This military aviation article is a stub. He retired in 2002 and was appointed to the Senior Executive Service that same year, subsequently working on special access programs, in the RCO, and as the director of test and evaluation for USAF. ElyRatner, assistant secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, discussed how China continues to prod the U.S. and challenge stability in region, even as, The entire F-35 fleet is slated to get the retrofit engine maker Pratt & Whitney has identified to mitigate the problem that led to suspended deliveries and flight restrictions for some aircraft for nearly two monthsa move that will affect hundreds of fighters globally. 8. Randall G. Walden, head of the Air Forces Rapid Capabilities Office, where he has directed development of the B-21 bomber and the Advanced Battle Management System, is moving to a new job at the Pentagon to advise the DODs acquisition and sustainment chief, William A. LaPlante. Deliveries of the engine, which powers the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter, resumed Feb. 18 after nearly a two-month hiatus. Northrop Grumman Says It's Confident On B-21's Rollout Later This Year (U.S. Air Force graphic) August 2016May 2017, Chief, Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent Integration, Intercontinental Ballistics Systems Division, Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Hill AFB, Utah 2017 Distinguished Executive Presidential Rank Award Staff photo by Mike Tsukamoto. Randall G. Walden, head of the Air Force's Rapid Capabilities Office, where he has directed development of the B-21 bomber and the Advanced Battle Management System, is moving to a new job at the Pentagon to advise the DOD's acquisition and sustainment chief, William A. LaPlante. 10. Clockwise from left, Randall G. Walden, director and program executive officer at the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, Michael W. Roberts, director and PEO at the Space Rapid Capabilities Office, and retired USAF Maj. Gen. Larry Stutzriem, director of research at AFA's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, appear in conversation during a Space Power Forum hosted by the think tank on . He is responsible for the development, production, fielding, sustainment and modernization of the Air Force fighter portfolio, which includes the A-10, A-29, F-15, F-16, F-22 and special programs . Part 5302 - Definitions of Words and Terms | Acquisition.GOV WASHINGTON Kelly Hammett, former head of the Air Force Research Laboratory Directed Energy Directorate, is now director of the Space Rapid Capabilities Office. MakM@gao.gov (202) 512-4841. Col Jeffrey R. LaFleur, USAF > The Eisenhower School > FacBio Rapid Capabilities Office > Air Force > Fact Sheet Display We dont necessarily have that same construct.. I dont see that changing. 1991 Master of Science, Engineering Management, Florida Institute of Technology, Patuxent River, Md. The Board of Directors tasks the office directly to address immediate and near-term operational needs and deliver capabilities that require specialized expertise. Air Force Commendation Medal July 2017September 2018, Senior Acquisition Consultant, WBB Inc., Reston, Va. It is a reusable, uncrewed spacecraft that carries experiments to orbit, then returns them to Earth for evaluation. The U.S. Air Force's top secret spaceplane, the Boeing X-37B, landed in Florida early Sunday after 780 daysover 2 years and one monthin orbit around the . Previously, in November 2020, the Air and Space Force's acquisition chief, then Dr. Will Roper, named the RCO as the ABMS Integrating Program Executive Office. 2014 - present, Director and Program Executive Officer, Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C. 10. To me, thats the most important piece, Walden said. 18. The Air Force Scientific Advisory Boarda group of experts and researchers the department taps for independent advice on key science and technology effortsis undertaking four studies in 2023, including two that will likely inform the services approach to Secretary Frank Kendalls operational imperatives. It will slow us down. The Defense Acquisition Workforce is comprised of nearly 186,000 civilian and military professionals from the Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as defense agencies and field activities. Aug 97 - Mar 98, Special Projects Engineer, 28th Test Squadron, Eglin AFB FL 3. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal Corps, the USAF was established as a separate branch of the United States Armed Forces in 1947 with the . January 1995June 1996, Assistant Chief, Operations Group, Defense Contract Management Command, Orlando, Fla. Melissa Johnson - Digitell Inc. Rapid Capabilities Office Military Instructor. The Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (DAF RCO) has accelerated methods for developing, acquiring and fielding critical combat capabilities. July 1996July 1997, Assistant Chief, Spacecraft Contracts Branch, Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles, Calif. June 2006June 2008, Operational Manager, Theater Effects Based Operations Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (TEBOACTD), U.S. Joint Forces Command, Suffolk, Va. June 2003June 2004, Chief, Asymmetric Capabilities Development Branch, Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Headquarters of the Air Force, Arlington, Va. Oct. 9, 2019 10 things we know about the secret X-37B space plane . 4. 2003 Senior Executive Service Seminar, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala. One of its first projects was to deploy significant upgrades to the Integrated Air Defense System, now operational around the National Capital Region, to meet critical counter-terrorism objectives before the January 2005 Presidential Inauguration Day. The Space RCO replaced the ORS office at Congress direction. 6. The Secretary of the Air Force activated the office on April 28, 2003. After spending a record-breaking 780 days on orbit, the Boeing system is receiving the National Aeronautic Associations prestigious Robert J. Collier Trophy for furthering aerospace technology. Jun 04 - Jun 05, Executive Officer, Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington DC 8. Jun 05 Jul 07, Chief, Offensive Capabilities Branch, Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington DC 9. 