Lisa Disbrow is a member of the Senior Executive Service and a retired Air Force Reserve Colonel. Currently, she serves as the Vice Director of J-8, responsible for management of the Directorate in developing future capabilities, conducting force structure and warfighting studies, and evaluating DOD plans, programs, and strategies for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. She supports the Director, J8 in his role as Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC) Secretary and as Chairman of the Joint Capabilities Board (JCB). A graduate of the University of Virginia, she received her commission from the Air Force Officer Training School at Lackland AFB, Texas. Ms Disbrow has served in the J-8 Directorate since 1995. 

 

During her tenure in J8, Ms Disbrow has led numerous DOD-wide efforts spanning four Congressionally-tasked Quadrennial Defense Reviews and the first Quadrennial Roles and Missions Review, including: annual force disposition and capabilities assessments, global posture reviews and implementation, counterinsurgency assessments, smaller scale contingency evaluations, assessments in support of operations in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan, initial planning for the Global War on Terrorism, the Chairman’s annual Operational Availability Studies, out-year campaign analysis and many other force management efforts. She was a primary architect of the DoD Analytical Agenda, underpinning major corporate processes within the Department, and the Global Force Management Board process for current force allocation. She led the Secretary of Defense’s cross-Department effort to relieve stress on the force.  From Feb 2006 to Mar 2007, Ms Disbrow was detailed to the National Security Council as the Special Advisor for Policy Implementation and Execution for the President’s National Security Advisor.

 

On active duty, Ms Disbrow served as an electronic intelligence analyst and Middle East specialist, developing assessments during Persian Gulf re-flagging operations, the crisis in Chad and Sudan, DESERT STORM and SOUTHERN WATCH. While deployed, Ms Disbrow was Chief Threat Analyst in the Air Operations Center, providing threat intelligence and threat planning for Air Tasking Order development and produced the Tactical Electronic, Missile, and Air Orders of Battle for USCENTCOM. She was selected for the Defense Intelligence Agency’s Advanced Language and Area Studies program, completing Arabic language training at Georgetown University.  

 

Following active duty, Ms Disbrow served in the National Reconnaissance Office for three years. She assisted in the stand-up of the Operational Support Organization as a Senior Systems Engineer. Her duties involved the development of programs and requirements to improve national intelligence support to tactical users, including operational and analytical systems. As a Colonel in the Air Force Reserve, she served as a campaign planner, programmer, and an intelligence analyst. 

 

Ms Disbrow holds a Masters degree in International Relations from George Washington University, a Masters in National Security Strategy from the National War College, and Bachelors in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia. She is married to Harry C. Disbrow, Jr., of Alexandria, VA, and has two children, Stefanie and Derek.