Major General BENJAMIN R. MAITRE

Maj. Gen. Benjamin R. Maitre serves as the Director, Concepts and Strategy, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air Force Futures, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. He assists with developing and synchronizing Air Force strategy, global posture, and the alignment of Air Force planning efforts with Department of Defense strategic guidance. He supports the Air Force Chief of Staff with strategy development and assessments alongside the formulation and execution of several Air Force Chief of Staff Title 10 wargames.

Maj. Gen. Maitre grew up abroad and in Brookline, Massachusetts. He has spent the majority of his career in joint and special operations aviation assignments, as an aircraft commander, flight instructor and evaluator pilot in two armed services, and has led expeditionary forces in combat in Iraq and other locations.

Prior to this assignment, Maj. Gen. Maitre was the Director of Force Structure, Requirements, Resources, and Strategic Assessments, J8, at Headquarters, U.S. Special Operations Command.

EDUCATION
1995 Bachelor of Science, Political Science, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2000 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2004 Master of Aerospace Science, Aerospace Operations, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Fla.
2004 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2007 Master of Science, Defense Analysis, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.
2008 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2008 Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
2013 National Defense Fellowship, U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C.
2015 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
2018 Leadership Development Program, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1995–January 1996, Intercollegiate Administrative Assistant, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2. January 1996–February 1997, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, and Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas
3. February 1997–February 1998, Student, C-130E/MC-130H, Little Rock AFB, Ark., and Kirtland AFB, N.M.
4. February 1998–August 2000, MC-130H Pilot and Aircraft Commander, 1st Special Operations Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Japan 
5. August 2000–February 2004, MC-130H Instructor and Evaluator Pilot, 15th Special Operations Squadron and 16th Special Operations Group, Hurlburt Field, Fla. 
6. February 2004–June 2006, U.S. Coast Guard HC-130H Exchange Pilot, Flight Examiner, and Assistant Operations Officer, Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, Fla.
7. June 2006–December 2007, Student, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.
8. January 2008–November 2009, Joint Air Operations Strategist and Commander’s Action Group, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.
9. November 2009–June 2012, Operations Officer, then Commander, 7th Special Operations Squadron, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom
10. June 2012–May 2013, National Defense Fellow, U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C.
11. May 2013–February 2015, Commander, 353rd Special Operations Group, Kadena AB, Japan
12. February 2015–June 2017, Commander, 27th Special Operations Wing, Cannon AFB, N.M.
13. June 2017–July 2018, Senior Program Analyst, Irregular Warfare, Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation, Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
14. July 2018–August 2020, Director, Legislative Affairs, U.S. Special Operations Command, Washington, D.C.
15. August 2020–June 2021, Assistant Commanding General, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.
16. June 2021–July 2023, Director, Force Structure, Requirements, Resources and Strategic Assessments, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.
17. July 2023–present, Director, Concepts and Strategy, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air Force Futures, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 2008–November 2009, Joint Air Operations Strategist and Commander’s Action Group, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., as a major and lieutenant colonel
2. April 2011–August 2011, Commander, Combined Joint Special Operations Aviation Detachment, Joint Base Balad, Iraq, as a lieutenant colonel
3. June 2017–July 2018, Senior Program Analyst, Irregular Warfare, Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation, Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a colonel
4. July 2018–August 2020, Director, Legislative Affairs, U.S. Special Operations Command, Washington, D.C., as a colonel and brigadier general
5. August 2020–June 2021, Assistant Commanding General, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C., as a brigadier general
6. June 2021–July 2023, Director, Force Structure, Requirements, Resources and Strategic Assessment, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Fla., as a major general

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating:  command pilot
Flight hours:  more than 4,900
Aircraft flown:  MC-130, HC-130, C-146, and others

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Silver Star
Defense Superior Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Coast Guard Commendation Medal with operational device
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Air Force Combat Action Medal

(Current as of July 2023)