George R. Gagnon, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is Director, International Training and Education, and the Program Executive Officer for International Training Contracts within Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas. He coordinates on, implements, and executes Department of Defense and Air Force international training and education policies and programs. He provides functional oversight of active, Guard, and Reserve organizations that provide flight and technical training, professional military education, and advanced academic degrees to 15,000 international students annually from more than 157 countries. Mr. Gagnon advocates for the budgetary and manning requirements of these organizations, exercising executive-level management of a training and education programs budget of $650 million and military sales contracts with an open value of nearly $14 billion. He is the principal advisor to the Commander, Air Education and Training Command on issues associated with security assistance, security cooperation, and building partnerships. He also advises the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs on case development, program management, and the execution of international training and education issues.
Mr. Gagnon retired as a colonel from the U.S. Air Force as a master navigator with more than 2,600 flying hours, including 400 combat hours. Mr. Gagnon served on the Air Staff, Joint Staff, U.S. European Command Staff, and Office of the Secretary of Defense Staff as Policy and Issues Analyst for the Secretary of the Air Force, Special Assistant to the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Special Assistant to the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, and Senior Military Assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.
EDUCATION
1980 Bachelor of Arts, Texas A&M University, College Station
1985 Master of Arts, Texas A&M University, College Station
1993 Master of Arts and Science, School of Advanced Aerospace Studies, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1997 National Security Fellow, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
1997 Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
2005 Leadership for a Democratic Society, Federal Executive Institute, Charlottesville, Va.
2012 Vanguard Executive Leadership, Washington, D.C.
2012 AFSO-21, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
2012 Senior Officer Security Seminar, Richmond, Va.
2015 OPM Leadership 360 Assessment and Executive Coaching Program
2016 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Chapel Hill, N.C.
2017 Global Security Seminar, Washington, D.C.
2018 Continuous Process Improvement For Executives, San Antonio, Texas
CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. 1983–1987, B-52 Navigator/Radar Navigator, Minot Air Force Base, N.D.
2. 1987–1991, Operational Flight Test Navigator, Edwards AFB, Calif.
3. 1991–1992, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
4. 1992–1993, Student, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
5. 1993–1995, Policy Analyst, Headquarters U.S. Air Force Directorate of Plans and Programs, “Skunkworks,” Strategy Division, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
6. 1995–1996, Policy & Issues Analyst, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
7. 1996–1997, National Security Fellow, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
8. 1997–1999, Commander, 509th Operations Support Squadron, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
9. 1999–2000, Special Assistant to the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
10. 2000–2002, Special Assistant to the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, Mons, Belgium
11. 2002–2004, Commander, 2nd Operations Group, Barksdale AFB, La.
12. 2004–2005, Vice Commander, 53rd Wing, Eglin AFB, Fla.
13. 2005–2006, Senior Military Assistant to the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
14. 2006–2008, Deputy Director, International Training and Education, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas
15. 2008–2010, Executive Director, Air Force Security Assistance Training, JB San Antonio-Randolph, Texas
16. 2010–present, Director, International Training and Education, JB San Antonio-Randolph, Texas
MILITARY AWARDS AND HONORS
Defense Superior Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Air Medal with oak leaf cluster
Aerial Achievement Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with “V” device and silver oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal
CIVILIAN AWARDS AND HONORS
Air Education and Training Command Roger W. Jones Award for Executive Leadership, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
AETC Eugene M. Zuckert Management Award, 2018
Presidential Merit Award, 2018
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
Air Force Association (Life Member)
Military Officers Association of America (Life Member)
American Legion (Life Member)
Veterans of Foreign Wars (Life Member)
Senior Executive Association
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS
Defense Security Cooperation Agency International Affairs Level III, original 2010; current as of March 2020
(Current as of April 2021)