe. Prior to her current assignment, she served as the Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force. Brig. Gen. Stevens graduated from Wellesley College and

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received her commission through Reserve Officer Training Corps at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

U.S. SPACE FORCE

LIEUTENANT GENERAL DAVID N. MILLER

is the commander of the Space Operations Command, where he oversees the generation, presentation, and sustainment of the Space Force’s combat-ready space, cyberspace, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and combat support forces. He also fulfills the role of the service force provider for the U.S. Space Force, reporting to the secretary of the Air Force and the chief of Space Operations. In this capacity, he is responsible for overseeing the sourcing, training, certification, and readiness assessment of America’s Space Forces. Lt.Gen Miller, a graduate of Lafayette in 1993, recently visited his alma mater on July 26, 2023, where he shared insights with the students about the Space Force’s responsibilities, including providing personnel, weapons, and equipment, while the U.S. Space Command plans and directs the deployment of joint military forces. Lt.Gen Miller has extensive operational experience across various space power disciplines and has held operational leadership and staff positions. Previously, he served as the special assistant to the vice chief of Space Operations at the Headquarters of the U.S. Space Force and also commanded the 2nd Range Operations Squadron at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, where he led America’s Guardians and Airmen.

BRIGADIER GENERAL JACOB MIDDLETON

serves as the commander of the U.S. Space Forces Europe and Space Forces Africa. These forces are responsible for planning, coordinating, supporting, and conducting space operations across various military activities, including security cooperation, to advance the objectives of U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command. Before his current role, Brig. Gen Middleton held the position of deputy director for operations in the Operations Directorate of the Joint Staff, National Military Command Center, Washington, D.C. In this capacity, he was accountable to the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for ensuring continuous

twenty-four/seven operations and providing nuclear command and control, as well as global operations monitoring, reporting, and direction to combatant commands. Brig. Gen Middleton joined the Air Force in 1992 and was commissioned through the Officer Training School in November 1998. Additionally, he is a graduate of the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies. His career has primarily focused on space and missile operations. Brig. Gen Middleton has held key leadership positions, including commanding the Air Force Element Operations Squadron at the Aerospace Data Facility-Colorado, serving as vice wing commander of the 50th Space Wing, and commanding the Aerospace Data Facility-Colorado and Delta 20.

BRIGADIER GENERAL DEVIN R. PEPPER

is currently serving as deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and policy at NATO Headquarters, Supreme Allied Command Transformation in Norfolk, VA. He is responsible for formulating policies, strategies, engagements, and contributions to the NATO Defense Planning Process, as well as analytical practices that enable the commander to provide strategic foresight, planning strategy, and policy advice, concepts, and strategic engagement to NATO’s leadership. Prior to this role, Brig. Gen Pepper was the vice commander and deputy commanding general operations at the Space Operations Command. The command’s mission areas include intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, space battle management, space domain awareness, missile warning and tracking, orbital warfare, space electronic warfare, military satellite communications, precision navigation and timing, and cyber operations. A career space and missile operations officer, Brig. Gen Pepper has served as deputy commander and commander of the 21st Operations Group, the 460th Space Wing, and the Buckley Garrison. His staff assignments include U.S. Space Command, U.S. Strategic Command, Headquarters Air Force Global Strike Command, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Headquarters Eighth Air Force, and Headquarters Seventh Air Force. Brig. Gen Pepper enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1989 and received his commission in 1996. He transferred to the U.S. Space Force in 2021.

U.S. COAST GUARD

REAR ADMIRAL MICHAEL J. JOHNSTON

is the 43rd superintendent of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. He previously served as the senior commander of the Coast Guard, overseeing a workforce of over six thousand active duty, reserve, civilian, and auxiliary personnel. He also served as the assistant commandant for acquisition and chief acquisition officer, directing efforts across acquisition programs, personnel, finance, contracting, and research and development activities to execute the service’s acquisition portfolio. Johnston was the commanding officer of the Command, Control, and Communications Engineering Center. His other senior-level assignments include serving as deputy chief of the Officer Personnel Management Division. In 2015, he was selected to be the deputy commandant for mission support, with responsibilities for coordinating functions. He also served as an aide to the commandant of the Coast Guard from 2000–2002. During this time, his work helped restore normalcy following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and assisted in transitioning the Coast Guard into the newly formed Department of Homeland Security. As a Department of Home Security Level III acquisitions program manager, he served as the deputy project manager of the command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) acquisition program, delivering significant capabilities to the newest cutters and aircraft for the service.

REAR ADMIRAL ZEITA MERCHANT

assumed the duties of commander of the Personnel Service Center in June 2024. She is responsible for executing the Coast Guard’s human resource and talent management policies by recruiting, accessing, assigning, developing careers, maintaining well-being, compensating, separating, and retiring the nearly forty-five thousand members of the active duty and reserve workforces. In her previous assignment, Merchant served as the commander of the U.S. Coast Guard Sector New York and captain of the port, where she demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the safety, security, and sustainability of the United States’ most consequential marine

U.S. COAST GUARD

transportation system. She leverages her operational expertise to lead large-scale, multi-jurisdictional incidents and is one of the Coast Guard’s top certified emergency managers and crisis response leaders. RADM Merchant is a career operation ashore officer with tours across multiple units, concentrating on marine safety and security operations. Her operational experience includes directing operations across Lake Michigan and along the Western Rivers as the commanding officer of the Marine Safety Unit Chicago. She also served as an executive officer at the Marine Safety Unit in Texas City, as chief of port operations at Sector Miami, and as a marine inspector and port operations officer at the Marine Safety Office in New Orleans.

REAR ADMIRAL MICHAEL E. PLATT

assumed the duties of commander of the First Coast Guard District in May 2024. He oversees missions across eight states, including over two thousand miles of coastline from the U.S.–Canadian border to northern New Jersey and one thousand three hundred miles offshore. Platt previously served as the military advisor to the secretary of Homeland Security. He has also served at the 6th Aviation Unit, commanding both Air Station Detroit and Air Station Miami. During his career, he accumulated over three thousand six hundred hours of flight time. Prior to attending flight training, RADM Platt served as a boarding officer and deployable officer in charge of a Law Enforcement Detachment, and after completing National Search and Rescue School, served as the duty officer at Coast Guard Greater Antilles Section Command Center in Puerto Rico. RADM Platt entered the Coast Guard through the College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative. He graduated from Hampton University with a Bachelor of Science degree, American Military University with a Master of Science degree, and the National War College with a Master of Science degree in national security strategy. RADM Platt was also a Massachusetts Institute of Technology Seminar XXI Fellow and an alumnus of Harvard University’s National Preparedness Leadership Initiative.

REAR ADMIRAL WILL E. WATSON

serves as the director of governmental and public affairs for the U.S. Coast Guard, where he is responsible for engagement with Congress, the media, and other intergovernmental entities. In his previous assignment, he served as the executive assistant to the vice commandant. Watson’s staff assignments include serving as the senior military assistant to the Secretary of Homeland Security and as a Congressional affairs

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liaison. His operational tours include serving as commander of Sector New Orleans, where he directed missions in an area of responsibility that is among the largest and most complex coastal and port areas in the U.S. Of note, during this tour of duty, RADM Watson served as incident commander for the Hurricane Ida Response and Recovery Operations following the catastrophic impacts of one of the most powerful hurricanes to ever make landfall on the U.S. mainland. He also served as commanding officer at the Marine Safety Unit Lake Charles, as the executive officer at the Marine Safety Unit Texas City, and as the executive officer at the Marine Safety Unit Cleveland. During this tour of duty, in 2005, he deployed to Joint Field Office Baton Rouge in support of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Response and Recovery Operations.

U.S. NATIONAL GUARD

MAJOR GENERAL ONDRA L. BERRY

is the adjutant general for the state of Nevada. He is the senior uniformed Nevada National Guard officer responsible for formulating, developing, and coordinating all policies, programs, and plans affecting more than four thousand seven hundred Nevada Army and Air National Guard personnel. Maj. Gen Berry is the principal advisor on all National Guard issues, responsible for federal and state missions of the Nevada National Guard; he also serves as the official channel of communication with the National Guard Bureau, Department of the Army, Department of the Air Force, Nevada Division of Emergency Management, and State Partnership Program. He graduated from the University of Evansville with a Bachelor of Arts degree in secondary education and was commissioned at the Air National Guard Academy of Military Science at McGheeTyson Air National Guard Base in Tennessee. Following his commission, Maj. Gen Berry served in various assignments, including a three-year tenure as the state social action officer at Nevada National Guard State Headquarters. He also served twenty-five years as an officer in the Reno Police Department, rising to the rank of assistant police chief before serving as the senior vice president at MGM Resorts in Las Vegas.

MAJOR GENERAL JANEEN L. BIRCKHEAD

currently serves as the 31st adjutant general of the Maryland National Guard. She advises the governor and leads over six thousand three hundred soldiers, airmen, and federal and state employees. Maj. Gen Birckhead is responsible for providing a relevant and capable force ready to fight, defend, and prevail against all threats in a

multi-domain environment. She most recently served as the commander of the Maryland Army National Guard and was dual-hatted as the deputy commandant for Reserve Affairs at the U.S. Army War College. In her civilian capacity, Maj. Gen Birckhead served as a senior advisor for the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Trust Fund Administration. She began her civilian career in the U.S. Senate. Her subsequent civilian career positions included State Equal Employment Opportunity manager, special agent in charge for the Defense Security Service, and deputy chief of equal opportunity and civil rights at the Office of Personnel Management before joining the U.S. Department of the Interior in 2010. Birckhead graduated from Hampton University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and holds two master’s degrees in management and strategic studies.

MAJOR GENERAL RODNEY BOYD

assumed duties as the assistant adjutant general–Army commander of the Illinois Army National Guard on July 5, 2021. He previously served as the assistant chief of staff, J-4 (Wartime), in the U.S. Forces Korea. Maj. Gen. Boyd has held many leadership and staff positions during his more than thirty-five years of military service, including serving as commander of the 1644th Transportation Company; commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 405th Brigade Support Battalion; S3, 108th Sustainment Brigade; commander of the 108th Sustainment Brigade; J-5, director of strategic plans and policies. He began his career as a Marine Corps reservist in 1982. After completing his obligation there, he joined the Illinois Army National Guard. In 1989, he attended the Illinois Army National Guard Officer Candidate School at Camp Lincoln. Upon completion, he was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the Quartermaster Corps. Maj. Gen. Boyd received a bachelor’s degree in criminology from Northern Illinois University, a Master of Arts degree in education from the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle, and a master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College.

MAJOR GENERAL KONATA A. CRUMBLY

assumed the duties of the commanding general for the Georgia Air National Guard in 2023. He is responsible for more than two thousand nine hundred Georgia Air National Guard airmen and civilians serving within six locations across the state. In addition, he serves as the Air National Guard assistant to the commander of the Air Force Recruiting Command. Maj. Gen. Crumbly graduated

U.S. NATIONAL GUARD

from the ROTC at Florida A&M University in 1996. He attended the Army Aviation Flight School at Fort Rucker and earned his wings as a UH60 A/L Blackhawk pilot. After completing his Army Aviation service commitment, which included Operation Allied Force and the initial invasion of Iraq with the 3rd Infantry Division, Maj. Gen. Crumbly joined the Georgia Air National Guard as an E- 8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System pilot in 2004. He has flown combat missions in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom as well as missions in support of the U.S. Africa Command. Maj. Gen. Crumbly’s command experience includes the 12th Expeditionary Airborne Command and Control Squadron, the 116th Operations Group, and the 116th Air Control Wing, Robins Air Force Base, GA.

MAJOR GENERAL JOHN C. HARRIS,

JR. is Ohio’s 83rd adjutant general. In this role, he is a member of the governor’s cabinet and is responsible for commanding the Ohio Army National Guard, Ohio Air National Guard, and State Defense Force. Additionally, he supervises the heads of these components in their day-to-day operations and management, including their readiness, fiscal, personnel, equipment, and real property resources. Maj. Gen Harris commands the Ohio Army National Guard and the Ohio Air National Guard, which have approximately seventeen thousand members. Since September 11, 2001, over twenty-seven thousand Ohio National Guard members have been called to federal service to support overseas contingency and homeland security operations, highlighting the dual role of the citizen-soldier and citizen-airman. Maj. Gen Harris began his military career in 1981 by enlisting in the Ohio Army National Guard and received a commission in 1984 through the Officer Candidate School. Throughout his career, he has held various command and staff assignments, including chief of staff at Joint Force Headquarters, deputy chief of staff for personnel at the Joint Force Headquarters, and commander of the Task Force Lancer in Kosovo.

MAJOR-GENERAL KODJO S. KNOX-LIMBACKER

is the 15th adjutant general and commander of the Virgin Islands National Guard. He is a member of the Virgin Islands governor’s cabinet, responsible for supporting territorial and federal mobilizations for territorial and national contingencies, respectively. Maj. Gen Knox-Limbacker is a dual-branch aviation and military intelligence officer and defense support of civil authorities’ specialist. He is a master aviator and pilot in command with

27,000 flight hours and qualified in both helicopter and special mission airplanes. With over thirty-two years of service, he has served as the director of personnel readiness at the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Maj. Gen Knox-Limbacker’s portfolios supported the DoD force, which included one million three hundred thousand active-duty servicemembers, civilians, and eight hundred twenty-six thousand National Guard/Reserve forces. He served as First Army senior advisor to the Virgin Islands National Guard and led at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels. He has multiple combat and operational tours supporting Central, Southern, and Africa Commands. Maj. Gen Knox-Limbacker is a joint-qualified officer who has graduated from the National War College, the Senior Leader Development Seminar, the Harvard University General Officer and Flag Officer Homeland Security Executive Seminar, the Syracuse University National Strategic Management Studies Course, and the Force Integrators Course for Senior Leaders.

MAJOR GENERAL CHARLES “CHUCK” WALKER

is the Air National Guard assistant to the judge advocate general of the U.S. Air Force. He provides leadership and direction for all Air National Guard legal offices, including some five hundred and fifty judge advocates and paralegals throughout the nation. Maj. Gen Walker received his commission as a 2nd lieutenant through the Air Force ROTC from Auburn University in 1990. He left active duty in 1998 to pursue a civilian legal career. In 2004, he resumed military service in the Air Force Reserves as a member of the JAGC. Maj. Gen Walker then joined the Kentucky Air National Guard in 2005. He also served two tours in the Combined Air Operations Center at the 601st Air and Space Operations Center, Tyndall Air Force Base, FL, supporting Operation Noble Eagle. Prior to his current position, Maj. Gen Walker served as chief of staff for the Kentucky Air National Guard and director for the Office of Complex Investigations on the Joint Staff at the National Guard Bureau. In his civilian life, he is a U.S. bankruptcy judge for the Middle District of Tennessee.

