 |
| Information > Biographies > BRIGADIER GENERAL STEVEN J. SPANO |
|
BRIGADIER GENERAL STEVEN J. SPANO
|
|
|
|
| Bio Tools |
|
|
|
|
Retiring effective Sept. 1, 2011.
Brig. Gen. Steven J. Spano is the Director of Communications, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley Air Force Base, Va. He is the functional leader for 15,000 communications professionals, providing information technology services to 101,500 active-duty military and civilian members at 30 major installations in the United States and overseas. General Spano directs the activities of 40 Reserve communications units upon their activation. He is responsible for policy guidance, program management and resource allocation supporting the command's mission to provide nuclear forces for U.S. Strategic Command, theater air forces for the U.S. Northern Command, U.S. Central Command, U.S. Southern Command, U.S. European Command and U.S. Pacific Command, as well as air defense forces for the North American Aerospace Defense Command.
General Spano was born in Albany, N.Y. He was commissioned in 1983 through the ROTC program at Norwich University, Northfield, Vt. The general has commanded at the detachment, squadron and group levels. In addition, he served in key joint assignments at the National Security Agency, the Joint Staff, and U.S. Forces Korea. Prior to his current assignment, he was Deputy Chief of Staff Communications and Information Systems, Multi-National Force-Iraq, Baghdad, Iraq.
EDUCATION
1983 Bachelor of Science degree in business administration, Norwich University, Northfield, Vt.
1985 Master of Administrative Science degree in management, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md.
1986 Distinguished graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1994 Distinguished graduate, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1994 Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
1998 Air War College, by correspondence
2000 Master of Science degree in strategic studies, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2006 Senior Executive Fellow, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. October 1983 - June 1984, student, Communications-Electronics Officer Course, Keesler AFB, Miss.
2. June 1984 - February 1987, systems security program manager, National Security Agency, Fort George G. Meade, Md.
3. October 1986 - December 1986, student, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
4. February 1987 - June 1989, Director of Operations, 2115th Communications Squadron, Iraklion Air Station, Greece
5. June 1989 - October 1991, Commander, Detachment 12, 435th Communications Group, Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany
6. October 1991 - July 1993, Chief, Non-secure Command and Control Systems; Chief, Mission Support Division; and Chief, National Military Command Center Mission Support Division, 7th Communications Group, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
7. July 1993 - June 1994, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
8. June 1994 - August 1994, student, Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
9. August 1994 - June 1997, information assurance action officer, Command, Control, Communications and Computer Systems (J6), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
10. June 1997 - July 1999, Commander, 374th Communications Squadron, Yokota AB, Japan
11. August 1999 - June 2000, student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
12. June 2000 - June 2002, Assistant Chief of Staff, Command, Control, Communications and Computer Systems (J6), Headquarters U.S. Forces Korea, Yongsan, South Korea
13. July 2002 - December 2003, Commander, 89th Communications Group, Andrews AFB, Md.
14. January 2004 - November 2007, Director, Communications, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein AB, Germany
15. November 2007 - November 2008, Deputy Chief of Staff, Communications and Information Systems, Multi-National Force-Iraq, Baghdad, Iraq
16. December 2008 - present, Director of Communications, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1984 - February 1987, Systems Security Program Manager, National Security Agency, Fort Meade, Md., as a lieutenant
2. August 1994 - June 1997, information assurance action officer, Command, Control, Communications and Computer Systems (J6), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a major and lieutenant colonel
3. June 2000 - June 2002, Assistant Chief of Staff, Command, Control, Communications and Computer Systems (J6), Headquarters U.S. Forces Korea, Yongsan, South Korea, as a lieutenant colonel and colonel
4. November 2007 - November 2008, Deputy Chief of Staff, Communications and Information Systems, Multi-National Force - Iraq, Baghdad, Iraq, as a brigadier general
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with four oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with bronze star
Iraq Campaign Medal with bronze star
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Korea Defense Service Medal
Republic of Korea Order of National Security Merit (Samil Medal)
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1988 Company Grade Officer of the Year, Iraklion AS, Greece
1989 Company Grade Officer of the Year, European Communications Division
1991 Air Force General Edwin W. Rawlins Award for Innovative Use of C4 Resources
2007 Federal Computer Week's Top 100 Chief Information Officers
2008 Computer World's Premier 100 IT Leaders
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Aug. 15, 1983
First Lieutenant Aug. 15, 1985
Captain Aug. 15, 1987
Major March 1, 1994
Lieutenant Colonel Jan. 1, 1997
Colonel April 1, 2001
Brigadier General Nov. 2, 2007
(Current as of June 2011)
|
|
|
|
|
Printable bio
