Major General Scott D. West is the the Director of Current Operations, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. The directorate, encompassing five divisions, the Air Force Operations Group and the Air Force Agency for Modeling and Simulation, is responsible for policy, guidance, and oversight of Air Force current operations in air, space and cyberspace. The Directorate provides time-sensitive situational awareness and analysis to Air Force senior leaders and links worldwide operations with core Air Force processes to enable global vigilance, reach and power.

Gen. West entered the Air Force in 1982 after graduating from The Citadel. He has served as an instructor pilot in the F-16 and flown combat missions in Operation Southern Watch. General West has commanded the 36th Fighter Squadron, 8th Operations Group, 27th Fighter Wing, 613th Air and Space Operations Center, the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center, 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force-Afghanistan and NATO Air Command-Afghanistan.  He has completed staff assignments on the Joint Staff, Air Force Secretariat, Pacific Air Forces and NATO’s Joint Warfare Centre.

EDUCATION 
1982 Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, The Citadel, Charleston, S.C.
1985 Master’s in Business Administration, Barry University, Miami, Fla. 
1991 USAF Fighter Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
1994 Squadron Officer School, by correspondence
1997 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 
1998 Master's in Airpower Arts and Sciences, School of Advanced Airpower Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2002 Master's in National Resource Strategy, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C.
2007 Senior Executive Fellow's program, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
2011 Combined Force Maritime Component Commander course, Pacific Fleet Headquarters, Hawaii
2014 Joint Force Air Component Commander course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2015 Joint Force Land Component Commander course, Carlisle Barracks, Penn.

ASSIGNMENTS 
1. June 1982 – June 1984, Design Engineer, 31st Civil Engineer Squadron, Homestead AFB, Fla.
2. July 1984 – December 1985, student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Columbus AFB, MS, and Lead-in Fighter Training, Holloman AFB, N.M.
3. January 1986 – June 1986, F-16 student pilot, 311th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron, Luke AFB, Ariz. 
4. July 1986 – June 1989, F-16 Instructor Pilot and Chief of Training, 429th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev. 
5. July 1989 – December 1991, F-16 Instructor Pilot and Chief of Weapons, 72nd Tactical Fighter Training Squadron, MacDill AFB, Fla.
6. January 1992 – June 1994, F-16 Instructor Pilot and Flight Commander, USAF Fighter Weapons School, and F-16 Flight Examiner, 57th Operations Group, Nellis AFB, Nev. 
7. July 1994 – July 1996, staff officer, Weapons Division, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force (International Affairs), the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
8. August 1996 – July 1998, student, Air Command and Staff College and School of Advanced Airpower Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 
9. August 1998 – September 1999, Assistant Operations Officer, 68th Fighter Squadron, and Operations Officer, 69th Fighter Squadron, Moody AFB, Ga. 
10. October 1999 – July 2001, Commander, 36th Fighter Squadron, Osan Air Base, South Korea 
11. August 2001 – June 2002, student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C.
12. July 2002 – December 2002, Commander, 8th Operations Group, Kunsan AB, South Korea 
13. January 2003 -– December 2004, Chief of Forces Division, Force Structure, Resources and Assessment Directorate (J8), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
14. January 2005 – February 2006, Vice Commander, 52nd Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem AB, Germany 
15. March 2006 – September 2007, Commander, 27th Fighter Wing, Cannon AFB, N.M. 
16. October 2007 – August 2008, Commander, 613th Air and Space Operations Center, Hickam AFB, Hawaii 
17. September 2008 – August 2010, Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff, Joint Warfare Centre, Supreme Allied Command for Transformation, NATO, Stavanger, Norway
18. August 2010 – August 2011, Vice Commander, 13th Air Force, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
19. August 2011 – September 2012, Deputy Director of Operations, Plans, Programs and Requirements, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
20. September 2012 – April 2015, Commander, Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
21. April 2015 – April 2016, Commander, 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force-Afghanistan; Commander, NATO Air Command-Afghanistan; Director, AFCENT’s Air Component Coordination Element for U.S. Forces-Afghanistan & NATO’s Operation Resolute Support; and Deputy Commander-Air for U.S. Forces-Afghanistan. 
22. May 2016 – present, Director of Current Operations, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS 
1. January 2003 – December 2004, Chief of Forces Division, Force Structure, Resources and Assessment Directorate (J8), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a colonel 
2. September 2008 – August 2010, Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff, Joint Warfare Centre, Supreme Allied Command for Transformation, NATO, Stavanger, Norway, as a brigadier general
3. April 2015 – April 2016, Commander, NATO Air Command-Afghanistan; Director, AFCENT’s Air Component Coordination Element for U.S. Forces-Afghanistan & NATO’s Operation Resolute Support, as a major general

FLIGHT INFORMATION 
Rating: Command pilot 
Flight hours: More than 2,500 
Aircraft flown: A-10 and F-16 

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS 
Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster 
Defense Superior Service Medal 
Legion of Merit 
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters 
Air Medal 
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster 
Air Force Achievement Medal 
Joint Meritorious Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters 
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award
Combat Readiness Medal with four oak leaf clusters 
National Defense Service Medal with bronze star 
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal 
Southwest Asia Service Medal with bronze star
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal 
Korea Defense Service Medal 

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION 
Second Lieutenant June 2, 1982 
First Lieutenant June 2, 1984 
Captain June 2, 1986 
Major July 1, 1994 
Lieutenant Colonel Sept. 1, 1998 
Colonel Aug. 1, 2002 
Brigadier General Nov. 21, 2008 
Major General June 8, 2012

(Current as of April 2016)