BRIGADIER GENERAL JEFFREY ALEXANDER

is the chief of staff of the Michigan Air National Guard and was called to active duty as the U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command’s Air National Guard advisor for strategic plans, programs, and requirements directorate. In these roles, he provides strategic counsel and management to the entire Michigan Air National

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Guard, comprising over two thousand four hundred airmen. He also provides insight into the National All-Domain Warfighting Center and the Kelly Johnson Joint All-Domain Innovation Center. Additionally, Brig. Gen Alexander directed $97 billion in program objective memorandum for the U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command’s modernization across B-1, B-2, B-52, B-21, and the Minuteman III/Sentinel Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Systems programs.

BRIGADIER GENERAL PETER G. BAILEY

became chief of staff of the Security Assistance Group– Ukraine on June 1, 2023. He graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy and was commissioned in 1990. Brig. Gen. Bailey was active duty in the U.S. Air Force for twelve years as a B-52H navigator and B-1B weapon systems officer, where he flew combat missions during Operation Desert Fox and Operation Allied Force. Brig. Gen Bailey joined the Kansas Air National Guard in 2002 and has commanded at the squadron and group level. He has deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Additionally, he has served at the major command and numbered Air Force level. Brig. Gen. Bailey’s previous assignment was as the deputy director of strategy, engagement, and programs at the U.S. Africa Command, Stuttgart Möhringen, Germany.

BRIGADIER GENERAL LAVETTA BENNETT

assumed duties as the National Guard assistant for personnel and talent management at the National Guard Bureau in 2022. In this position, she is the principal advisor to the director of the Army National Guard for manpower and personnel readiness across the organization. Before this assignment, she served in the Michigan Army National Guard, and some of her assignments included chief of the Joint Staff, Army chief of staff, director of personnel, human resources director, Recruiting and Retention Battalion commander, executive officer and commander of the 146th Multifunctional Medical Battalion, deputy state surgeon, and principal staff officer in the S3 Operations branch of a Regimental Headquarter–272nd Regional Support Group. Brig.

Gen Bennett began her career as a private in the U.S. Army Reserve, where she served as an operating room technician. She later transitioned to the Army National Guard, where she received a direct commission as a 2nd lieutenant in the Medical Services Corps. Brig. Gen Bennett holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Tougaloo College, a master’s degree in horticulture from Mississippi State University, a master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College, and a Ph.D. in organizational leadership from Columbia International University.

BRIGADIER

GENERAL

JAMES A. BENSON

assumed duties as the assistant adjutant general of the Army of the Delaware National Guard in 2023. As the assistant adjutant general, he ensures that assigned units and personnel are fully trained, deployable, and equipped for mobilization to support overseas contingency operations and homeland defense missions supporting the nation and the state of Delaware. Brig. Gen Benson previously served as the director of the Joint Staff in the Delaware National Guard from 2021–2023. He has commanded the 259th (Troop) Signal Company, the 198th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, and the 261st Theater Tactical Signal Brigade. Brig. Gen Benson has also deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. He was commissioned in 1991 through the Delaware National Guard Officer Candidate School. The brigadier general is a graduate of the University of Delaware with a bachelor’s degree in economics, Wilmington University with a master’s degree in business administration, and the Army War College with a master’s degree in strategic studies. In his civilian capacity, he is an emergency management consultant with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

BRIGADIER GENERAL FELICIA BROKAW

serves as the assistant chief of staff J-4 (Wartime) of the U.S. Forces Korea. She assists in planning, coordinating, synchronizing, and integrating multinational logistics and the Joint Logistics Enterprise during armistice and contingency operations on the Korean peninsula. Brig. Gen Brokaw is a logistician who has served in key assignments, including as deputy U.S. property and fiscal officer, deputy chief of staff for logistics, surface maintenance manager, director of Logistics J-4, transportation officer, S2/S3 operations officer, assistant S-4 and supply management officer. She has commanded Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment

U.S. NATIONAL GUARD

81st Troop, Company D (HVY) Maintenance Company, 190th Transportation Battalion, and Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center. Brig. Gen Brokaw deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. She completed the Adjutant General Officer Basic Course, Combined Logistics Officer Advanced Course (Ordnance), and Command and General Staff Officer’s Course and attended the U.S. Army War College. Brig. Gen Brokaw has numerous awards and honors, including the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, and the Korea Defense Service Medal. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in computer technology, a Master of Science degree in management, and a Master of Arts degree in strategic studies.

BRIGADIER GENERAL DAVID (“DC”) COCHRAN

serves as the assistant adjutant general and West Virginia Air National Guard commander. He is the ranking advisor to the adjutant general on all matters related to the Air and Space Forces. Brig. Gen Cochran served as director of operations for the West Virginia Air National Guard before being promoted to her current role, becoming the second brigadier general of color in the state’s history. As a command pilot with over six thousand five hundred hours in the C-130E/H3, C-21, C-5A, and C-17 aircraft, Brig. Gen Cochran has experience in major contingency operations and flew combat sorties in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn. After departing active duty in 1998, Brig. Gen Cochran joined the West Virginia Air National Guard through the 167th Airlift Wing, where he ascended the ranks, mentored the airmen around him, and became the wing’s commander. The U.S. Air Force Academy commissioned the brigadier general in May 1989. In November 1990, he graduated from pilot training at Vance Air Force Base, OK, and went on to fly the C-130E/H3 at Little Rock Air Force Base, AR, with a follow-on assignment to the C-21 at Andrews Air Force Base, MD.

National Guard Bureau A2/6 JB Andrews, MD. As A2/6 director, he oversaw a portfolio to include intelligence, cyber forces, and systems architecture, including fixed-base and expeditionary information networks and security, supporting and enabling over one hundred and eight thousand military and civilian personnel assigned to ninety wings and one hundred and seventy geographically separated units throughout the fifty states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. Brig. Gen Crook was also responsible for governance, policy implementation, and execution as the ANG senior intelligence officer and chief information officer. He earned his commission in 1993 through the University of Notre Dame’s Army ROTC program. Brig. Gen Crook commanded at the squadron and group level.

BRIGADIER GENERAL AARON

R. DEAN II is the adjutant general of the District of Columbia National Guard. The President of the United States appointed him to this role in 2018. He also serves as the deputy commanding general over all Army and Air forces assigned to the District of Columbia National Guard. Brig. Gen Dean II assists in providing oversight of operations for the Army and Air Components and manages strategic resources for the War, Aerospace Alert, and Domestic Operations. He provides command support for the Joint Task Force, which effectively responds to federal and district missions to support civil authorities in executing their All-Hazards Plans. Brig. Gen Dean II previously served as the acting land component commander of the D.C. National Guard, Multi-Agency Augmentation commander of the D.C. National Guard, and chief of staff of the D.C. National Guard, among other key leadership positions. His education includes a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice from Washington State University, a master’s degree in public administration from Troy State University, and a Master of Science degree in national security strategy from the National Defense University. As a general officer, he has completed several senior executive courses, including Seminar XXI and security courses.

BRIGADIER GENERAL MARLON E. CROOK, SR., is the newly assigned deputy Cyber National Mission Force commander, and his primary responsibilities include cyber election security. Brig. Gen Crook has significant leadership experience in various operational, Air Staff Command, and key Joint Staff assignments. Before his most recent appointment, Brig. Gen Crook served as director of the intelligence and cyber effects operations within the

BRIGADIER GENERAL EDWARD H. EVANS,

JR., serves as chief of staff of the Mississippi Air National Guard within the Joint Forces Headquarters, Jackson, MS. He assists the commander and the adjutant general in formulating, developing, and coordinating all programs, policies, and plans ensuring the mission readiness of the 172nd Airlift Wing, the 186th Air Refueling Wing, and the Combat Readiness Training Center. Prior to assuming his current position, he was the A3 director of operations at the Mississippi Air National Guard. Brig. Gen Evans has commanded at all levels and has wartime, contingency, and aeromedical evacuation operational experience, including over seven hundred and twenty-five combat hours supporting

TOP LEADERS IN THE U.S. MILITARY

Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and New Dawn. He was commissioned in 1992 as a graduate of the ROTC program at Mississippi State University. Brig. Gen. Evans began his Air Force career as an active-duty civil engineer before transferring to the Mississippi Air National Guard as a pilot candidate. After completing specialized undergraduate pilot training and aircraft training, he returned to the 172nd Airlift Wing to fly the C-141B/C aircraft. Brig. Gen Evans later served as a C-17A instructor aircraft commander and held various duties throughout the operations and mission support groups, including a two-year detail as a base civil engineer.

BRIGADIER GENERAL CASSANDRA HOWARD

is an Air

National Guard assistant to the U.S. Air Force surgeon general. Her previous general officer assignments include assistant for Mobilization and Reserve Affairs, OSD/Health Affairs; director of the Joint Staff within the Joint Forces Headquarters-Tennessee; and special assistant to the chief of the National Guard Bureau for Defense Health Agency matters. She enlisted in the Air National Guard in 1987 as an airman basic and served for nine years as an aerospace medicine technician before commissioning as a Medical Service Corps officer. Brig. Gen Howard earned several degrees, including a Bachelor of Science degree from Howard University, a Doctor of Medicine degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin, and a master’s degree in business administration. Brig. Gen Howard was commissioned in the Medical Corps upon completing medical school in 1998. She later earned her flight surgeon wings and flew with C-130, KC-135, C-141, C-5, and C-17 aircrews. She served in leadership positions, including the 164th Medical Group commander in Memphis, TN, and State Air Surgeon, Joint Forces Headquarters-TN. In her civilian role as a senior healthcare executive, she is the vice president and chief medical officer for the Methodist University Hospital, a major academic medical center with five-hundred-eighty-three-licensed beds, serving a population of 1.1 million.

BRIGADIER GENERAL CRAIG HUNTER

is the special assistant for strategic initiatives at the Maryland Army National Guard, where he is a direct advisor to the adjutant general on organizational analysis, program implementation, research, and conflict resolution. His assignments include Aviation Security and Support Company commander, Aeromedical Evacuation Company commander, intelligence operations

officer, Counterdrug Task Force commander, Aviation Battalion S3, Joint Director of Military Support/Deputy J-3, State Army Aviation officer, D.C. Army National Guard G-3/5/7, commander of the 260th Regiment, D.C. National Guard chief of staff, and deputy land component commander. Brig. Gen Hunter served as the deputy commander of the Joint Special Operations Aviation Component in December 2017. In February 2019, he was assigned to the Pentagon, serving in the office of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and directing Integrated Operations. In 2021, Brig. Gen Hunter assumed command of the Joint Task Force Guardian and later served as the D.C. National Guard chief of staff and deputy land component commander. He was educated at Edward Waters University, where he earned his Bachelor of Business degree; Liberty University, where he earned an M.B.A.; and the National Defense University, where he earned an M.A. Brig. Gen Hunter completed the National Security Leadership Program at George Washington University and the Leadership in Homeland Security Program at Harvard. He was commissioned as an aviation officer through the Army Officer Candidate School.

BRIGADIER GENERAL DAVID M. JENKINS

serves as the assistant adjutant general for the South Carolina Army National Guard. He has been a National Guardsman for over twenty-eight years, holding key positions such as platoon leader, company commander, executive officer, battalion commander, and brigade commander. He has also performed staff assignments, including signal officer of the 1st and 118th Infantry Battalion, S3 of the 218th Regiment, deputy J-6 of the Joint Forces Headquarters, and chief of staff at the 263rd Army Air and Missile Defense Command. Brig. Gen Jenkins’ most recent assignment was Chief Information Officer G-/J-6. He began his military career as an ROTC Cadet at South Carolina State University and received his commission in 1990. He deployed to Afghanistan as a strategic plans communication officer for the JNCC-A and has supported federal and state missions, including natural disasters. Brig. Gen Jenkins has had an illustrious career. In February 2024, he received the Stars & Stripes Award at the BEYA Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Conference, recognizing his achievements in STEM-oriented work, corporate management, and military leadership. Brig. Gen Jenkins was also honored for his contributions as an engineer, corporate executive, and military officer. In his civilian career, he works for Lexmark International as the senior director of strategic operations and technical delivery.

U.S. NATIONAL GUARD

BRIGADIER GENERAL PHILLIP

L. MALLORY assumed his duties as the assistant adjutant general of the Air National Guard on October 1, 2024. Prior to his current position, Brig. Gen Mallory was the commander of the 154th Wing, Hawaii Air National Guard, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, HI. He has commanded the 169th Air Defense Squadron, 201st Combat Operations Squadron, 298th Air Defense Group, and 154th Operations Group, and served in the Pacific Air Force’s Policy and Strategy Division (A3/5/8/9) as an action officer. Brig. Gen Mallory is a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Weapons Instructor Course with more than two thousand seven hundred hours, including more than fifty combat hours, in the F-22A, F-15A/B/C/D, C-17A, KC-135R, and AT-38B aircraft. A command pilot with twenty-six years of service, he has flown missions in support of Operations Noble Eagle, Northern Watch, and Southern Watch. Brig. Gen Mallory was commissioned from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1998 and graduated from Laughlin Air Force Base, TX, in 1999, where he completed the undergraduate pilot training.

BRIGADIER GENERAL TARA D. MCKENNIE

enlisted in the Air Force in 1989 as an airman basic and served six years on active duty. Having earned a commission through the Army’s officer candidate school, she was assigned as a platoon leader to the 133rd Signal Battalion. She transferred to the Air National Guard in 2002 and has served in several leadership capacities. Her assignments include serving as health services administrative officer from June 2001 to January 2007 within the 182nd Airlift Wing, Peoria, IL; Medical Group deputy commander of the 123rd Airlift Wing, Louisville, KY, from February 2007 to November 2015; Medical Group commander of the 187th Fighter Wing, Montgomery, AL, from December 2015¬ to May 2021; and assistant adjutant general of the Joint Force Headquarters, Montgomery, AL, from May 2021 to present. Brig. Gen McKennie earned a Bachelor of Science degree in healthcare administration, a master’s degree in business administration, and a master’s degree in strategic studies. In her civilian career, she is vice president of culture and development for a national physician practice, where she oversees diversity, equity, and inclusion; marketing; events; leadership development; change management; and operations enablement. She is an executive coach and CEO of Like Water, LLC. Brig. Gen McKennie is also vice president of the Tampa Chapter of the Pierians, Inc.

