MAJOR GENERAL MARTIN WHELAN

Maj. Gen. Martin Whelan serves as the Director of Future Operations, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters U.S Air Force, Washington, D.C. The directorate provides senior Air Force leaders and Air Force major commands vision, expertise, and staff support to fully integrate and synchronize air, space, and cyberspace capabilities across the spectrum of conflict.  General Whelan is responsible for establishing and advocating policy, guidance, resources for future air, space and cyberspace operations.  He also manages the officer and enlisted operations career fields. 

General Whelan was commissioned in 1983 through the ROTC program at Parks College of Saint Louis University. His career includes an initial assignment as an engineer on the space shuttle program. He became a space operations officer in 1987. General Whelan served on the Air Staff and later commanded the 18th Space Surveillance Squadron, Edwards Air Force Base, California. He was assigned to the Joint Staff in the Nuclear Arms Control Treaty Branch and was Chief, Space and Missile Defense Policy Division. He was Commander of the 91st Space Wing, Minot AFB, North Dakota. He served as the Deputy Director of Operations, Global Operations Directorate, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Nebraska; and Director of Operations and Nuclear Support Directorate, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Fort Belvoir, Virginia.  Prior to his current assignment, General Whelan served as the Director of Requirements, Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colorado.

General Whelan deployed in 2006 as the Director of Space Forces to the Combined Air Operations Center in Southwest Asia, supporting operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. 

EDUCATION 
1983 Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering, St. Louis University, Mo. 
1989 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 
1993 Master of Arts degree in contracting management, Webster University, St. Louis. Mo. 
1995 U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan. 
2000 Air War College, by correspondence 
2002 Master of Science degree in national resource strategy, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. 
2005 Senior Executive Fellow, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
2005 Leadership Development Program, Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, N.C.
2007 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

ASSIGNMENTS 
1. February 1984 - July 1987, shuttle project engineer and hypergolic systems engineer, 6595 Shuttle Test Group, Vandenberg AFB, Calif. 
2. July 1987 – January 1990, space field commander and Chief, Standardization and Evaluation, 4th Space Command Squadron, Holloman AFB, N.M
3. January 1990 - February 1992, Commander, Detachment 2, 18th Surveillance Squadron, Choe Jong San, South  Korea 
4. February 1992 - October 1993, space systems operations evaluation officer and Chief, Space Systems Operations Evaluations Office, Peterson AFB, Colo. 
5. October 1993 - June 1994, executive officer, 21st Space Wing, Peterson AFB, Colo. 
6. June 1994 - June 1995, student, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan. 
7. June 1995 - August 1996, space and missile operations staff officer, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. 
8. August 1996 - July 1998, Chief, Space Policy, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. 
9. July 1998 - February 2000, Commander, 18th Space Surveillance Squadron, Edwards AFB, Calif. 
10. February 2000 - July 2001, Chief, Senior Officer Matters, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo. 
11. July 2001 - July 2002, student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. 
12. July 2002 - July 2003, Chief, Nuclear Treaties Branch, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. 
13. July 2003 - July 2004, Chief, Space and Missile Defense Policy Division; Deputy Director, Plans and Policy, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. 
14. July 2004 - July 2006, Vice Commander, 460th Space Wing, Buckley AFB, Colo. (January 2006 - June 2006, Director, Space Forces, Combined Air Operations Center, Southwest Asia)
15. July 2006 - May 2008, Commander, 91st Space Wing, Minot AFB, N.D. 
16. May 2008 - September 2009, Deputy Director, Operations, Global Operations Directorate, USSTRATCOM, Offutt AFB, Neb.
17. September 2009 - September 2011, Director of Operations and Nuclear Support Directorate, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Ft. Belvoir, Va. 
18. September 2011 – June 2014, Director of Requirements, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.
19. June 2014 – present , Director of Future Operations, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters, U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS 
1. July 2002 - July 2003, Chief, Nuclear Treaties Branch, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a lieutenant colonel and colonel 
2. July 2003 - July 2004, Chief, Space and Missile Defense Policy Division; Deputy Director, Plans and Policy, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a colonel 
3. January 2005 - June 2005, Director, Space Forces, Combined Air Operations Center, Southwest Asia, as a colonel 
4. May 2008 - September 2009, Deputy Director, Operations, US Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb., as a colonel and brigadier general
5. September 2009 - September 2011, Director, Operations and Nuclear Support Directorate, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Ft. Belvoir, Va., as a brigadier general 

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS 
Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster 
Meritorious Service Medal with silver oak leaf cluster
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal 
Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster 
Army Achievement Medal 
Joint Meritorious Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters 
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters 
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with two oak leaf clusters 
Combat Readiness Medal 
National Defense Service Medal with bronze star 
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal 
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal 
Korean Defense Service Medal 

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION 
Second Lieutenant Dec. 14, 1983 
First Lieutenant Dec. 14, 1985 
Captain Dec. 14, 1987 
Major Nov. 1, 1994 
Lieutenant Colonel Sept. 1, 1998 
Colonel Aug. 1, 2002 
Brigadier General Jun 19, 2009
Major General April 27, 2012 

(Current as of August 2015)