BRIGADIER GENERAL IAN R. DICKINSON

Brig. Gen. Ian R. Dickinson is the Director, Communications and Information,  Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. He is responsible for organizing, training, and equipping the Air Force's space and cyber forces with communications and information capability, enabling 14th and 24th Air Forces to support U.S. Strategic Command and U.S. Cyber Command. General Dickinson also acts on behalf of the Commander, Air Force Space Command, as the Air Force's Designated Approval Authority for systems connecting to the Air Force network and for the AFSPC's $11.4 billion space and cyberspace mission system portfolio. 

General Dickinson entered the Air Force as a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1985. He has held a variety of positions at base, center, major command, Air Staff and Joint Staff levels in acquisition, operations, and maintenance of communications and information capabilities. His previous commands include a communications squadron, air base squadron, information operations group and training wing. Prior to his current assignment, he was the Commander, 81st Training Wing, Keesler AFB, Miss., where he commanded 5,000 Airmen and civilians, providing technical training and creating combat capability for air, space and cyberspace forces.

EDUCATION
1985 Distinguished graduate, Bachelor of Science degree, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1987 Master of Public Policy degree, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
1990 Distinguished graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1991 Master of Science degree in computer science, University of Lowell, Mass.
1996 Distinguished graduate, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2001 Air War College, by seminar
2006 Secretary of Defense Corporate Fellowship, Sun Microsystems, Menlo Park, Calif.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 1985 - June 1986, student, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
2. June 1986 - August 1986, intern, Defense Guidance Staff, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Washington, D.C.
3. September 1986 - June 1987, student, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
4. June 1987 - January 1992, acquisition analyst, technical team leader and project director, Air Force Computer Acquisition Center, Hanscom AFB, Mass.
5. January 1992 - August 1993, requirements officer, Directorate for Requirements, Headquarters Tactical Air Command, Langley AFB, Va.
6. August 1993 - August 1995, Deputy Commander and Commander, Mission Systems Flight, 1st Communications Squadron, Langley AFB, Va.
7. August 1995 - June 1996, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
8. June 1996 - July 1998, Commander, 27th Communications Squadron, Cannon AFB, N.M.
9. July 1998 - August 2001, action officer and executive assistant to the Vice Director, Directorate for Command, Control, Communication and Computer Systems, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
10. August 2001 - July 2003, Commander, 422nd Air Base Squadron, Royal Air Force Croughton, England
11. July 2003 - June 2005, Commander, 690th Information Operations Group, Lackland AFB, Texas (September 2004 - February 2005, Director, C4 Systems, Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa)
12. June 2005 - June 2006, Secretary of Defense Corporate Fellow, Sun Microsystems, Inc., Menlo Park, Calif.
13. July 2006 - April 2007, Deputy Director, Operational Support Modernization Program, Office of Warfighting Integration and Chief Information Officer, Washington, D.C.
14. April 2007 - May 2008, Director, C4 Systems, U.S. Air Forces Central, Air Force Forces staff, Combined Air Operations Center, Southwest Asia
15. May 2008 - May 2009, Deputy Chief Information Officer, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
16. May 2009 - August 2010, Commander, 81st Training Wing, Keesler AFB, Miss.
17. August 2010 - present, Director, Communications and Information, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1998 - August 2001, action officer and executive assistant to the Vice Director, Directorate for Command, Control, Communication and Computer Systems, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a major and lieutenant colonel
2. September 2004 - February 2005, Director, C4 Systems, Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa, as a colonel
3. May 2008 - May 2009, Deputy Chief Information Officer, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a colonel

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Army Commendation Medal
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 29, 1985
First Lieutenant May 29, 1987
Captain May 29, 1989
Major Dec. 1, 1995
Lieutenant Colonel Sept. 1, 1998
Colonel July 1, 2003
Brigadier General July 3, 2009

(Current as of November 2011)