BRIGADIER GENERAL PAUL

L. MINOR has served as the assistant adjutant general (Army) for the Massachusetts National Guard since June of 2022. He assists and advises the adjutant general in pursuing their priorities. Brig. Gen Minor serves as co-chair of the Joint Diversity Executive Committee for Massachusetts and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region 1 states. He is also co-chair of the Massachusetts Guard

Innovation Team. Brig. Gen Minor joined the New York National Guard by direct commission as a chaplain. He earned a bachelor’s degree, Magna Cum Laude, from Boston University, a master’s in divinity, Cum Laude, from Virginia Theological Seminary, and a master’s degree in industrial and organizational psychology from Northcentral University. He also earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Newburgh Theological Seminary and a master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College. Brig. Gen Minor’s awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Commendation Medal, and the Humanitarian Service Medal. He has also received the Chaplain Corps Regimental St. Martin of Tours award.

MAJOR GENERAL REGINALD (REG) NEAL

is the deputy commanding general for the U.S. Army Pacific, HI. He graduated from Georgia Military College in 1989 and was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the Field Artillery. Maj. Gen Neal’s professional military education includes the Field Artillery Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, the Army Security Cooperation Course, the Combined Joint Forces Land Component Commander Course, and the Army War College. His green tab assignments include commander of the 1st Battalion, 118th Field Artillery Regiment, commander of the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, deputy commanding general–National Guard for U.S. Army South, and commander of Joint Task Force–North. Maj. Gen Neal’s staff assignments include director of the Joint Staff for the Georgia National Guard and executive assistant to the chief of the National Guard Bureau. His involvement in the planning committee includes the Combat Vehicle Task Force and the Field Artillery Advisory Council. He is a past president of the National Guard Association of Georgia and currently serves on the National Guard Bureau’s Joint Diversity Executive Council and the Joint Officer Management Advisory Council. His awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal (two), the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Legion of Merit (two), the Bronze Star Medal (two), the Meritorious Service Medal (four),

TOP LEADERS IN THE U.S. MILITARY

and the Joint Service Commendation Medal (Afghanistan).

BRIGADIER GENERAL SALLY F. PETTY

is assistant adjutant general for the Virgin Islands Army National Guard. Her military career began in 1989 as a multi-channel systems operator in the Signal Corps. In 2006, Brig. Gen Petty deployed as the 786th Quartermaster Battalion’s operations officer in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom V at Camp Taji, Iraq. As a member of the Virgin Islands National Guard, she has served as platoon leader and company commander for the 662nd Field Service Company, operations officer, and training officer for the 786th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion. In 2010, Brig. Gen Petty completed her second deployment in support of the United States’ global war on terrorism in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Upon her return to the Virgin Islands, she served in numerous capacities. Noteworthy is the battalion commander for the 786th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, G-5, chief of staff-Army, Joint Task Force commander, and Dual Status commander. Brig. Gen Petty was commissioned through Officer Candidate School, Fort Benning, GA. She is a graduate of the Air War College, having completed many courses. Brig. Gen Petty’s decorations include the Legion of Merit (second award), Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, and Joint Service Commendation Medal.

BRIGADIER GENERAL WALTER R. ROSS, JR.,

is currently serving as assistant surgeon general for mobilization, readiness, and national guard affairs at the Office of the Surgeon General, Department of the Army. Additionally, he is the director of the Joint Staff for the Hawaii National Guard. Brig. Gen Ross started his career as an enlisted Marine and later earned a commission in the U.S. Army as a Medical Service Corps officer. He has completed various military education programs, including the Army Senior Leader Development Seminar, the Dual Status Commander Qualification Program, and the Resident Program at the U.S. Army War College, where he obtained a master’s degree in strategic studies. He also holds a master’s degree in public administration and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Brig. Gen Ross has the distinction of being decorated with military awards and honors from four U.S. armed service branches and two foreign governments, including the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, and Combat Medical Badge. In recognition of his

exemplary service and leadership, he was awarded the Order of Military Medical Merit and numerous other individual awards.

BRIGADIER GENERAL LELAND

T. SHEPHERD currently serves as the assistant adjutant general to the land component commander in the Arkansas National Guard. He has served for thirty-two years in various positions in the Arkansas Army National Guard, including as Regiment Regional Training Institute regimental commander, 233rd Regional Training Institute, and deputy chief of staff: G-6. In his civilian career, he is a regional vice president of operations at PODS. Brig. Gen Shepherd was born in Guyana. He has earned an associate’s degree in electronic engineering, a Bachelor of Arts degree in organizational management, a Master of Arts degree in information technology management, a Master of Arts degree in strategic studies, and a doctorate degree in executive leadership. Brig. Gen Shepherd enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves in Philadelphia, PA, in 1992. He joined the Arkansas Army National Guard in 1995 and received his commission in 1998. Furthermore, Brig. Gen Shepherd has served two combat tours in Iraq and is a recipient of the Order of Mercury, the Bronze Star, and the Army Legion of Merit award.

BRIGADIER

GENERAL KENDRICK D. TRAYLOR is the military director of acquisitions support in the National Guard Bureau. His thirty-five years of military service include three combat deployments: Operation Desert Shield/ Storm and Operation Enduring Freedom (twice). He has held a variety of assignments, such as embedded tactical trainer, G-3 logistics operations officer and liaison support officer, U.S. Army South (167th Theater Sustainment Command); assistant professor of military science, University of Alabama Army ROTC; J-5 Plans Officer, 135th Expeditionary Sustainment Command; command inspector general, Special Troops Battalion Commander (167th Theater Sustainment Command); G-3 Joint Force Headquarters (AL); commander, 279th Army Field Support Brigade; and Area Support Group Black Sea in Romania. He is a joint qualified officer and has attended senior executive courses, including National Security Management and Force Integration for Senior Leaders. In 2024, Brig. Gen Traylor was inducted as a Distinguished Member of the Quartermaster Association. His civilian education includes a Doctor of Education degree in higher education administration, a master’s degree in strategic studies, and a bachelor’s degree in marketing. Brig. Gen Traylor began his career as a medical supply

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specialist in 1990, commissioning in 1995 at the Michigan Military Academy. In 2001, he transferred to the Alabama Army National Guard.

BRIGADIER GENERAL MONIE R. ULIS

has served the Texas Army National Guard for thirty-five years. He is currently the deputy adjutant general of the Army at Camp Mabry. He also serves as the deputy commanding general of the U.S. Army South at Joint Base San Antonio and Fort Sam. Previously, he served as the director of the Joint Staff, responsible for synchronizing Army, Air, and State Guard activities. Prior to that, Brig. Gen Ulis was the deputy chief of military personnel policy and deputy personnel chief of the National Guard Bureau. He commanded the 136th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, responsible for the FEMA Region VI Homeland Response Force Mission. Brig. Gen Ulis led soldiers during combat operations in Afghanistan, where he commanded a unit responsible for an area that included a Coalition Afghan Flight Training Center and Special Forces Training, as well as Drug Interdiction and Reduction efforts. He is a past president of the National Guard Association of Texas and a member of the National Guard Association of the United States, the National War College Association, and the Infantry Officer Association. Brig. Gen Ulis holds a Master of Science degree in information technology and a master’s degree in national security strategy.

BRIGADIER

GENERAL JEFFREY

WATKINS

currently serves as the director of the Joint Staff for the Ohio National Guard. He has served in various leadership and staff positions throughout his career, including platoon leader, company commander, later serving as a brigade S3, where he assisted the commander in planning, preparation, conduct, and supervision of all events and training activities. Additionally, Brig. Gen Watkins served as a brigade executive officer, brigade commander, Region 5 Homeland Response Force commander, and director of Joint Operations. A native of Shaker Heights, OH, and a graduate of Kent State University, Brig. Gen Watkins was commissioned as a chemical officer through the Officer Candidate School in 1994. His military education includes the Chemical Officer Basic, Military Police Advanced Course, Command and General Staff College, Inspector General School, Civil Support Skills Course, and the Army War College. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice with a focus on juvenile justice and a master’s degree in public administration with a focus on non-

profit organizations.

BRIGADIER GENERAL KATHERINE E. WHITE

has held the position of special assistant to the vice chief of the National Guard Bureau for Personnel Initiatives since July 2024. Previously, as a brigadier general, she served as the deputy commander of the 46th Military Police Command. In 2021, she was honored with induction into the Michigan Military and Veterans Hall of Honor. Brig. Gen White’s experience includes roles as a special assistant to the chief of the National Guard Bureau and as the director of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. In addition to her military service, she was appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Plant Variety Protection Office Advisory Board in 2004 and served until 2020. Similarly, she was appointed by the Secretary of Commerce to serve on the U.S. Patent Office Patent Public Advisory Committee from 2000–2002. Moreover, Brig. Gen White was a White House Fellow from 2001–2002. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree in electrical engineering and computer science from Princeton University, a J.D. degree from the University of Washington, an L.L.M degree from the George Washington University Law School, and a master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College. USBE

THE 20TH ANNUAL DIRECTORY OF U.S. DEFENSE LEADERS:

TOP LEADERS IN THE SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE

SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 1979, THE SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE (SES) has been the cornerstone of the federal government’s leadership. Comprising highly qualified individuals, SES members oversee critical programs and agencies, bridging the gap between presidential appointees and the broader federal workforce.

As we celebrate the 2024 Top SES Member List, we recognize the achievements and contributions of professionals who have ascended to the highest levels of federal service. Their dedication, expertise, and leadership have undoubtedly shaped the course of our nation.

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Lloyd James Austin III became the 28th secretary of defense on January 22, 2021. He serves as the principal assistant to the president for all matters related to the DoD and is a member of the National Security Council. Austin was born in Mobile, AL, and raised in Thomasville, GA. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree and received a commission in the infantry. He also holds a Master of Arts degree in counselor education from Auburn University and a master’s degree in business management from Webster University. He graduated from the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced courses, the Army Command and General Staff College, and the Army War College. During his forty-one-year career in the Army, Austin held command positions at the corps, division, battalion, and brigade levels. He was awarded the Silver Star for his leadership of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division during the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Later, he served as the commanding general of the U.S. Forces–Iraq, overseeing all combat operations in the country. Following his service as the Army’s vice chief of staff, Austin retired from the Army as the commander of U.S. Central Command, where he was responsible for all military operations in the Middle East and Afghanistan. In this role, he led U.S. and coalition efforts to combat ISIS in Iraq and Syria. After retiring from the military, Austin served on the boards of directors for Raytheon Technologies, Nucor, and Tenet Healthcare.

policy, and the changing nature of work. Dr. Taylor-Kale’s scholarly research examines grand challenges, ecosystem design, and how organizations leverage technology to build cross-sector strategic partnerships.

Dr. Laura D. Taylor-Kale was appointed as the first assistant secretary of defense for industrial base policy in March 2023. She provides advice to the under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment and other senior defense leaders on various areas, including industrial base resilience and innovation, small business programs, industrial base development, industrial policy, and international engagement. She also leads teams that conduct geo-economic analysis and assessments, provide recommendations on budget matters related to the defense industrial base, anticipate and close gaps in manufacturing capabilities for defense systems, assess impacts related to mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures, and monitor and evaluate the impact of foreign investments in the United States. Dr. Taylor-Kale has over two decades of experience at the intersection of economic diplomacy, international development finance, technological innovation, and national security. Prior to her current role, she served as the Fellow for Innovation and Economic Competitiveness at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and contributed to CFR’s Renewing America Initiative. Her research at CFR focused on strategic innovation, industrial

Dr. Aprille J. Ericsson is the assistant secretary of defense for science and technology. In this role, she directs the organization responsible for the oversight of and advocacy for the DoD Science and Technology enterprise, including science and technology workforce and laboratory infrastructure policy, federally funded research and development centers, and university-affiliated research centers. She oversees a portfolio of science and technology programs, including basic research, small business innovation research/ small business technology transfer, and DoD manufacturing technology, including the nine Manufacturing Innovation Institutes. Additionally, Dr. Ericsson is responsible for focused outreach and interaction with historically Black colleges and universities and minority institutions, which encourage diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and kindergarten-twelfth grade (K–12) programs. Furthermore, she is responsible for the department’s technology and program protection initiatives. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Ericsson spent more than thirty-one years in various positions at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). In 2017, Dr. Ericsson was appointed the New Business Lead for the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Instrument Systems and Technology Division. In this role, she fostered technical government partnerships that enabled industry, small business, and academia collaboration to compete for opportunities to solve strategic research and development challenges.

Audrey Y. Davis was appointed the director of the Defense Finance and Accounting Service in 2020. Ms. Davis leads the day-to-day accounting and finance activities of the DoD. The Defense Finance and Accounting Service employs over eleven thousand civilian and military personnel at ten locations throughout the United States, Europe, and the Pacific. In the fiscal year 2023, the agency disbursed over $598.2 billion by processing 135.4 million pay transactions to 6.5 million military personnel, federal civilian employees, military retirees, and annuitants; 11.7 million commercial invoices; and 4.8 million travel payments. The Defense Finance and Accounting Service is the trust fund manager for $755 billion in foreign military sales and $1.8 trillion in military retirement and health benefit funds. Last year, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service maintained more than 50.7 million general ledger accounts containing billions of transactions and managed accounts for worldwide operations and multi-disciplined appropriations of DoD. Davis formerly served as the principal deputy director for

the Defense Finance and Accounting Service. Davis began her federal career as a presidential management intern with the U.S. Army Information Systems Engineering Command and served in a variety of positions at the U.S. Department of State, including a year in the private sector.

was appointed to the SES in 2016. He transitioned to the civilian federal workforce through the Air Force Palace Acquire program.

Ms. Lisa P. Smith has more than 38 years of experience in logistics, acquisition, and the supply chain. She is currently deputy assistant secretary of defense for product support and the principal advisor in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, which is focused on policies, procedures, and actions related to the readiness and sustainability of major weapon systems. Smith is responsible for the development and implementation of acquisition and sustainment strategies and processes providing the warfighter with cost-effective weapon system readiness across the life cycle. In addition, she coordinates and synchronizes with assistant secretary of defense international and partner engagements. She also manages the life cycle logistics and logistics workforce for the Department of Defense. She assumed her current position in 2021. Before then, Smith was the deputy director of logistics in the deputy chief of staff of logistics, engineering and force protection, Headquarters Air Force. She was responsible for supporting the director of logistics by providing leadership and direction for training and equipping 180,000+ technicians and managers to maintain the aerospace weapons system inventory. Smith entered the civil service in1986 through the professional and administrative career outstanding scholar program at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia.

