BRIGADIER GENERAL DUANE W. DEAL Brig. Gen. Duane W. Deal is Commander, Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center, Cheyenne Mountain Air Station, Colo. He is responsible for executing the North American Aerospace Defense Command's integrated tactical warning and attack assessment mission, the U.S. Northern Command's homeland defense mission, and U.S. Strategic Command's space and missile warning support.General Deal entered the Air Force in 1976 as a distinguished graduate of the Air Force ROTC program. He has served as a senior pilot with more than 2,200 flying hours in seven aircraft types, including the SR-71 Blackbird in which he flew worldwide operational missions. The general served as a logistics officer commanding three maintenance squadrons, one of which won "Best in the Air Force" honors, and one squadron in the Persian Gulf theater. He also served as Deputy Commander for Logistics for a provisional wing operating from a forward-deployed location providing support for the Persian Gulf theater in the first Gulf War. General Deal has commanded a space operations squadron, a logistics group, and three Air Force wings. Under his tenure, the 21st Space Wing was named the best wing in the Air Force Space Command. Having been a president or member of a dozen aircraft and space launch accident investigations, he served as a member of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, convened hours after the loss of the space shuttle on Feb. 1, 2003. The general has more than 25 published articles on aviation, leadership and technical subjects.EDUCATION1975 Bachelor of Science degree in physics, with distinction, Mississippi State University1976 Master of Science degree in counseling and psychology, highest distinction, Mississippi State University1976 Squadron Officer School, by correspondence1979 Master of Science degree in systems management, summa cum laude, University of Southern California1982 Marine Corps Command and Staff College, by correspondence1988 National Security Management Course, by correspondence1989 Distinguished graduate, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.1992 RAND Research Fellowship, Santa Monica, Calif.1992 Outstanding graduate, Air War College, by seminar1995 National Defense Fellow, Center for International Affairs, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.1999 Tuck Executive Program, Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H.2004 Program for Senior Executives in National and International Security, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Boston, Mass.ASSIGNMENTS1. May 1976 - April 1977, student, undergraduate pilot training, Columbus AFB, Miss.2. April 1977 - October 1979, B-57, EB-57 and AT-33 pilot, assistant quality control officer and aide-de-camp to the 24th North American Aerospace Defense Region Commander, Malmstrom AFB, Mont.3. October 1979 - October 1982, quality assurance officer, job control officer and interim detachment commander, McChord AFB, Wash., and F-106 and AT-33 pilot, Tyndall AFB, Fla., and McChord AFB4. October 1982 - November 1983, logistics programs monitor, Air Staff Training Program, Directorate of Maintenance and Supply, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.5. November 1983 - June 1986, SR-71 and T-38 pilot, 4029th Strategic Reconnaissance Training Squadron, later, 1st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Beale AFB, Calif.6. June 1986 - May 1987, executive and protocol officer, 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Beale AFB, Calif.7. May 1987 - July 1988, Commander, 9th Avionics Maintenance Squadron, Beale AFB, Calif.8. July 1988 - July 1989, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.9. July 1989 - August 1991, Commander, 319th Field Maintenance Squadron, Grand Forks AFB, N.D. (October 1990 - January 1991, Commander, 1706th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, and Deputy Commander for Logistics, 1706th Air Refueling Wing (Provisional), Persian Gulf)10. August 1991 - July 1992, Air Force Research Fellow, RAND Corp., Santa Monica, Calif.11. July 1992 - July 1994, Director, Command Action Group, Air Training Command, later, Air Education and Training Command, Randolph AFB, Texas12. July 1994 - July 1995, National Defense Fellow, Center for International Affairs, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.13. July 1995 - May 1996, Commander, 2nd Space Warning Squadron, Buckley ANGB, Colo.14. June 1996 - January 1998, Commander, 21st Logistics Group, Peterson AFB, Colo.15. January 1998 - May 2000, Commander, 11th Wing, Bolling AFB, Washington, D.C.16. May 2000 - May 2002, Commander, Air Force Recruiting Service, Headquarters AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas17. May 2002 - March 2004, Commander, 21st Space Wing, Peterson AFB, Colo.18. March 2004 - present, Commander, Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center, Cheyenne Mountain Air Station, Colo.BADGESSenior Pilot BadgeParachutist BadgeMaster Space Operations BadgeMaster Maintenance and Munitions BadgeMissile Maintenance BadgeMAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONSDefense Superior Service MedalLegion of Merit with two oak leaf clustersMeritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clustersAir Medal with oak leaf clusterCombat Readiness MedalAir Force Recognition RibbonSouthwest Asia Service Medal with bronze starHumanitarian Service MedalMilitary Outstanding Volunteer Service MedalOTHER ACHIEVEMENTS1989 Wright Brothers Squadron Officership Award, Air Command and Staff College1990 Air Force Maintenance Effectiveness Award1995 and 1996 General Seth J. McKee Award1996 "Top Gun" Space Operations Unit winner, Guardian Challenge '96, Air Force Space Command1997 and 1998 General Thomas Gerrity Award, AFSPC1999 Will Tubbs Trophy for "Best Ground Safety Program in the Air Force"1999 and 2000 Secretary of the Air Force Safety Award2001 Ground Safety Award, Air Education and Training Command2001 Verne Orr Award, AETC2003 General Robert T. Herres Award, Air Force Space Command2003 NASA Group Achievement Award for Columbia Accident Investigation Board2004 General Thomas D. White Space Trophy, Air Force Association2005 NASA Exceptional Service MedalOPERATIONAL INFORMATIONWeapons systems: B-57, EB-57, AT-33, F-101, F-106, T-38, SR-71Defense Support Program Satellite Crew Commander, Space Control Center Crew Commander, and Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center Command DirectorEFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTIONSecond Lieutenant April 13, 1976First Lieutenant Dec. 4, 1977Captain Dec. 4, 1979Major Feb. 1, 1987Lieutenant Colonel July 1, 1991Colonel Feb. 1, 1995Brigadier General Aug. 1, 2001(Current as of July 2005)