Maj. Gen. Casey D. Blake is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Contracting, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Washington, D.C. He is responsible for all aspects of contracting relating to the acquisition of weapon systems, logistics, and operational support for the Air Force as well as provides contingency support to the geographic combatant commanders. Leads highly skilled staff supporting $825 billion Space, Global Power/Reach, and Information Dominance programs portfolio. Oversees training, organizing, and equipping of a workforce of some 8,000 Contracting (procurement) professionals that execute programs worth more than $65 billion annually.
Prior to this assignment, he served as the Commander, Air Force Installation Contracting Agency (AFICA), Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
General Blake entered the Air Force in 1984 through the ROTC program at The Citadel, Charleston, S.C. He has served as an information management officer; Air Force mission director on a NATO fighter wing; warranted procuring contracting officer for major defense acquisition programs; and contracts chief at both an air logistics center and product center. He commanded a contracting squadron at the base and major command specialized levels; served as both a deputy mission support group commander and Defense Contract Management Agency commander; has deployed as a contingency contracting officer in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and served as the Senior Contracting Official-Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom.
General Blake has also served in several assignments as an acquisition contracting staff officer at a major command headquarters. He is a joint qualified officer having served at the Office of the Secretary of Defense. During that time, he deployed to Iraq for two months in support of the Joint Forces Command Enabling Force Study.
EDUCATION
1984 Bachelor of Arts degree in history (pre-law), The Citadel, Charleston, S.C.
1988 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1989 Master of Business Administration degree in management, Golden Gate University, Calif.
1991 Air Force Institute of Technology Education with Industry (contracting management), Aerojet Corporation, Sacramento, Calif.
1996 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
1998 Advanced Program Management Course, Defense Systems Management College, Fort Belvoir, Va.
2002 Air War College, by correspondence
2006 Distinguished graduate, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2006 Senior Acquisition Course, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2007 Russia - U.S. Colonels Program, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
2008 National Security Studies Program, Elliott School of International Studies, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
2013 Systems Acquisition Management Course for General/Flag Officers, Defense Acquisition University, Fort Belvoir, Va.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. November 1984 - May 1985, operations officer, 3483rd Student Squadron, Goodfellow Technical Training Center, Presidio of Monterey, Calif.
2. June 1985 - May 1988, executive officer, 3483rd Student Squadron, Goodfellow Technical Training Center, Presidio of Monterey, Calif.
3. June 1988 - June 1990, Chief, Support Branch; executive officer; and Air Force Mission Director, 7402nd Munitions Support Squadron, Ghedi Air Base, Italy
4. July 1990 - July 1991, intern, Education With Industry, Air Force Institute of Technology, Aerojet Corporation, Sacramento, Calif.
5. August 1991 - May 1993, acquisition contracting officer and price analyst, F-15 System Program Office, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Robins AFB, Ga.
6. June 1993 - February 1995, Chief, Special Operations Forces Fixed Wing and Avionics Contracting Branch, SOF Systems Program Office, Warner Robins ALC, Robins AFB, Ga.
7. March 1995 - July 1995, acquisition contracting staff officer, Program Support and Business Clearance Division, Directorate of Contracting, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
8. August 1995 - June 1996, acquisition contracting staff officer, Logistics Contracting Division, Directorate of Contracting, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
9. July 1996 - July 1997, executive officer, Directorate of Contracting, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
10. August 1997 - June 1998, Chief of Contracting, Acquisition Reform, Acquisition Support Team, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
11. July 1998 - May 2000, Chief, Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (Atlas V) Contracts/Business Operations, and procuring contracting officer, Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle System Program Office, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
12. June 2000 - June 2002, Commander, 60th Contracting Squadron, Travis AFB, Calif.
13. July 2002 - September 2002, Deputy Commander, 60th Support Group, Travis AFB, Calif.
14. October 2002 - June 2003, Deputy Commander, 60th Mission Support Group, Travis AFB, Calif.
15. July 2003 - June 2005, Commander, Air Education and Training Command Contracting Squadron, (November 2004 - March 2005, acting Director, Air Education and Training Command Contracting Division), Directorate of Logistics, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Randolph AFB, Texas
16. July 2005 - June 2006, student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
17. July 2006 - December 2006, Director of Operations, Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
18. January 2007 - December 2007, Director, Defense Acquisition Regulations (DAR) System and DAR Council Chair, Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
19. January 2008 - May 2008, Director, Program Acquisitions, Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
20. June 2008 - March 2011, Commander, DCMA Lockheed Martin Marietta, Ga., Defense Contract Management Agency, Washington, D.C.
21. April 2011 - May 2012, Deputy Commander, Joint Theater Support Contracting Command, and Senior Contracting Official-Afghanistan, U.S. Central Command, Afghanistan
22. June 2012 - July 2013, Deputy Director, Army and Air Force Exchange Service (Exchange), Dallas, Texas
23. August 2013 – May 2014, Commander, Air Force Installation Contracting Agency, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
24. June 2014 – present, Deputy Assistant Secretary (Contracting), Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2004 - October 2004, Chief, Electrical, Communications and Transportation Sector Contracts, and procuring contracting officer, Joint Contracting Command - Iraq, Multinational Forces Iraq, Baghdad, Iraq, as a lieutenant colonel
2. July 2006 - December 2006, Director of Operations, Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a colonel
3. January 2007 - December 2007, Director, Defense Acquisition Regulations (DAR) System and DAR Council Chair, Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a colonel
4. January 2008 - May 2008, Director, Program Acquisitions, Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a colonel
5. April 2011 - May 2012, Deputy Commander, Joint Theater Support Contracting Command, and Senior Contracting Official-Afghanistan, U.S. Central Command, Afghanistan, as a brigadier general
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with silver oak leaf cluster
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Organizational Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Recognition Ribbon
National Defense Service Medal with bronze star
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with bronze star
Iraq Campaign Medal with bronze star
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border and oak leaf cluster
NATO Medal - Non Article 5
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1989 Information Management Officer of the Year, U.S. Air Forces in Europe
1993 Contracting Officer of the Year, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center
1998 David Packard Excellence in Acquisition Award, Department of Defense
1999 John J. Welch Acquisition Management Award, Secretary of the Air Force
2001 President's Committee Award for Excellence in Contracting, Secretary of the Air Force
2004 Contingency Contracting Officer of the Year, Air Education and Training Command
2006 Maj. Gen. Theodore Antonelli Award for Industry Study Excellence, Industrial College of the Armed Forces
PUBLICATIONS
"Cost As an Independent Variable - The Air Force Way," National Contract Management Magazine, 1998
"Cost Effective PBSA," National Contract Management Magazine, 2001
"Putting Contracting on the Offensive in Afghanistan," National Contract Management Magazine, 2012
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS
1994 Certified Professional Contracts Manager, National Contract Management Association
1994 Contracting, Level III
1994 Program Management, Level III
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant July 13, 1984
First Lieutenant July 13, 1986
Captain July 13, 1988
Major June 1, 1996
Lieutenant Colonel Dec. 1, 2000
Colonel July 1, 2006
Brigadier General Oct. 7, 2011
Major General June 10, 2015
(Current as of May 2018)