After working for five years (June 2016–August 2021) at the Department of Homeland Security as the executive director of the Strategic Learning, Development, and Engagement Office and chief learning and engagement officer in the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer, Ms. Clothilda Taylor returned as director of business operations within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. In this role, she provides policy direction on the enterprise’s organizational management and support functions. Ms. Taylor has served in various roles across the federal government. With over twenty-five years of experience, she has a proven history of leading the development and execution of forward-thinking programs in strategic planning, human capital management, business process improvement, and administrative management. In her previous tenure with DoD, Ms. Taylor served as the principal deputy director of administration within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics). While concurrently serving as the principal deputy director of administration, Ms. Taylor was also acting director of human capital initiatives. In this role, she provided expertise in human capital management, leading the Acquisition Workforce Personnel Demonstration Project, the SES performance management program, and military personnel staffing.

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY

Fredrick E. Carr took on the role of assistant director of operations at the Defense Contract Audit Agency in April 2023. He supervises one hundred and fifty employees responsible for providing management information system and data analytics support, investigative support services, financial liaison advisory services, and quantitative methods policy to over four thousand auditors and support personnel in three hundred offices worldwide. He manages an annual operating budget of about $30 million. Before joining the Defense Contract Audit Agency, Carr worked as the deputy assistant secretary for financial operations at the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Financial Management and Comptroller. There, he advised the assistant secretary and the Air Force senior staff on issues related to the amended Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990 and fiscal management reforms. He was accountable at the executive level for ensuring the Air Force adhered to legislative and executive fiscal management mandates, resulting in the effective and efficient use of Air Force resources. His duties also involved managing human resources and technology solutions for Air Force fiscal management. Carr

Natasha N. Anderson joined the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (in Financial Management & Comptroller) in August 2014 as a fiscal management analyst. She now serves as the Army’s director of financial operations and accounting. In this role, Anderson helps oversee the Army’s fiscal management community, including policies and procedures, accounting expertise, risk management, and internal controls. She has overseen management initiatives for policies, programs, and procedures designed to establish, implement, and maintain Army accounting, auditing, risk management, and financial reporting activities. In 2017, Anderson was appointed as the director of general fund audit readiness for financial operations and accounting, where she was responsible for the execution of the Army’s general fund financial statement audits and corrective action efforts stemming from those audits. Anderson has been involved in financial operations and accounting since 2011, initially as a manager with Kearney & Company. In this role, she was responsible for establishing the Army’s financial improvement and audit

readiness plan as a contractor. Later, she joined the government team as a staff accountant. Anderson began her career in the federal government as an accountant at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives after graduating from McDaniel College.

Defense for Policy, Bourcicot ensured compliance. Additionally, as special assistant to the Army general counsel, she led ad hoc working groups addressing situations of national interest. Bourcicot’s career in public service began in 2000 when she was commissioned in the U.S. Air Force.

Kevin Bostick is the U.S. Southern Command director of J-7/-9 exercises and coalition affairs. He spoke to participants of Tradewinds 24 during the opening ceremony at Paragon Base, Barbados, on May 4, 2024. Tradewinds 24 is a U.S. Southern Command-sponsored, regionally oriented annual exercise and is part of the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s Large Scale Global Exercise 24, a series of all-domain military exercises executed alongside allies and partners around the globe. The J-7/-9 Exercises and Coalition Affairs Directorate works on building capacity to respond to crises and defeat threats rapidly by leveraging partnerships, exercises, civil affairs operations, and humanitarian assistance activities within the U.S. Southern Command and partner nations. Bostick’s directorate, J-7/-9, includes the Public–Private Cooperation Branch, which is responsible for integrating non-federal entities. The J-7/-9 focuses on developing a workforce that seeks cooperative solutions and establishes partnerships across the U.S. government, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, the business sector, academia, and civil society. Bostick has played a significant role in involving nongovernmental organizations and non-federal entities in all aspects of the Tradewinds exercise. Tradewinds aims to enhance the region’s ability to respond to crises, strengthen partnerships, increase regional training capacity and interoperability, and promote adherence to shared international norms and values.

Yvette K. Bourcicot is the principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for manpower and reserve affairs. She is the primary advisor to the assistant secretary of the Army for manpower and reserve affairs on all matters related to the Army’s people strategy. She supports the assistant secretary in developing and providing oversight for personnel policies affecting a million soldiers, civilians, and their families, including human resources, training, readiness, mobilization, military health affairs, force structure, recruiting and retention, quality of life, and talent management. She served as the acting assistant secretary of the Army for manpower and reserve affairs in 2022. Prior, Bourcicot occupied leadership roles developing strategies at Facebook, Airbnb, and Match. She launched communications initiatives that advocated equities. As an associate deputy general counsel in the Office of the DoD General Counsel, she provided advice on litigation risk of personnel policies. During her time as senior advisor for humanitarian policy in the Office of the Under Secretary of

In March 2022, Ms. Stacey E. Brown was appointed as the deputy assistant secretary of the Army (Management and Budget) in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. In this role, she acts as the principal advisor on management and budget matters to the assistant secretary of the Army for civil works. Her responsibilities encompass all aspects of developing and executing the Civil Works budget and the reimbursable international and inter-agency support activities of the USACE. Ms. Brown’s previous SES positions include serving as the civil works chief of programs integration for the USACE at Corps Headquarters in Washington, D.C., and as the chief of the Planning and Policy Division for the USACE, also at Corps Headquarters. Before her appointment to the SES, Ms. Brown held various roles at Corps Headquarters and in the Baltimore, San Francisco, and Norfolk Districts of the USACE. Additionally, she completed two details for the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. Ms. Brown graduated from Tufts University with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering.

Mr. Theodore Brown joined the federal SES in 2009 and has been serving as the chief of the Programs Integration Division at Headquarters USACE since September 2022. Prior to this role, he held several key positions within the Corps of Engineers, including regional business director for four years and chief of the Planning and Policy Division for eight years. He also led the Mississippi Valley Division and Southwestern Division Regional Integration Team at Headquarters and served as the leader of the USACE-wide Planning Community of Practice. Mr. Brown’s responsibilities have involved formulating and coordinating Army Civil Works policy with the Department of the Army, federal agencies, and the Office of Management and Budget, as well as leading efforts in developing and implementing Water Resources Development Acts. He also served as the principal Civil Works point of contact with congressional authorizing committees on policy and planning matters. Mr. Brown has a long and varied history with the Corps of Engineers, beginning as a Junior Fellow. He has served in various positions within the Huntington District (Huntington, WV), Ohio River Division (Cincinnati, OH), Nashville District (Nashville, TN), Headquarters (Washington, D.C.), and the South Atlantic Division (Atlanta, GA).

Mr. Robert T. Cook serves as the principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for financial management and comptroller. He provides advice to the assistant secretary of the Army Financial Management & Comptroller, and through that role, to the secretary of the Army and chief of staff on Army fiscal management comptrollership. Mr. Cook spent twenty-six years in the Army, where he held various positions. These include serving as the commander of the Defense Finance and Accounting Service and the 177th Finance Battalion. Among his staff positions, he served as the chief of financial operations for the DIA’s Joint Field Support, as an aide and military assistant to the undersecretary of the Army, as a military analyst in the Army G-8 Program Analysis and Evaluation, and as division chief of operations and maintenance appropriation at the Army Budget Office. In addition, Mr. Cook was a Partner at Kearney & Company and a director in Grant Thornton’s federal practice, providing audit support services to the DoD and the Social Security Administration. He also served as a director of government services at Lockheed Martin Information Technology (IT), where he managed a workforce that provided pay services for 2.2 million military retirees.

Bobbi J. W. Davis was appointed to the SES in 2021. She currently holds a leadership position in the Army Materiel Command Office of the Command Counsel as the deputy chief counsel, providing legal support to the commanding general and staff. She also oversees the work of over three hundred and fifty attorneys worldwide throughout the Army Materiel Command enterprise. Prior to this role, Davis served as a deputy chief counsel for the Expeditionary Contracting Command, offering legal support for Army service component commands and federal agencies. Before her retirement, she spent twenty-three years on active duty as a judge advocate. One of her mentors, Levator Norsworthy, deputy general counsel for acquisition for the Army Office of General Counsel, described Davis as having a wealth of experience. Davis also spoke about her father’s fifty years of service to the Army, both as a soldier and then as a civilian. She reflected on the improvements to diversity and equality, sharing that her father had to “ride in the back of the bus” in earlier years but persevered to provide better opportunities for his family, for which she is grateful.

Ms. Hong Miller is a senior executive with a strong background in federal human resources management and leadership. She has overseen operational human resources programs, implemented department-level policies, and provided administrative guidance for strategic human resources plans and programs. Ms. Miller has

led global teams with diverse talents and capabilities, ensuring the successful delivery of human resources services to both civilian and military personnel within the DoD. In December 2022, she assumed the role of chief human capital officer for the Army Futures Command, where she is responsible for supporting the commanding general in synchronizing, developing, and overseeing all personnel-related plans, policies, and programs affecting Army Futures Command employees. Her role covers the entire human capital life cycle, including performance management, strategic workforce planning, leader development, and talent acquisition. With over thirty-four years of federal service within the DoD, Ms. Miller has held key positions such as director of the Civilian Human Resources Agency, deputy director of the Civilian Human Resources Agency, and director of the Employment and Compensation Line of Business. She holds a Master of Arts degree in human resources management from Webster University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing from St. Mary’s University.

In 2022, Dr. Eric Moore was promoted by the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command to the position of deputy to the commanding general

The DEVCOM, a central subordinate command of Army Futures Command, is home to a pool of civilian scientists, engineers, analysts, and technicians. Their work is crucial for developing the capabilities soldiers need to deter adversaries as part of the Joint Force. Prior to this, Dr. Moore served as the director of the DEVCOM Chemical Biological Center (CBC), one of the eight technology centers and laboratories within the DEVCOM enterprise. The CBC is the nation’s primary research and development resource for non-medical chemical and biological defense. Dr. Moore’s career in the SES began in 2016 when he became the director of CBC’s Research and Technology Directorate. In 2017, he was appointed as the CBC director. Dr. Moore’s educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in biology from Fisk University in Nashville, TN, and a doctorate in neurophysiology from Meharry Medical College. Additionally, he served as an Army officer with various roles, including commander/lab director of the U.S. Army Forensic Toxicology Drug Testing Laboratory in Fort Meade, MD, and a principal investigator at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense.

In 2023, the Office of the Army General Counsel announced that Levator Norsworthy, Jr., deputy general counsel for acquisition, attended a ceremony at the National Museum of the U.S. Army to honor a national hero, Colonel Paris Davis, by adding his name to the wall of U.S. Army Medal of Honor recipients. Davis was among the first Black American officers in

the Special Forces. Norsworthy was appointed to the federal SES in 1998 and serves as deputy general counsel (acquisition). In this capacity, he provides legal advice and counsel to Army secretariat officials, including the secretary of the Army, the Army acquisition executive, the Army CIO, and their staff. His legal advice covers a range of policy areas, such as federal procurement law, construction, research and development, testing, logistics, security assistance, and contingency contracting. The Acquisition Law Group, led by Mr. Norsworthy, advises on research, development, acquisition, logistics, cyber, information technology, and business operations. The group’s clients include the Army Acquisition Executive, the Army CIO, the director of the DA Office for Small Business Programs, and Program Executive officers. The advice provided relates to Department of the Army acquisition, logistics, and technology programs, weapons systems, and services acquisitions.

Counsel, DoD Education Activity, headquartered in Alexandria, VA. There, she facilitated an educational mission by providing highquality and timely legal advice and counsel, effective advocacy, and creative problem-solving.

Ms. Council-Ross served over twenty years in the U.S. Army JAGC. At the time of her retirement in 2010, she served as an assistant to the General Counsel of the U.S. Army, where she assisted the deputy general counsel (acquisition) in providing advice to all Army secretariat officials, including the secretary of the Army, the Army acquisition executive, the Army chief information officer, and their staff.

Dovarius L. Peoples, the chief information officer at the USACE, spoke in July 2024 to a government IT media company about the agency’s use of artificial intelligence (AI) for predictive analysis, first-call resolution, and disaster response. Peoples became part of the federal SES in 2016 and took on the chief information officer/G-6 role in 2019 with the Army Corps of Engineers. In this position, he acts as the principal advisor to the commanding general on information technology issues and is responsible for all aspects of information resource management and technology. Before this role, Peoples served as the deputy to the commanding general of the U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command. During this time, he provided technical leadership to ensure the integration of Army Theater level networks into the Army’s portion of the DoD Information Network and enterprise constructs. The command employed over fourteen thousand military, civilian, and contractor personnel in every theater in twenty countries, with a budget of over $1.4 billion. Peoples has also worked with the NSA, the U.S. Cyber Command, the Defense Information Systems Agency, the U.S. Army Information Technology Agency, the Office of Personnel Management, and the Network Enterprise Technology Command.

Denise Council-Ross was selected for the SES in August 2022. She assumed the position of principal deputy general counsel for the Army on August 1, 2022. As principal deputy general counsel, Council-Ross serves as the first assistant to the general counsel and is the number two attorney in the Department of the Army. Her duties include providing legal and policy advice to the secretary of the Army, the undersecretary, the five assistant secretaries, the secretariat, and other senior Army leaders. Prior to her new appointment, Council-Ross served as acting general counsel for the Office of the General

Christopher I. Thomas is the cybersecurity integration and synchronization director in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-6 Thomas was appointed to The SES in 2019. He is a graduate of the Department of Homeland Security SES Candidate Development Program. Thomas served as the information and technology director for the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-9, from 2019–2022. He supported the Department of Homeland Security and the Coast Guard as deputy chief information security officer, Coast Guard chief of cybersecurity policy, and Coast Guard acting deputy chief privacy officer from 2011–2019. From 2006–2011, Thomas supported the DIA as the deputy chief of the Systems Certification Division and senior DIA certifier. He traveled throughout the world conducting management and technical evaluations of the DoD’s information certification and accreditation processes and procedures, network security measures, and other measures that defended intelligence community systems and networks. Mr. Thomas spent more than three years as a contractor with the Defense Information Systems Agency, where he worked as an information assurance systems engineer. He also spent a brief time providing desktop support to the NSA.

Since 2023, Jeffrey Thomas has held the position of director of science and technology integration. At the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM), his role involves overseeing the daily operations of a team of engineers, scientists, and planners who integrate science and technology, program planning, budgeting, and experimentation. His work is instrumental in informing Army technology investments to support mid and far-term warfighter capability needs. Previously,

in June 2020, Thomas was selected to serve as the deputy director of DEVCOM Science and Technology Integration. Prior to that, he was the deputy director of the Army’s Human Systems Integration Program at the Headquarters Department of the Army and deputy chief of staff, G-1, located at the Pentagon. In this capacity, he was responsible for planning, managing, and providing technical advice for the HSI Program in science and technology and systems acquisition across all warfighting functions. Throughout his career, Mr. Thomas has held various leadership and technical roles within the research, development, test, and evaluation (RDTE) communities, including assignments with the Army Test and Evaluation Command, Program Executive Office for Enterprise Information Systems, and PEO for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare, and Sensors. He obtained a master’s degree in human systems integration from the Naval Postgraduate School.

