LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHARLES E. "CHARLIE" CROOM JR.

Lt. Gen. Charles E. "Charlie" Croom Jr. is Director, Defense Information Systems Agency, and Commander, Joint Task Force - Global Network Operations, Arlington, Va.  As Director, he leads a worldwide organization of more than 6,600 military and civilian personnel. This organization plans, develops and provides interoperable command, control, communications, computers and information systems to serve the needs of the President, Secretary of Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff, combatant commanders, and other Department of Defense components under all conditions during peace and war. As the JTF-GNO Commander, he is responsible for directing the operation and defense of the Global Information Grid to assure timely and secure net-centric capabilities across strategic, operational and tactical boundaries in support of DOD's full spectrum of warfighting, intelligence and business missions.

General Croom entered the Air Force in 1973 as a distinguished graduate of the Rutgers University ROTC program where he was Commandant of Cadets. The general has had four commands and has served at the major command, numbered air force, Air Staff, defense agency, Joint Staff, Office of the Secretary of Defense, and unified command levels.

EDUCATION
1973 Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J.
1973 Bachelor of Arts degree in economics, Rutgers University
1977 Master's degree in management and business administration, Webster College, St. Louis, Mo.
1978 Distinguished graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1985 Distinguished graduate, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1989 National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
1996 Executive Development Program, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.
2004 John F. Kennedy School of Government Executive Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. November 1973 - June 1974, student, Communications-Electronics School, Keesler AFB, Miss.
2. June 1974 - September 1977, technical evaluation chief, Headquarters Air Force Communications Command, Richards-Gebaur AFB, Mo.
3. September 1977 - December 1979, electrical engineer, Headquarters Air Force Communications Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
4. December 1979 - October 1980, Air Staff Training Program officer, Headquarters Air Force Inspection and Safety Center, Norton AFB, Calif.
5. October 1980 - June 1983, communications systems engineer, later, executive officer, Defense Communications Agency, Washington, D.C.
6. June 1983 - June 1984, Commander, Detachment 25, 2187th Communications Group, Monte Limbara, Sardinia, Italy
7. June 1984 - June 1985, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
8. June 1985 - July 1988, Chief, Plans and Policy Branch, Systems for Command, Control, Communications and Computers, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
9. July 1988 - June 1989, student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
10. June 1989 - July 1992, Chief, Communications Drawdown Branch, later, Commander, Data Services Center, Headquarters U.S. European Command, Stuttgart, Germany
11. July 1992 - July 1993, Commander, 438th Communications Group, later, Director, Systems for Command, Control, Communications and Computers, Headquarters 21st Air Force, McGuire AFB, N.J.
12. July 1993 - August 1994, Commander, 438th Support Group, McGuire AFB, N.J.
13. August 1994 - July 1996, Director of Communications, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
14. July 1996 - March 1997, Director of Mission Systems, Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Information, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
15. March 1997 - June 2000, Director of Command, Control and Communications Systems, Headquarters U.S. European Command, Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany
16. June 2000 - August 2002, Vice Director for Command, Control, Communications and Computer Systems, the Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.
17. August 2002 - May 2005, Director of Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Infostructure, Deputy Chief of Staff for Warfighting Integration, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
18. May 2005 - July 2005, Director, Information, Services and Integration, Secretary of the Air Force Office of Warfighting Integration and Chief Information Officer, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
19. July 2005 - present Director, DISA, and Commander, Joint Task Force - Global Network Operations, Arlington, Va.

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Nov. 25, 1973
First Lieutenant Nov. 25, 1975
Captain Nov. 25, 1977
Major Aug. 1, 1984
Lieutenant Colonel July 1, 1988
Colonel Jan. 1, 1992
Brigadier General Jan. 28, 1998
Major General Dec. 1, 2001
Lieutenant General Aug. 1, 2005

(Current as of August 2008)