2002 - 2003, Technical Director, Directorate of Special Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Washington, D.C. July 2010June 2012, Director, Mission Support Team 1, Joint Contingency Acquisition Support Office, Defense Logistics Agency, Fort Belvoir, Va. CFTs look to "bake-in" cyber resiliency into new weapon systems and mitigate vulnerabilities in fielded systems. Mr. Keller graduated from East Carolina University in 1989 and was commissioned into the U.S. Air Force the same year. June 2015 - June 2018, Senior Materiel Leader/System Program Director, B-21 Raider Program, Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. 16. 15. Ed Keller - Director of Contracting, DAF Rapid Capabilities Office and 2013 - 2014, Director, Air Force Test and Evaluation, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. Society of Flight Test Engineers PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS Prior to her current assignment at MacDill AFB, Colonel Johnson was the Chief of Integration for the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent program at Hill AFB, where she was responsible for all programmatic integration of the $85B recapitalization of the land-based portion of the nuclear triad. CAREER CHRONOLOGY Jun 17 - present, Program Executive Officer, Fixed-Wing, Special Operations Forces, Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, Headquarters, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB FL MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Defense Meritorious Service Medal with Two Oak Leaf Cluster Meritorious Service Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster Air Force Commendation Medal Air Force Achievement Medal DATES OF PROMOTIONS Second Lieutenant Mar 1996 First Lieutenant Mar 1998 Captain Mar 2000 Major Mar 2006 Lieutenant Colonel Apr 2011 Colonel Apr 2017 PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS Program Management, Level III, Acquisition Professional Development Program (APDP) Test and Evaluation, Level II APDP Systems Planning, Research, Development, and Engineering, Level II, APDP. 2003 - 2009, Technical Director, Special Programs, Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Washington, D.C. The Air Force released a new B-21 Raider artist rendering graphic with an accompanying fact sheet today. Melissa A. Johnson, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Deputy Director of the Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, Washington, D.C. Alongside the Director, she directs selected study, development and fielding activities tasked directly by the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, the Secretary of the Air Force, Air Force Chief of Staff, the Chief of Space Operations, the Assistant Secretary for the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, and the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration. 1992 Master of Business Administration, Georgia College and State University, Milledgeville Brown Jr.).The Air Staff is primarily composed of uniformed U.S. Air Force officials who assist the . Mr. Robert D. Eidsmoe is the Deputy Director, Space Rapid Capabilities Office (Space RCO), Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. In a statement June 13, Hammett said: Im really excited about the new opportunity and the trust being placed in me to lead the Space RCO team as they deliver new capabilities to the U.S. Space Force that are desperately needed to fill important warfighter gaps., Sandra Erwin writes about military space programs, policy, technology and the industry that supports this sector. He has held various senior Program Manager positions within the Acquisition community. By Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs. CAREER CHRONOLOGY Jul 15 Jul 16, Blue Horizons Fellow, Air University, Maxwell AFB AL 13. The Pentagon has named Chris Shank, a former NASA official, as director of the Strategic Capabilities Office, according to a biography posted to the Defense Department's website. The office preserves the strength of U.S. ingenuity and innovation without the rigidity of traditional acquisition. Colonel Johnson received her commission from the United States Air Force Officer Training School in March 1996. D. EDWARD KELLER JR. > Air Force > Biography Display - AF Mr. Keller retired from active duty as a colonel in 2017. The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, Space Vehicles Directorate held a ribbon cutting ceremony for its newest space facility, the Rapid Architecture Prototyping and Integration Development, or RAPID, laboratory, at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, April 12, 2022, with Col. Eric Felt, director, AFRL Space Vehicles Directorate, as the presiding official. United States Space Force > About Us > Fact Sheets by Sandra Erwin June 25, 2018 January 23, 2023 Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) The Air Force had once projected the first flight of the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider would occur in December 2021, . September 2005January 2006, Chief, Theater Contracts Division, Principal Assistant Responsible for ContractingForces, Joint Contracting Command - Iraq/Afghanistan, Camp Victory, Baghdad, Iraq AFRL's new lab to accelerate hybrid space architecture - Air Force 7,260 followers. Everybody has their job to do and they do it., Chinas growing capabilities and recent boldness in the air domain represent dangerous and destabilizing behavior patterns, the Pentagons top official on the Indo-Pacific said March 2. He directs selected study, development and fielding activities tasked directly by the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, the Secretary of the Air Force, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, the Chief of Space Operations and the Assistant Secretary for the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters The office procures space technologies and manages classified programs for the U.S. Space Force and U.S. Space Command. 21. The Department of Air Force's chief information officer Lauren Knausenberger will soon depart, the Air Force said Feb. 23. . Kelly Hammett, former head of the Air Force Research Laboratory's Directed Energy Directorate, has assumed the role of director of the Space Rapid Capabilities Office . (Current as of January 2023), An official website of the United States government, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. Air Staff (United States) - Wikipedia As Space RCO's senior acquisition officer, Mr. Roberts is responsible for and oversees space-based research, development and acquisition .