Brian A. Wood assumed the position of executive director of the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) Logistics Center at Redstone Arsenal in 2020. In this role, he is responsible for developing the vision, strategy, and implementation plans to achieve a comprehensive logistics approach for the Army’s aviation and missile weapon systems. He provides leadership and guidance to an organization spanning thirty-three worldwide locations, comprising over one thousand seven hundred government civilians and around two thousand five hundred contractors. This team is responsible for various aspects of life cycle logistics, including acquisition logistics, supply chain management, industrial base operations, and field equipment maintenance. Wood’s federal civilian career began in 1985 at Redstone Arsenal as an Army Materiel Command intern in the contracting and acquisition career field. Since then, he has held numerous leadership positions within AMCOM and the Army Materiel Command, including serving as the director of AMCOM G-3; deputy director of AMCOM Logistics Center’s Supply Chain Management Directorate (SCMD); associate director for Commercial Operations, AMCOM Logistics Center-SCMD; director of Strategic Sourcing and Integrated Operations, AMCOM Integrated Materiel Management Center; and director of AMCOM’s Office of Continuous Improvement. Wood also served as a division chief/contracting officer in the former AMCOM Acquisition Center.

DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE

Anthony R. Baity, a member of the SES, serves as the director of resource integration, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering, and Force Protection, Headquarters U.S. Air Force. He is responsible for the planning, programming, and budgeting of weapons systems sustainment, equipment and logistics, and installation resource requirements. As part of the Air Force corporate structure, Baity monitors the performance of operations and maintenance, working capital funds, and investment programs. He participates

in program and financial review groups and advocates for financial adjustments to optimize force readiness. He oversees the preparation and defense of these Air Force programs for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Office of Management and Budget, and Congress. He is also responsible for enterprise-wide logistics technology vision, strategy, advocacy, and policy. Baity oversees logistics transformation, agile planning and technology insertion, and the development and implementation of innovative logistics concepts and capabilities. Baity is a career logistician with experience at major commands and Headquarters Air Force. Prior to this, he was the deputy director of logistics for the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering, and Force Protection. He provided direction for organizing, training, and equipping more than one hundred eighty thousand logisticians who maintain and support mission generation and the aerospace weapons system inventory.

Ms. Teresa R. Bickett, a member of the SES, is the director of budget investment in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller based at the Pentagon. Bickett plans, directs, and supervises the budget formulation and financial execution of Air Force procurement, research, development, test and evaluation, military construction, family housing, and Base Realignment and Closure appropriations, which total more than $90 billion annually. Prior to her current position, she served as the deputy director of fiscal management at Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH. There, she was the command’s chief financial civilian and was responsible for the financial planning and fiscal execution of more than thirty-five percent of the Air Force appropriated budget, including the Air Force’s research, development, testing, acquisitions, and sustainment programs. Bickett entered federal civil service in 1985 as a logistician at Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX. She moved to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in 1992 and has held various financial management and logistics leadership positions at Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Air Force Life Cycle Logistics Center, and the Air Force Research Laboratory.

Alvin F. Burse, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the program executive officer and director, Business and Enterprise Systems Directorate, Maxwell Air Force Base, Gunter Annex, Alabama. The Business and Enterprise Systems portfolio is comprised of 125 programs, 2,200 military, civil service and contractor support personnel located at three bases throughout the United States with a total annual budget of $1 billion and provides enterprise contract vehicles valued at $32 billion. The organization acquires, modernizes, operates and

sustains operational business information technology systems for the Air Force and the Department of Defense. Mr. Burse enlisted in the Air Force in 1982 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1992 after graduating from Officer Training School. His career included roles in operations, engineering, staff, and acquisition at all levels. He held positions such as Operations Director, Program Manager, Division Chief, and Commander, retiring as a colonel in 2020 before entering civil service in 2021. He graduated from the Secretary of Defense Corporate Fellowship Program, assigned to Consolidated Analysis Centers, Inc. in Arlington, Virginia. This program selects a few officers each year to earn senior service college credit while learning from businesses that are innovating organizational structures and operations.

thousand active-duty and Reserve component security forces personnel conducting base defense operations, including physical security, antiterrorism, force protection, and policing. He also serves as the senior Air Force civilian and functional manager overseeing all matters concerning the utilization, development, and career field management of the four-thousand-six-hundredperson department of the Air Force civilian security and police force. He is the senior authorizing official for all security force technology systems. Prior to his current position, Gerald served as the chief of the Requirements and Readiness Division and deputy chief of staff for logistics, engineering, and force protection. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1985 and graduated from both the Security Specialist and Air Base Ground Defense courses. He served twenty-two years on active duty and held a variety of positions in the Security Forces career field, as well as special duty assignments as an Airman Leadership School Instructor and with the Air Force Honor Guard.

Dr. Gerald D. Curry, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is director, Air Force Review Boards Agency, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Arlington, Virginia. He is responsible for the management and operation of multiple military and civilian appellate processes that ensure due process, equity, fairness and impartial treatment for all applicants. He oversees the Air Force Personnel Council, Air Force Board for Correction of Military Records, Air Force Civilian Appellate Review Office, Air Force Security Protection Directorate and the Department of Defense Physical Disability Board of Review. Dr. Curry has served for more than 40 years in the federal government including multiple Air Force assignments as well as the Chief of Staff at the Defense Security Service, and Department of Energy, where he entered the ranks of SES as the Deputy Associate Under Secretary for Security, in the Office of Associate Under Secretary for Environment, Health, Safety and Security. He was responsible for department-wide security policy development, oversight and execution. Additionally, his responsibilities influenced international and domestic nuclear security standards and policies.

Timothy A. Gerald is the deputy director of security forces and deputy chief of staff for logistics, engineering, and force protection at Headquarters, U.S. Air Force. He is responsible for supporting the director of security forces by providing executive leadership, direction, broad technical knowledge, and executive-level strategic continuity for a worldwide force of thirty-eight

Venice Goodwine is the chief information officer for the Department of the Air Force, which comprises the U.S. Air Force and Space Force. Ms. Goodwine leads three directorates: enterprise information technology, data and AI, and cybersecurity. She supports twenty thousand cyber operations and support personnel around the globe with a portfolio valued at $17 billion. She provides oversight of the Air Force’s Information Technology strategy, encompassing networks, cloud computing, enterprise policies, data management, digital transformation, information resources management, IT innovation initiatives, information assurance, and related matters for the Department of the Air Force. As chief information officer, Ms. Goodwine delivers cybersecurity and enforces the Freedom of Information Act, Privacy Act laws, and the ethical use of artificial intelligence. She integrates warfighting and mission capabilities by securing air, space, and terrestrial assets. Ms. Goodwine also leads career management initiatives for ten thousand IT and cyber civilian personnel, covering human resources from recruiting to professional development. Immediately prior to this role, Ms. Goodwine served as the director of enterprise information technology within the Office of the Chief Information Officer for the Department of the Air Force. She also previously served as the chief information security officer for the Department of Agriculture, a cabinet-level agency.

Dr. Keith Hardiman is the director of enterprise information technology within the Office of the Chief Information Officer for the Department of the Air Force, which comprises the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force. As the director of Enterprise Information Technology, he leads management, planning,

governance, and resourcing for Enterprise IT for the department’s $7 billion information and cybersecurity enterprise. Prior to his current position, Dr. Hardiman served as the director for Headquarters Air Force Information Management, the administrative assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force, and the Headquarters U.S. Air Force’s chief information officer and liaison to the Pentagon Area Customer Council. He also managed the Air Force Declassification Office, Air Force Publications Distribution Office, and Headquarters Air Force Multimedia Services. In this capacity, his leadership responsibilities included Headquarters Air Force’s records management, Freedom of Information Act, Privacy Act programs, and information technology policy and portfolio compliance.

Duane W. Harrison, a Defense Intelligence Senior Level Executive, is the chief scientist at the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC), located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. NASIC serves as the Air Force’s primary center for analyzing foreign air, space, and specialized intelligence. In his role, Harrison oversees the 3,500-person center’s intelligence production, ensuring the delivery of crucial data and services to support Air Force and joint warfighters, acquisition teams, force modernization efforts, and senior defense policymakers. Harrison began his federal service in 2001 as a command, control, communications, computers, and information operations analyst at NASIC. Throughout his career, he has held key roles, including senior intelligence analyst for both the Signals Analysis and Counterspace Analysis Squadrons. He has also contributed to special programs under the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and served on joint assignments with the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Missile Defense Agency. Before his current role, Harrison was the Technical Director for the Global Exploitation Intelligence Group. In that capacity, he directed data exploitation programs and technical plans involving foreign materiel, signals, and human intelligence, ensuring NASIC met critical national and Department of Defense requirements.

systems. She leads a directorate composed of military, civilian, and contractor personnel responsible for developing cybersecurity policy and strategy for over five thousand Air Force information technology systems. She oversees risk management and cybersecurity accountability for information systems, weapon systems, and operational technology supporting military cyberspace operations. Her portfolio includes policy governing the defense industrial base, supply chain risk management, and cybersecurity capabilities. She has oversight for the Freedom of Information Act, Privacy Act laws, and cryptographic modernization supporting cyber operations. Prior to this role, Dr. Jones-Heath served as the chief information security officer and advised the chief information officer on policy, cybersecurity programs, and cyber force development.

Horace L. Larry is the director of Air Force Services at Headquarters, U.S. Air Force. He assists the deputy chief of staff for Manpower, Personnel, and Services in delivering service capabilities to optimize airmen’s performance through care solutions that help build and maintain resilient, ready Airmen and families. His team provides policy direction, funding advocacy, and oversight for the $2.9 billion worldwide services program. This includes physical fitness, peacetime and wartime troop feeding, Air Force mortuary affairs operations, armed forces entertainment, Air Force protocol, lodging, and libraries. It also includes the wounded warrior program, the transition assistance program, Airmen and Family Readiness Centers, child development centers, youth centers, and a wide spectrum of recreational activities. He was appointed to the SES as deputy director of services and became director of services in 2018. Larry’s leadership positions include deputy director of Air Force Services in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Installations and Logistics. He retired from the Air Force in 2005 as a colonel. Mr. Larry became a civil service employee in 2006 and a federal contractor in 2007, serving as senior program manager for Logistics Applications Inc., providing facilities maintenance and oversight of the U.S. Department of Energy.

Dr. Wanda T. Jones-Heath is the principal cyber advisor for the Department of the Air Force, which comprises the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force. As the principal cyber advisor for the Department of the Air Force, her duties include synchronizing, coordinating, and overseeing the implementation of the Department of the Air Force Cyber Strategy and advising the Secretary of the Air Force on all cyber programs. She oversees cyberspace recruitment, resourcing, and training of cyber mission forces, as well as assessing their readiness, overseeing acquisition, advocating for cyber investments, managing cybersecurity supply chain risk, and ensuring the security of information systems and weapon

Anna Marie Morris retired from active duty as a colonel in June 2021 and entered the federal SES in January 2022. She serves as the director of contracting at the Life Cycle Management Center, Hanscom Air Force Base. Morris leads a five-hundred-person mission-focused contracting workforce and provides the necessary resources and environment to deliver innovative and agile solutions to the warfighter. While overseeing more than $4 billion in annual contract obligations, she supports multiple program executive officers on more than three hundred programs. Morris was commissioned in 1990 through the ROTC

program at the University of Florida. During her career, she garnered a broad range of experience with numerous assignments and commands at the squadron, wing, product center, and major command levels across the Air Force. Prior to this assignment, she served as the deputy director of contracting at the Air Force Sustainment Center. While on active duty, Morris deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom to the Joint Contracting Command. Additionally, she served as the first Defense Contract Management Agency Pacific commander, where she led the contract administration services for the F-35 and F135 Final Assembly and Checkout facilities, as well as the first F-16 maintenance hub.

Force on the Department of the Air Force’s diversity and inclusion program, policies, and initiatives; and aligning the Department of the Air Force’s diversity and inclusion strategy with its mission to attract, recruit, develop, and retain a highquality, diverse Total Force, ensuring a culture of inclusion. From 2015–2021, Rooney led, directed, and managed organizational resources to meet national security missions. Prior to this assignment, she served as the director of the Intelligence Systems Support Office, leading technology development and methodology efforts that provided specialized and innovative approaches to rapidly address the U.S. Department of Defense’s strategic, operational, and tactical requirements.

Carlos Rodgers is the principal deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller at Headquarters, U.S. Air Force. He oversees the budgeting, cost estimating, and financial operations of more than $205 billion in annual resources that support Department of the Air Force priorities per Congressional, Secretary of Defense, and Secretary of the Air Force direction. Additionally, he is responsible for the professional development of over twelve thousand military and civilian members of the Air Force fiscal management community. Prior to his current position, he was the deputy for budget in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller, where he was responsible for planning and directing Air and Space Force budget formulations and the execution of appropriations. He led civilian and military financial managers who execute funding that supports military operations and Department of the Air Force priorities. Rodgers entered government service as an Air Force Palace Acquire intern in 1987. During his career, he has held fiscal management positions in various commands, including assignments at Military Airlift Command (renamed to Air Mobility Command), Communications Command (reorganized to Air Force Network Integration Center), Air Force Special Operations Command, and Air Force Materiel Command.

Keysha J. Webb is a Defense Intelligence Senior Leader and currently serves as the senior advisor for the Mission Partner Environment (MPE) within the Office of the chief information officer, Department of the Air Force (DAF). In this role, she oversees policy, planning, and governance to guide leadership decisions for the Air Force and Space Force regarding current and future MPE capabilities. Before this, she was chief of the Executive Agent Division for the Mission Partner Capabilities Office (MPCO), where she executed Department of Defense (DoD) MPE responsibilities on behalf of the Secretary of the Air Force. Her duties involved governance, strategy, and integration of DoD MPE initiatives. Ms. Webb also served as chief of the technical operations Division for MPCO, focusing on the management and sustainment of secure information-sharing capabilities between DoD, allies, and other mission partners. She has held various leadership roles, including International programs manager for the International Armaments Cooperation Office, where she oversaw international agreements with countries such as South Africa and Vietnam. Additionally, she was deputy Director of the DoD Foreign Materiel Program, managing acquisition and exploitation of foreign materiel. Webb also served as special assistant to two Under Secretaries of Defense for Intelligence.

