Major General MICHAEL L. DOWNS

Maj. Gen. Michael Downs is Vice Director of the Joint Staff.  In this capacity, Maj. Gen. Downs synchronizes the Joint Staff to enable unified strategic direction.  He ensures effective information flow across services, combatant commands, Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), and interagency partners to provide timely recommendations to the Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to support national security objectives.

Maj. Gen. Downs received his bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M where he was an ROTC Distinguished Graduate and earned his commission as a Second Lieutenant in December 1992. He has held assignments at the squadron, Air and Space Operations Center, Major Command, Air Staff, Joint Staff and Office of the Secretary of Defense levels. He has participated in joint and combined operations in Central Command, European Command, Indo- Pacific Command and Southern Command area of responsibilities, serving in an array of capacities ranging from Director of Intelligence for a Joint Special Operations Task Force in the Balkans, to a lead targeting officer during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and as Director of Intelligence, U.S. Forces Korea, United Nations Command and Deputy Director of Intelligence, Combined Forces Command at Yongsan Garrison, Seoul, People’s Republic of South Korea. Maj. Gen. Downs has commanded at the squadron, group and wing levels. 

Prior to his current position, Maj. Gen. Downs served as the Vice Director for Intelligence, Joint Staff J-2 and the Deputy Director for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Operations, Joint Staff J-32.  He provided recommendations to the Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for ISR asset allocation and authorities, optimizing risk mitigation strategies across the enterprise. 

EDUCATION
1992 Bachelor of Political Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
1997 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2000 Master of Organizational Management, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
2000 Master of Public Administration, Troy State University, Washington, D.C.
2005 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2006 Naval Command and Staff College, Naval Station Newport, Newport, R.I.
2008 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2011 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2017 Senior Joint Information Operations Applications Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1993–March 1994, Student, Fundamentals of Intelligence/Intelligence Applications Course, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas
2. March 1994–June 1995, Chief of Targeting and Intelligence Officer, 39th Operational Support Squadron, Incirlik Air Base, Turkey
3. June 1995–July 1998, Chief, Contingency Operations Intelligence and Intelligence Analyst, Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
4. July 1998–August 2000, Air Force Intern, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
5. August 2000–October 2002, Targets and Readiness Flight Commander, 32nd Air Intelligence Squadron, Ramstein AB, Germany
6. October 2002–October 2003, Chief of Training and Exercises, 32nd Air Operations Group, Ramstein AB, Germany 7. October 2003–May 2004, Current Operations Flight Commander, 13th Intelligence Squadron, Beale AFB, Calif.
8. May 2004–June 2005, Director of Operations, 9th Intelligence Squadron, Beale AFB, Calif.
9. June 2005–July 2006, Director of Operations, 13th Intelligence Squadron, Beale AFB, Calif.
10. July 2006–June 2007, Student, Naval Command and Staff College, Newport, R.I.
11. June 2007–June 2008, Speechwriter for the Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
12. June 2008–June 2010, Commander, 303rd Intelligence Squadron, Osan AB, South Korea
13. June 2010–June 2011, Student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
14. June 2011–June 2013, Commander, 707th Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance Group, Fort George G. Meade, Md.
15. June 2013–June 2015, Chief Reconnaissance, Space and Missile Defense Division, Joint Staff J-3, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
16. June 2015–August 2017, Commander, 17th Training Wing, Goodfellow AFB, Texas
17. August 2017–May 2018, Director, Future Warfare, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
18. May 2018–August 2020, Director of Intelligence, U.S. Forces Korea, United Nations Command, and Deputy Director of Intelligence, Combined Forces Command at Yongsan Garrison, Seoul, South Korea
19. August 2020–June 2021, Vice Director for Intelligence, Joint Staff J-2, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
20. June 2021–May 2023, Deputy Director for ISR Operations, Joint Staff J-32, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
21. May 2023 - present, Vice Director, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. 

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2013–June 2015, Chief Reconnaissance, Space and Missile Defense Division, Joint Staff J-3, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as colonel
2. May 2018–August 2020, Director of Intelligence, U.S. Forces Korea, United Nations Command, and Deputy Director of Intelligence, Combined Forces Command at Yongsan Garrison, Seoul, South Korea, as a brigadier general
3. August 2020–June 2021, Vice Director for Intelligence, Joint Staff J-2, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a brigadier general and major general
4. June 2021 - May 2023, Deputy Director for ISR Operations, Joint Staff J-32, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a major general 
5. May 2023 - Present, Vice Director, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a major general 

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Cheon-Su National Security Medal from the Republic of Korea

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant March 9, 1993
First Lieutenant March 9, 1995
Captain March 9, 1997
Major June 1, 2003
Lieutenant Colonel Sept. 1, 2007
Colonel Sept. 1, 2011
Brigadier General Nov. 1, 2017
Major General May 7, 2021

(Current as of May 2023)