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY

Tawanda R. Rooney is the deputy director of the Concepts, Development, and Management Office for the Secretary of the Air Force. As a member of the Defense Intelligence SES, Rooney oversees organizations, programs, and activities totaling over $5 billion in support of national security and operational priorities. Prior to this assignment, she was appointed by the Secretary of the Air Force as the acting director of diversity and inclusion for the Department of the Air Force. In this role, Rooney was responsible for establishing the new office in accordance with the National Defense Authorization Act; advising the Secretary of the Air

Ms. Tracy Arnold-Berrios is the director of Nuclear Weapons Security and is responsible for nuclear weapons security policy, program management, compliance, and coordination across the enterprise to support the nuclear mission. She also serves on the Strategic Systems Programs Board of Directors. She has been a member of the SES since 2019 and has over forty-one years of federal experience. Prior to her current appointment, she served as the assistant for Missile Production, Assembly, and Operations at Strategic Systems Programs. She was responsible for the strategic vision and plans

for strategic weapon facilities in the Atlantic and Pacific and for program management locations. She served as the executive advisor for all matters concerning the missile life cycle and provided oversight of the $1.4 annual budget for the U.S. and U.K.’s Fleet Ballistic Missile programs. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from Northwestern University, a master’s degree in engineering administration from George Washington University, and is a graduate of the Defense Systems Management College Program Manager’s Course. She is a member of the Acquisition Professional Community and is Level Three certified in the Program Management and Systems Planning, Research, Development, and Engineering career fields.

submarines and aircraft carriers. Her prior assignments include executive director of the Program Executive Office Aircraft Carriers, a joint tour as executive director of the Joint Special Operations Command, executive director of Surface Warfare at Naval Sea Systems Command, and director of Integrated Combat Systems at the Program Executive Office Integrated Warfare Systems. She serves as the SES Champion for NAVSEA’s African American Resource Group and is a past SES Champion for the Women’s Employee Resource Group. A graduate of Clemson University, she holds a Bachelor of Science degree in computer engineering and a Master of Science degree in engineering management. She also earned certification in business and professional coaching from North Carolina State University.

Timothy K. Bridges currently serves as the executive director for Navy Installations Command, where he is the senior civilian responsible for policy, strategy, governance, and business management oversight for Navy Shore support at seventy installations and ten regions worldwide. He leads efforts to develop a Navy-wide Shore investment strategy, long-term planning, resource programming, and business management for the most efficient and effective delivery of shore support services to sustain and improve current and future fleet readiness and mission execution. Prior to this position, he was the assistant deputy chief of staff for logistics, engineering, and force protection at Headquarters, U.S. Air Force. He was responsible to the chief of staff for leadership, management, and integration of Air Force civil engineering, force protection, logistics readiness, supply, transportation, and aircraft and missile maintenance. In this capacity, he set policy and prepared budget estimates that reflected enhancements to productivity, combat readiness, and quality of life for Air Force personnel. Bridges retired from active duty in the rank of colonel in July 2006 and entered the SES as the director of Installations and Mission Support for Headquarters, Air Force Materiel Command. He has served in various roles at the base level, including design and planning.

Karen M. Davis is the deputy commander for shipbuilding supervision and the executive director of industrial operations at Naval Sea Systems Command. As deputy commander, she oversees the Navy’s Supervisors of Shipbuilding and Repair organizations, which consist of over two thousand personnel co-located with major shipbuilders, serving as Navy on-site technical, contractual, and business authorities to ensure the highest quality ships are delivered to the fleet. As executive director for industrial operations, her responsibilities include oversight of four naval shipyards encompassing thirty-seven thousand civilian and military personnel who execute repair, maintenance, and modernization of the Navy’s nuclear

Donjette Gilmore has been serving as the auditor general of the Naval Audit Service since 2022. As deputy auditor general of the Naval Audit Service, she led the internal audit for the Department of the Navy, overseeing a budget of $47 million and approximately three hundred fifteen professionals. In this role, she provided auditrelated advice on critical department issues. She collaborated with the Navy Criminal Investigative Services and the Department of Justice, offering audit support for significant investigations. Ms. Gilmore has broken new ground as “the first” many times, paving the way for African-American women to follow her. As the executive director of public–private partnership audit-level reviews, she managed a large portfolio of eighty thousand military family homes based in the forty-eight contiguous states and the District of Columbia, valued at $7.6 billion, focusing on ensuring the financial viability of public-private partners to provide well-maintained family housing for sailors and marines. This enabled them to remain focused on the Navy’s mission. Prior to joining the Department of the Navy, Gilmore held positions as the director of accounting and finance policy for the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) and the assistant chief information officer at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

Leslie R. Joseph was promoted to the federal SES in 2021. She took on the role of total force manpower director in the Office of the Commander, Navy Installations Command. The Navy Installations Command, under the Chief Naval Officer, provides support services for the fleet, fighters, and families, with over fifty-three thousand military and civilian personnel in ten regions and seventy installations. Joseph is the principal advisor on all matters of human capital management. She shaped the strategic direction, policy, and program support for effective and efficient talent acquisition and management of a workforce of approximately fifty-four thousand military, civilian, and contractor personnel. She brings a perspective to the Office of the Commander, Navy

Installations Command, that allows her to apply her experiences at installations and the departmental level to sustain the fleet, enable the warfighter, and support the family. Her previous positions include staff director, assistant secretary of the Navy (civilian human resources), and Executive Management Program office director. Joseph began federal service as an information and referral specialist as part of the Air Force Family Matters Career Program in 2000 and served as one of the Air Force’s first sexual assault response coordinators.

duty in two thousand seven, following his tour as the executive officer of Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific. He graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science degree in materials science, and from the Naval Postgraduate School with a master’s degree in national security affairs.

Mobola A. Kadiri is the deputy assistant secretary of the Navy (Financial Operations). She is responsible for the Navy department’s accounting and financial management operations oversight, policy, and compliance, including audit remediation, financial reporting, and integrated risk management. She also supports financial management modernization and data innovation. A diversity, equity, and inclusion advocate, Kadiri established and hosted a in financial operations forum to empower, connect, and support women and the financial operations workforce as a whole. Previously, she was director of Financial Improvement and Audit Remediation in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (comptroller). She was responsible for planning and implementing the DoD audit remediation strategy and providing audit guidance throughout the DoD. Additionally, she led changes to impact programs, people, technology, and processes, driving efficiencies across the DoD. In the private sector, she supported federal agencies as an auditor and consultant. Kadiri graduated from the University of Maryland with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and an M.B.A. She holds professional certificates as a certified defense financial manager and DoD financial management certification program, level three.

Paul Nicholson is the executive director for Coalition Communications and deputy chief information officer at the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. He is the principal lead for joint and coalition communications and information sharing for U.S. and multinational partners. As executive director for Coalition Communications and deputy chief information officer at the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Nicholson ensures that the joint and coalition operate to achieve strategic dominance in the Indo-Pacific region. Prior to this, he served for twenty-one years at the NSA in cybersecurity roles culminating as the chief product officer. As chief product officer, he led the transformation of cryptographic solutions across the federal government. Additionally, he served as chief of technology development for Special Operations Command, where he led R&D of next-generation technologies. He also served in technical leadership positions across the NSA Cybersecurity Directorate. The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command enhances DoD warfare with artificial intelligence in the Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control. Its participation in the Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control program is vital to the DoD’s strategy. This initiative focuses on creating a system that links sensors to weapons in every domain covering land, air, sea, space, and cyberspace.

Michael McMillan currently serves as the executive director for Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, where he leads more than five thousand civilian and military personnel, and an organization with $3 billion in total obligating authority, in the research, development, fielding, and support of advanced C4ISR, cyber, and space capabilities. Prior to his appointment, McMillan served as the Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance senior scientific technical manager, department head at Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific from two 2018–2023, where he led a technical team of more than six hundred employees in providing Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance solutions to the nation’s warfighters. McMillan was commissioned in the U.S. Navy under the Aviation Officer Candidate School program in 1986. McMillan was qualified as a Radar Intercept Officer in F-14 Tomcats and served in multiple Tomcat squadrons including Fighter Squadron (VF) 143, VF-101, VF-103, and VF-2. McMillan retired from active

The Naval Surface Warfare Center Philadelphia Division celebrated Black History Month 2024 by inviting Stephanie Polk as the guest speaker for their annual observance event. Polk currently serves as the assistant general counsel and suspension and debarment official for the Department of the Navy and was recently appointed to the SES. In her role, Polk oversees the department’s efforts to pursue administrative remedies in significant investigations of acquisition fraud. Previously, from December 2020 to June 2023, she served as the associate deputy general counsel, assisting the Department of the Navy deputy general counsel in leading the Office of the General Counsel (OGC) in areas including the Department of the Navy OGC personnel programs, IT, office administration, and budget. Prior to that, from 2016–2020, Polk was counsel at a field activity of the Naval Air Systems Command, where she led attorneys and professional support staff across three sites. Stephanie Polk began her Navy OGC career by working for the commander of the Navy Installations Command, managing civilian personnel law matters and

labor-management relations. She has over twenty years of experience practicing law and has worked at various federal agencies. Polk earned her Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law.

Alonzie Scott III currently serves as the director of mission support at the Office of Naval Research (ONR). He was appointed to the SES in September 2020. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing human capital, command logistics, information technology infrastructure, facility management, security, small business, and performance improvement functions across the ONR enterprise. Prior to this position, Scott worked as the enterprise talent management office/senior executive advisor at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Philadelphia, PA. He also held roles as the director of the Enterprise Talent Management Office and director of the Senior Executive Management Office at the Naval Sea Systems Command. Throughout his career, Scott has been recognized for creating innovative talent management, human capital, recruiting, quality of life, and STEM programs.

Nigel C. Thijs serves as the division technical director for the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division, a $1.5 billlion Navy working capitalfunded laboratory. As a member of the SES, he provides leadership for over two thousand eight hundred Navy civilians. Thijs leads his team to deliver solutions across the engineering spectrum from research and development through ship sustainment and disposal. He oversees over one hundred labs and test facilities, maintains business and technical capabilities, and stewards long-term competency health. Before his current position, Thijs served as comptroller, where his culture and business process improvements resulted in the first “Satisfactory–Low-Risk” financial rating of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division. Thijs also served in many department and divisional leadership roles, where he led significant improvement in procurement execution, drove efficiencies in logistics and engineering, and oversaw the execution of system and component modernization at public and private shipyards. He co-founded the command’s African American Employee Resource Group to improve advocacy, representation, and inclusivity. This success over a decade ago inspired other diverse groups to follow suit. Thijs holds a Master of Science degree in program management from the Naval Postgraduate School, a bachelor’s degree in marine engineering from the SUNY Maritime College, and recruits at BEYA and NSBE events.

Arveice M. Washington was appointed to the SES in 2023 as the director of the Office of Small Business Programs after fifteen years of civilian service. In this role, she serves as the principal advisor to the secretary of the Navy on all small business matters. She oversees small business acquisition policy, strengthening government and private sector partnerships, and fostering opportunities to leverage small businesses as a strategic advantage for the benefit of the United States’ warfighters. From April 2018 until October 2023, Washington served as the deputy director in this office. Her previous experience includes serving as the director of acquisition and contracts for the Naval Sea Systems Command Program Executive Office for Submarines from October 2016 to March 2018. In this capacity, she was responsible for directing acquisition initiatives across Team Submarine. She was the subject matter expert for management responsibilities for five support services contracts totaling execution of over $125 million annually and oversaw six hundred contractors. As the contracting officer representative for these contracts, Washington was responsible for cradle-to-grave requirements generation, contract award, and post-award execution. Before, Washington was the business and financial manager for the Undersea Warfare Defense Systems Program Office.

Kenneth C. McNeill serves as the National Guard chief information officer and director of the C4 Systems Directorate. He is the principal advisor to the chief of the National Guard Bureau on C4 information technology, information sharing, and information management. He assists the National Guard’s senior leadership by coordinating and facilitating the employment of National Guard Bureau C4/information technology/information management capabilities in support of the Homeland Defense and Civil Authorities mission. McNeill provides direction and guidance to align the National Guard Bureau Joint Staff IT portfolio with the chief of the National Guard Bureau’s vision and the domestic operations mission. Additionally, McNeill is responsible for setting policy and synchronizing National Guard-wide IT initiatives through coordination with the Army and Air National Guard staffs by leveraging forums such as the National Guard Bureau Chief Information Officer Executive Council and the DoD Chief Information Officer’s Military Department working groups. Prior to assuming his current role, McNeill served as the chief of operations and plans division within the Headquarters Department Army CIO/G-6. McNeill has supported the Joint Continental Communications Support Environment, which enables the flow of information to support state and federal military activities required for homeland defense, civil support, and other mission needs.

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Albert Curry Jr. assumed the duties as deputy for materiel readiness at the U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters in May 2024. Reporting to the deputy commandant for mission support, he provides oversight and guidance for program management of Coast Guard engineering and logistics, acquisitions, contracting, security and command, control, communications, computer, and information technology. His responsibilities include executing a $2.5 billion annual budget, leading over ten thousand personnel, and overseeing twenty-five acquisition initiatives representing a $42 billion life cycle investment portfolio. Curry previously served as chief integrator for mission support at the Coast Guard Headquarters from 2023–2024 and as deputy for material readiness from 2022–2023. From 2011–2022, he was the assistant commandant for engineering and logistics, where he oversaw all naval, civil, aeronautical, and industrial engineering, logistics, and environmental and energy management programs for the Coast Guard. Furthermore, he served as the deputy program manager for the Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance acquisition projects, as well as the Rescue 21 Project. Before joining the Coast Guard, Curry served in the U.S. Navy, with assignments including assistant program manager for the GPS Program Office for ships and submarines and deputy program manager for Tomahawk Cruise Missile Mission Planning.

SPACE FORCE

Force staff to inform assessment and resourcing priorities to protect national security space activities. Hudgins began his federal service in 2004 as an analyst at the Geospatial Intelligence Agency. USBE

MRussell Hudgins II is a Defense Intelligence senior leader currently serving as the intelligence director of the Space Warfighting Analysis Center. The center was established in 2021 to develop and provide the authoritative Force Design guidance for the U.S. Space Force. In his role, Hudgins ensures that the analyses of the Space Warfighting Analysis Center Force Design are carried out in the proper context of evolving adversary threats and challenges to the mission effectiveness of U.S. national security space services. He also leads the direction and execution of threat assessment analyses in coordination with the Space Force, DoD, and the Intelligence Community. Previously, Hudgins served as the senior intelligence advisor to the Space Security and Defense Program, where he led intelligence support plans. He provided guidance and feedback to Air Force Space Command and the National Reconnaissance Office on space threat issues relevant to ensuring the preservation of national security space interests. Additionally, he collaborated with partners across the Intelligence Community, the DoD, and Headquarters U.S. Air

embers of the Federal Senior Executive Service (SES) oversee important programs and agencies, acting as a bridge between presidential appointees and the wider federal workforce.

Watch the 2024 BEYA Stars & Stripes awards here

SOARING OVER THE VALLEY

contains forty short stories about Kathleen’s personal journey through a rare type of cancer that was diagnosed in 2023. She shares how she faced the tragic news from her doctors about her salivary gland cancer, and how God’s hand was at work while she went through treatment, recovery, and ultimately her transformation. Each story is God-inspired and includes Bible passages, thoughtprovoking questions, and simple prayers to help you focus your heart and mind as you battle with cancer or a similar health challenge.

Whether you are a believer in Jesus Christ or someone who discovered this devotional by chance, you will find relatable stories in this devotional book that will give you the strength and confidence needed to mount up and soar over any adversity in your life-present or future.

BY KATHLEEN J. GOODEN

AD

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathleen Gooden’s devotional writings are about her journey with salivary gland cancer, which was diagnosed in April 2023. Each of the stories in the book are her personal reflections recorded in her prayer journals while she was dealing with this rare form of cancer. Throughout her journey she experienced a roller coaster of emotional and physical pain due to the changes in her physical appearance, speech, sight, and taste. It was from this place of weeping that she gained a greater understanding of God’s peace and a deeper dependence on His strength within her.

The Centennial Seven:

Our Cold War Heroes

By Juan Gomez

“Their historical legacy... These men kept the nuclear deterrence strong and posed a threat so large that the enemy would think twice before engaging on a belligerent position.”

The20th century redefined an everlasting conflict between human civilizations: that of opposing ideologies. More specifically, it was the conflict arising after World War II in which the West realized that its partners from the East were not as fair, justice driven, or democracy loving as it thought they were. A duel between these opposing forces could be seen on the horizon.

The Cold War had arrived, and the U.S. Navy’s nuclear submarine force emerged as a formidable deterrent against Soviet aggression. As the beacon of democracy and freedom in the world, the U.S. Armed Forces have always been at the tip of any spear, and in terms of keeping the nuclear balance, a strong navy had been one of the main assets to keep our country strong through the tugof-war between us and the totalitarian regimes of the world. The dominance of the oceans was one of the main advantages, and all sides knew it. Both enemies had developed vessels with technology capable of bringing nuclear destruction to each other’s shores. Needless to say, the stakes were now higher than ever.

Commanding a nuclear submarine was a task reserved only for a select elite of officers—a group of very special men, leaders with flawless records and competent and demonstrated careers. The U.S. Navy’s initial steps toward integration had begun with the landmark 1948 Executive Order 9981, mandating equal opportunity and treatment for all service members, but by the 1960s and 1970s, African-American officers still faced significant obstacles. Segregation and racism limited career advancement, with few opportunities for command positions.

Want to learn more about these legends? Check out our video and hear them tell the story.

However, the civil rights movement and societal changes created an environment for change. For a group of African-American naval officers, their sustained work, indomitable spirit, and disciplined work ethic would eventually triumph, showing that efficiency comes in all skin tones. Following that path, between 1980 and 2001, the following seven African-American officers achieved command of nuclear submarines:

“The Centennial Seven... charted undiscovered seas for other African Americans in the currents of naval life everywhere. These men... took upon their shoulders the efforts, sacrifices, and tasks that kept both their crews and billions of civilian lives safe.”

Baltimore, 21 February 2009: Members of the Navy’s Centennial Seven pose with U.S. Naval Academy midshipmen. From left to right, Capt. Pete Tzomes, Rear Adm. Tony Watson, Cmdr. Will Bundy, Vice Adm. Mel Williams, Capt. Joe Peterson, Rear Adm. Cecil Haney, and Rear Adm. Bruce Grooms. The Centennial Seven were the only African Americans to command a submarine during the 20th century. Pictured to the right of Grooms, Cmdr. Rich Bryant, who commanded USS Miami (SSN-755), and Cmdr. Roger Isom, who commanded USS Wyoming (SSBN742). Bryant and Isom were the first two African Americans to command a submarine during the 21st century.

1. Captain C. A. “Pete” Tzomes (USS Houston, SSN-713)

2. Rear Admiral Tony Watson (USS Jacksonville, SSN-699)

3. Commander Will Bundy (USS Henry Clay, SSBN-625)

4. Vice Admiral Mel Williams (USS Los Angeles, SSN-688)

5. Captain Joe Peterson (USS Drum, SSN-677)

6. Rear Admiral Cecil Haney (USS Honolulu, SSN-718)

7. Rear Admiral Bruce Grooms (USS Oklahoma City, SSN-723)

Their historical legacy

Every war has its heroes. In the case of the African-American community, we can recall the gallantry of the 54th Massachusetts in the Civil War, the bravery of the Buffalo Soldiers and the Harlem Hellfighters in World War I, and the Tuskegee Airmen and the 761st Tank Battalion’s victories in World War II. From Crispus Attucks to the Golden Thirteen, African Americans have long

served with distinction in the U.S. Navy. The Centennial Seven have earned their place in this list of selected individuals we feel honoured to call “our heroes.”

Their careers, their character, their leadership traits, and their competence charted undiscovered seas for other African Americans in the currents of naval life everywhere. These men kept the nuclear deterrence strong and posed a threat so large that the enemy would think twice before engaging on a belligerent position. They commanded the most expensive, most capable, and deadliest submarines the U.S. Navy had to offer. They lived up to the task, exceeding their expectations and those of their senior officers as well as inspiring a new generation of African-American naval officers—but most importantly, these men took upon their shoulders the efforts, sacrifices, and tasks that kept both their crews and billions of civilian lives safe. USBE

THE

NEW 3D EXPERIENCES ON THE STEM CITY USA METAVERSE PLATFORM TRIBUTE HALL MUSEUM AT

By Lango Deen

USBE & Information Technology magazine publishes an annual scorecard on inclusive progress in the U.S. Armed Forces. The list highlights high-ranking officers— admirals, generals, and federal Senior Executive Service members.

Stars & Stripes is a major event honoring active and retired admirals, generals, and members of the Senior Executive Service. Each year, it alternates between the different branches of the military.

Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the BEYA Awards Stars & Stripes Event

Leading up to the 20th annual Stars & Stripes event, Career Communications Group’s STEM City USA metaverse introduced a

new era of digital tribute using technology such as Unity to create and grow real-time experiences for infotainment.

The veteran-honoring Tribute Hall Museum in the David Steward Multicultural Building in STEM City USA was enhanced with a revolutionary technological makeover—immersive technology that aims to transform the Tribute Hall Museum experience, reshaping the way we engage with and celebrate our veterans.

This groundbreaking initiative, the first on the STEM City USA platform, leverages innovative three-dimensional (3D) technology.

Tyrone Taborn, the creator of STEM City USA, said the goal is to “redefine tribute to veterans through an interactive experience.

The 3D adaptation of the Tribute Hall Museum symbolizes our unwavering respect and gratitude for those who have served.”

stem city usa is beta testing a virtual reality version of the museum, pushing the boundaries of immersive experiences and ensuring that the platform remains at the forefront of digital innovation and stem education

veteran mentoring and networking suites, creating a comprehensive space for veterans to connect, share, and learn.

Launching the 3D Tribute Hall Museum is a key step forward for the platform, establishing a new standard for interactive digital experiences.

The groundbreaking 3D Tribute Hall Museum and veterans mentoring and networking suites also feature several unique experiences, including a 19th-century lithograph of the Boston Massacre, highlighting Crispus Attucks, a free African American who is believed to be the first person killed in the massacre. Before the American Revolution, many free African Americans supported the anti-British cause, with some enlisting as minutemen.

The Tribute Hall is a living celebration of service, bravery, and dedication, now further enhanced by this groundbreaking 3D adaptation.

Additionally, STEM City USA is beta testing a virtual reality version of the museum, pushing the boundaries of immersive experiences and ensuring that the platform remains at the forefront of digital innovation and science, technology, engineering, and math (i.e., STEM) education. Launching the 3D Tribute Hall Museum is a major step forward for the platform, establishing a new standard for interactive digital experiences.

Unique Experiences in the Tribute Hall

The David Steward Multicultural Building also accommodates

The Harlem Hellfighters, comprising 3,000 African-American soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 369th Infantry Regiment, are also showcased. In 1919, they returned from World War I to a hero’s welcome and marched up Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

Additionally, the exhibit includes a feature on women in the U.S. military, showcasing the accomplishments of women like Major Charity E. Adams and Captain Mary Kearney of the 6888th Central Postal Battalion. The exhibit aims to educate both military personnel and civilians about the achievements of Lieutenant Colonel Charity Adams and the “Six Triple Eight.”

The exhibit also pays tribute to the Golden Thirteen, the first African-American naval officers commissioned in U.S. Navy history. Initially faced with skepticism and challenges, they overcame the odds and supported one another in their training to become successful officers.

The Tribute Hall suites dedicated to the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, Space Force, and National Guard showcase trailblazing military leaders who have been featured in the past twenty editions of USBE & Information Technology magazine’s Veterans Appreciation Month edition. USBE

US Black Engineer & Information Technology (USBE&IT) magazine launched the maiden issue of Leading Voices in the fall of 2017. Broken up into three or four columns written by inventors, entrepreneurs, and STEM policymakers, the section spotlights the 14 challenges outlined by the National Academy of Engineering, and disruptors such as artificial intelligence and bioengineering. During its existence, Leading Voices has provided perspectives on smart cities, building a weather-ready nation, and where AI is in your future. An auspicious start for one of USBE magazine’s newest sections. Leading Voices is available in print and online at www.blackengineer.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

JAMES BRAXTON (1954-2023)

MATT BOWMAN

BEYA Stars & Stripes Chief of Staff

JAMES BRAXTON: A LIFE WELL LIVED

James Braxton, winner of the 2011 BEYA for Diversity Leadership, died in November 2023. This Leading Voices column was compiled from interviews with James Braxton. He is a voice we can’t forget.

When I look back, it’s clear that I’ve always been driven by a single purpose: to make things better, to pave the way for the next generation. Whether it was my time in the U.S. military, working in the civil service, or advocating for equal opportunity, the goal was the same. I believed that providing access, and creating environments wherein everyone had a chance to succeed were necessary steps for true progress.

As the director of equal employment opportunity at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, my responsibility was about ensuring that every individual, regardless of their race, gender, or background, could feel valued in the workplace. I’m proud to have spent my career fighting for

MY HOPE IS THAT MY WORK—AND THE WORK OF SO MANY OTHERS— WILL INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION TO TAKE UP THE MANTLE AND CONTINUE PUSHING FOR PROGRESS.

that vision, working to ensure that the doors of opportunity were opened for everyone. I took on the role because I knew what it was like to come up in spaces where people who looked like me weren’t often seen in leadership. I wanted to change that. I wanted young people—especially those from marginalized communities—to look at me and say, “If he can

do it, so can I.”

Representation matters. When you see someone who looks like you achieving great things, it breaks down your mental barriers, and that’s why I was always so passionate about my work at events like the BEYA. There, I had the opportunity to stand alongside talented, driven engineers and show young people the possibilities before them.

Our work wasn’t just about recruiting people; it was also about branding the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) as a place where inclusion thrived. We were saying to the world, “Look at what’s possible when you bring different perspectives together.”

The USACE’s mission, whether in civil or military engineering, was made stronger by the diverse minds contributing to it. There were 32,000 civilians and 800 military personnel working across 92 countries and leading efforts that spanned both military and civilian engineering. From Hurricane Katrina relief to rebuilding after Superstorm Sandy, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was always at the forefront.

My time in the military shaped me into the leader I became. Serving in the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Army gave me the foundation to rise through the ranks and eventually retire as a U.S. Army colonel. My roles as provost marshal, inspector general, and comptroller taught me about leadership and the importance of

integrity and accountability. These experiences prepared me for work in the federal government.

One of the proudest moments of my career was receiving the BEYA for Diversity Leadership in 2011. It was a recognition of the decades of work I had put into creating spaces where people could see a future for themselves. But the truth is, I didn’t do the work for the awards or the recognition. I did it for the young people who might not have seen a path forward until they saw someone like me standing there, encouraging them to reach higher.

The legacy I leave behind is one of service, leadership, and unwavering commitment to making the world a more inclusive and equitable place. My hope is that my work— and the work of so many others—will inspire the next generation.

I may have retired twice— once from the military and once from civil service—but the fight for inclusion never retires. We must continue moving forward, ensuring that inclusion isn’t just a goal, it’s the foundation of everything we do. USBE

Learn more about BEYA’s award nomination process

JAMES JOHNATHAN BRAXTON SR. (January 14, 1954 – November 27, 2023)

VETERANS DESERVE BETTER:

Health care options for America’s Veterans

Trustworthy use of AI in health care

AI-assisted colorectal cancer screening products have offered a transformative solution to addressing the challenges of preventing colorectal cancer among Veterans. But unique healthcare challenges persist. These range from managing chronic physical injuries that result from combat or servicerelated incident to addressing mental health, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety.

Despite significant strides made by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), healthcare disparities persist. However, addressing these issues requires a multifaceted approach that includes streamlining bureaucratic processes.

Access to Care

While the VA offers an array of essential services, veterans living in rural or underserved areas face significant challenges in accessing timely care. Reports of long wait times for appointments and geographic distance from VA medical centers add to these challenges. Veterans often find themselves navigating a fragmented healthcare system. Promise of Telehealth

Telehealth has emerged as a solution. The expansion of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic allowed veterans to receive consultations and services remotely. This approach could benefit veterans in areas where healthcare facilities may be few and far between. However,

for telemedicine to be a viable solution, investment in infrastructure is necessary, including broadband in rural communities.

Empowering Veterans with more health care options

The VA Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks Act of 2018 (MISSION Act) established a new Veterans Community Care Program, where Veterans are allowed to seek care from non-VA providers if the VA cannot provide timely access.

THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS (VA) ANNOUNCED FEBRUARY 2024 THAT IT HAS ALIGNED ITS AI EFFORTS FOR HEALTH CARE WITH 28 PRIVATE HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS AND PAYERS TO ENSURE THE DELIVERY OF ONLY THE MOST TRUSTWORTHY USE OF AI.

While this has helped alleviate some of the burden on the VA system, ensuring that private providers are equipped to handle the unique needs of veterans is crucial. Proper training at Clinical Resource Hubs (CRHs) is necessary for the success of these partnerships.

Mental Health Care and Stigma

Counseling and hotlines for veterans in crisis are crucial. However, more outreach efforts are needed to ensure that veterans are aware of these resources and feel

comfortable accessing them.

Mental health conditions like PTSD, depression, and anxiety affect a significant portion of the veteran population, but many are reluctant to seek help. Reducing stigma is crucial to ensuring veterans receive the care they need.

Mental wellness could shift perceptions within the veteran community. Peer support programs, where veterans can talk to other veterans about their struggles, have shown to be effective in breaking down barriers to mental health care.

Streamlining Disability Compensation

Veterans with servicerelated disabilities often face a complex process when applying for compensation. The bureaucracy involved in navigating the claims system can be overwhelming, particularly for those with chronic health issues. Some veterans wait years for their claims to be processed, leading to frustration and financial strain.

Many veterans are unaware of the importance of documenting injuries and illnesses during their service, and this lack of documentation can lead to claim denials. Veterans need to be educated on the process, particularly as they prepare to transition out of military service, so that they can better advocate for themselves.

The VA has also worked to simplify the process by digitizing records and offering online claim filing.

Furthermore, initiatives like the PACT Act have expanded the list of presumptive conditions, meaning that veterans exposed to toxic substances, such as Agent Orange or burn pits, can more easily prove service connection for their illnesses. The introduction of predischarge programs—through which service members can file claims before leaving active duty—also helps ensure that veterans receive timely benefits.

Moving Forward

• Ensure that even if Veterans go outside the Veterans Health Administration, they can still expect the trustworthy use of AI in health care.

• Improve access to care, particularly for those in rural areas.

• Invest in CRHs that use telehealth technology to connect Veterans with remote primary care, mental health, and specialty services.

• Break the stigma and ensure Veterans feel supported in seeking help. USBE FROM ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES TO MENTAL HEALTH STIGMA, AMERICA’S VETERANS FACE SIGNIFICANT BARRIERS TO RECEIVING THE HEALTH CARE THEY NEED. WITH STEM CITY USA, TELEHEALTH, STREAMLINED CLAIMS, AND A CULTURE SHIFT IN MENTAL WELLNESS, SOLUTIONS ARE WITHIN REACH—BUT THE NATION MUST ACT NOW TO ENSURE VETERANS GET THE CARE THEY DESERVE

MATT BOWMAN

BEYA Stars & Stripes Chief of Staff

LLOYD AUSTIN

IN CELEBRATION of the 20th issue of US Black Engineer & IT Magazine’s Vets section, we honor the extraordinary journey of Lloyd Austin. From his distinguished military career as a three-star general, recognized at BEYA, to his historic appointment as the first Black Secretary of Defense, Austin’s impact on national security and advocacy for inclusion in STEM fields is profound. Career Outlook section explores his leadership in reshaping defense technologies and his dedication to empowering the next generation of innovators, ensuring America’s future remains secure and innovative.

CAREER OUTLOOK INSIDE

> The Future of American Defense

> Admiral Mike Mullen’s Role in Lloyd Austin’s Rise: A Legacy of Advocacy and Leadership

THE FUTURE OF AMERICAN DEFENSE

Lloyd James Austin III 28th Secretary of Defense

by CCG Editors

LLOYD AUSTIN’S VISION FOR INNOVATION AND INCLUSION AT BEYA

ATthe 37th annual BEYA STEM Conference, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III delivered a powerful address that underscored security, innovation, and the potential of historically underrepresented communities in participating in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and defending the nation from emerging threats.

“Over the past thirty-seven years, this organization has recognized outstanding American patriots and innovators,” Austin told the audience. “Past Black engineers of the year have been electrical engineers, pilots, astronauts, and physicists. They’ve made huge breakthroughs, broken down barriers, and been driven to serve and make the world better while lifting up the next generation.”

In a world where cyber threats, artificial intelligence (AI), and space exploration have become battlegrounds, he made it clear: Inclusion is not just a moral imperative—it’s essential for maintaining America’s competitive edge.

“At the Department of Defense [DoD], it’s our mission to keep the United States safe,” Austin said. “And that means developing even more advanced technology. It also means drawing on one of America’s core strengths—our unmatched combination of free enterprise, free minds, and free people.”

The secretary then made a landmark announcement: the DoD’s partnership with Howard University to establish the first University-Affiliated Research Center (UARC) at a historically Black college and university (HBCU).

“This exciting initiative brings together a consortium of nine HBCUs under Howard’s leadership to research tactical autonomy and develop innovative ways to make our military smarter, faster, and safer.”

UARCs are research powerhouses that help drive advancements in fields such as AI, cybersecurity, and defense technologies.

Why does this matter?

For Austin, it’s not just about representation; it’s also about readiness. The Howard University-led consortium will focus on tactical autonomy—technology that enables systems to operate independently with minimal intervention.

“The research into tactical autonomy is key to making our military smarter, faster, and safer,” Austin said. “And I know that’s going to do a lot of good for all of us.”

Austin is keenly aware that the next generation of scientists and engineers will determine the U.S. military’s future capabilities.

“We’ve all got to step up to support talented young students,” he urged. “Like so many of you in this room, you are our future, and we will all be better off when you reach your full potential.”

AUSTIN’S MESSAGE WAS CLEAR: THE CHALLENGES OF THE FUTURE— WHETHER THEY BE IN AI, SPACE, OR CYBERSECURITY—CAN’T BE SOLVED BY THE SAME SMALL POOL OF TALENT THAT HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN AT THE HELM.

“Let’s challenge one another to do even more to support the young people who are America’s future,” he said. “Be a mentor, be a source of support, be the shoulders for others to stand on.” USBE

Admiral Mike Mullen’s Role in Lloyd Austin’s Rise

A LEGACY OF ADVOCACY AND LEADERSHIP

THE BOND

between retired U.S. Navy Admiral Mike Mullen, 17th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is deeply rooted in a shared history of service, leadership, and a commitment to inclusion in the U.S. military. Mullen’s influence and support were crucial in Austin’s meteoric rise through the military ranks; he recognized early on that Austin was not only a tactical genius but also a compassionate leader who embodied the best of what the U.S. military stands for. Their relationship goes beyond mere professional interactions, illustrating a profound belief in each other’s capabilities and a mutual dedication to promoting inclusive leadership within the armed forces.

MULLEN’S ADVOCACY FOR AUSTIN’S RISE IN THE MILITARY

Lloyd Austin’s rise through the ranks of the U.S. Army was not without challenges. As a Black officer in a predominantly white institution, Austin faced numerous hurdles that often came with

unspoken biases. However, Admiral Mike Mullen saw past any institutional obstacles, recognizing Austin’s extraordinary talents as a leader. Mullen, who had risen to become the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff—the highest-ranking military officer in the United States—played an instrumental role in ensuring that Austin’s talents were recognized and that he was promoted to the roles where his leadership could make the most impact.

Their first professional encounter during the Iraq War left an impression on Mullen. Austin was serving as the operational commander for all U.S. ground forces in Iraq, overseeing complex military operations in one of the most challenging and chaotic environments imaginable. Mullen, who regularly visited

by Tyrone Taborn

Dec. 18, 2008 - Navy

Adm. Mike G. Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, arrives with Lt. Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, commander, Multi-National Corps - Iraq at Contingency Operating Base Speicher near Tikrit, Iraq. (Photo by Spc. Ryan Elliott 14th Public Affairs Detachment)

commanders in the field, was struck by Austin’s ability to maintain a strategic grasp of the situation on the ground as well as his genuine care for the soldiers under his command.

“I saw in Lloyd a leader who understood that war was not just about tactical victories or military strategy—it was about people,” Mullen reflected. “His deep empathy for his troops, combined with his remarkable strategic insight, made him stand out among his peers.”

Recognizing Austin’s potential, Mullen became one of his strongest advocates. After their time together in Iraq, Mullen ensured that Austin’s talents were brought to the attention of senior leadership in Washington, D.C. Mullen’s advocacy was key in Austin’s appointment to higher levels of command, starting with a pivotal position on the Joint Staff in the Pentagon, where Austin would work closely with Mullen during one of the most tumultuous periods in recent U.S. military history.

PROMOTING AUSTIN TO LEADERSHIP ROLES

As the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mullen had significant influence over military promotions, particularly for officers moving into key leadership positions. He recognized that Austin’s unique blend of strategic acumen, battlefield

Adm. Mike G. Mullen, 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

experience, and inclusive leadership style made him the ideal candidate for more prominent roles. Mullen’s support was instrumental in getting Austin promoted to three-star general, an elevation that would allow Austin to take on even greater responsibilities within the military.

It was during this time that Austin truly began to shine. Mullen, who had a front-row seat to Austin’s leadership, observed how Austin deftly managed the complexities of both military operations and broader dynamics. “Lloyd was not just managing troops—he was managing an entire theater of war, and he did it with grace, skill, and compassion,” Mullen said.

One of Mullen’s most significant interventions came when he advocated for Austin to lead U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), one of the most critical combatant commands in the U.S. military. CENTCOM oversees all military operations in the Middle East, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as counterterrorism efforts across the region. It was a role that required not only military expertise but also diplomatic finesse and a deep understanding of the geopolitical complexities of the region.

“LLOYD WAS NOT JUST MANAGING TROOPS—HE WAS MANAGING AN ENTIRE THEATER OF WAR, AND HE DID IT WITH GRACE, SKILL, AND COMPASSION,” MULLEN SAID.

Mullen’s backing was crucial in Austin’s nomination and eventual confirmation as the head of CENTCOM. “Lloyd had proven himself time and again—on the battlefield, in Washington, and in every position, he held,” Mullen noted. “But what really set him apart was his ability to balance the human aspect of leadership with the demands of military command. That is rare, and I knew he was the right person to lead CENTCOM.”

NAVIGATING KEY TRANSITIONS: THE IRAQ WITHDRAWAL

One of the defining moments of Austin’s career—and a testament to Mullen’s foresight in advocating for his promotion—came in 2010 when Austin was tasked with overseeing the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq. This was an enormously complex and delicate mission, requiring both military precision and diplomatic sensitivity to ensure that the withdrawal did not lead to further instability in the region.

Austin’s calm and steady leadership during this period was a hallmark of his career. He managed the logistical challenges of withdrawing tens of thousands of troops and equipment while simultaneously working with Iraqi leadership to ensure that the transition was smooth and did not ignite further conflict. Mullen, reflecting on this period, praised Austin’s ability to navigate one of the most significant transitions in modern military history.

“Lloyd didn’t just pull troops out—he did it in a way that safeguarded both U.S. forces and the Iraqi people,” Mullen said. “His leadership during the withdrawal was nothing short of extraordinary. It was a testament to his strategic brilliance and his

Reflections on Lloyd Austin’s Leadership CAREER

“UNMATCHED ON THE BATTLEFIELD”

“I never saw anybody who had a better grasp of the overall situation.”

— Admiral Mike Mullen, reflecting on Lloyd Austin’s tactical brilliance during the Iraq War.

“LEADERSHIP

ROOTED IN EMPATHY”

“What sets Lloyd apart is his deep empathy for those under his command. Every soldier’s life mattered to him.”

— Admiral Mike Mullen, on Austin’s compassion and dedication to his troops.

“A STEADY HAND DURING TRANSITION”

“He led one of the most significant transitions in military history with grace and skill.”

— Admiral Mike Mullen, praising Austin’s leadership during the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq.

“INCLUSION AS A CORE PRINCIPLE”

“Lloyd embodies the belief that the military must reflect the population it serves. His leadership is about valuing every voice.”

— Admiral Mike Mullen, on Austin’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

“PREPARED FOR THE FUTURE”

“He is enormously wellprepared for this job. The challenges are immense, but Lloyd is exactly the leader we need.”

— Admiral Mike Mullen, on Austin’s readiness to lead as Secretary of Defense.

“A COMMANDER’S COMMANDER”

deep empathy for the people on the ground.”

CHAMPIONING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Perhaps the most enduring legacy of Mullen’s support for Austin is the way both men have championed the importance of diversity and inclusion in military leadership. Mullen has long been an advocate for greater representation in the U.S. military, recognizing that the institution must reflect the diversity of the nation it serves. He saw in Austin a talented military leader and a role model for future generations of officers from underrepresented backgrounds.

Mullen’s advocacy for Austin was not just about promoting a capable leader—it was about promoting a leader who embodied the values of inclusion and empathy. As the first Black Secretary of Defense, Austin has broken barriers and set an example for what inclusive leadership looks like. Mullen’s role in helping Austin rise to this position reflects his own commitment to these values.

“Lloyd has the kind of quiet leadership that makes people want to follow him. It’s not about being the loudest voice; it’s about being the most respected.”

— General Johnnie E. Wilson, reflecting on Austin’s ability to inspire confidence through calm and steady leadership.

“A TRUE SOLDIER’S LEADER”

“When he speaks, people listen. His decisions always reflect that he cares about the well-being of those he commands.”

— General Johnnie E. Wilson, on Austin’s prioritization of soldiers’ lives and welfare.

These reflections highlight not only Austin’s strategic brilliance and empathy but also his quiet strength and inclusive leadership, as recognized by both Admiral Mullen and General Johnnie E. Wilson.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III speaks with media members on the USS Nimitz, Feb. 25, 2021. (DoD

Photo by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jack Sanders).

“I’ve always believed that leadership should reflect the population it serves,” Mullen said.

“Lloyd embodies that belief. He is a leader who understands that inclusion is not just a buzzword—it’s essential to building a military that is strong, resilient, and representative of the American people.”

A LASTING IMPACT

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III briefs the press from the Pentagon Briefing Room, Washington, D.C., Feb. 19, 2021. (DoD

Photo by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jack Sanders).

Admiral Mike Mullen’s role in Lloyd Austin’s rise to the highest levels of military leadership cannot be overstated. His advocacy, mentorship, and belief in Austin’s abilities helped shape a career that has had a profound impact on the U.S. military and the nation. Austin’s legacy, defined by his empathy, inclusion, and strategic brilliance, is in many ways a reflection of the support and guidance he received from leaders like Mullen.

As Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin continues to lead with the same principles that Mullen saw in him from the very beginning—principles of honor, inclusion, and service to others. Their relationship, built on mutual respect and a shared vision for the future of the military, serves as a powerful example of how mentorship and advocacy can shape the next generation of leaders.

In the words of Admiral Mullen, “Lloyd Austin is the leader we need for these times. His life and career are a testament to what leadership should be—empathetic, inclusive, and unwavering in its commitment to those we serve.” The legacy of Mike Mullen’s support for Lloyd Austin is one that will endure for generations, shaping not just the military, but the very fabric of American leadership. USBE

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