Major General STEPHEN W. OLIVER JR.

Maj. Gen. Stephen W. Oliver, Jr. is the Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs, Office of the Under Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. In this position, he assists in providing oversight and guidance for U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force international policy and programs supporting national security objectives through politico-military affairs, security assistance programs, technology and information disclosure, education and training, cooperative research and development, and management of the Air Force Foreign Liaison Office and attaché affairs. The general also assists in managing 470 cooperative research, development, test and evaluation agreements valued at $56 billion, as well as more than 2,900 foreign military sales cases worth $201 billion. Additionally, he exercises administrative control for 154 U.S. Air Force military exchange officer and enlisted personnel in 36 partner nations.

Maj. Gen. Oliver was commissioned in 1989 as a distinguished graduate of the Clarkson University Air Force ROTC program. Since earning his wings in 1990, he’s served in operations and staff positions at the squadron, wing, major command, combatant command and Headquarters U.S. Air Force levels. Maj. Gen. Oliver commanded the 463rd Operations Support Squadron, Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas; and the 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.

His recent staff assignments include duty as Director of the Air Force Colonel Management Office and senior military assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force, as well as joint duty at U.S. Transportation Command and U.S. Africa Command. Maj. Gen. Oliver flew combat and combat support missions in operations Southern Watch, Deny Flight and Allied Force. In addition, he commanded an expeditionary airlift squadron and served as Deputy Director of Mobility Forces for U.S. Air Forces Central Command in operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Maj. Gen. Oliver is a master navigator with more than 3,100 hours in the KC-135R and C-130E/H3.

Prior to his current assignment, Maj. Gen. Oliver was the Vice Commander, U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center at JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey.

EDUCATION
1989 Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering, Clarkson University, Potsdam, N.Y.
1995 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1995 Master of Aeronautical Science, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Fla.
1997 Master of Organizational Management, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
2001 Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2006 Master of National Security and Strategic Studies, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2007 Joint and Combined Warfighting School (Joint Professional Military Education Phase II), Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
2008 Leadership Development Program, Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, N.C.
2011 USAF Enterprise Leadership Seminar, University of Virginia Darden School of Business, Charlottesville, Va.
2014 Senior Leader Orientation Course, Washington, D.C.
2015 Capstone General/Flag Officer Course, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2016 Senior Joint Information Operations Application Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2017 Advanced Senior Leader Development Program Strategic Engagement Seminar, Warrenton, Va.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 1990–April 1991, Student, Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training, Mather Air Force Base, Calif.
2. April 1991–July 1991, Student, KC-135 Combat Crew Training School, Castle AFB, Calif.
3. August 1991–July 1993, KC-135 Navigator and Instructor Navigator, 305th Air Refueling Squadron Heavy, Grissom Air Force Base, Ind.
4. July 1993–July 1995, KC-135 Instructor Navigator, 97th Air Refueling Squadron, later, Executive Officer, 43rd Operations Group and 43rd Air Refueling Group, Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont.
5. July 1995–September 1996, Student, Air Force Intern Program, Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
6. October 1996–May 1997, Student, Air Force Intern Program, Mobility Forces Division, Directorate of Forces, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Va.
7. May 1997–September 1997, C-130 Initial Qualification Training, Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark.
8. October 1997–October 1999, C-130E Navigator, Instructor Navigator, Flight Commander and Assistant Director of Operations, 37th Airlift Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
9. October 1999–July 2000, Chief, C-130 Standardization and Evaluation, Directorate of Aerospace Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein AB, Germany
10. July 2000–June 2001, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
11. June 2001–August 2002, Chief, Global Mobility Program Integration, Chief, Future Air Refueling Requirements, and later, deputy Division Chief, Global Mobility and Special Operations Requirements Division, Directorate of Operational Requirements, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Va.
12. August 2002–June 2003, C-130 Requalification Training, later, Director of Operations, 61st Airlift Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
13. June 2003–June 2005, Commander, 463rd Operations Support Squadron, Little Rock AFB Base, Ark. (July 2004–October 2004, Commander, 777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, Southwest Asia)
14. July 2005–June 2006, Student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
15. July 2006–May 2008, Chief, Distribution Process Owner Program Management and Strategy Division, later, Deputy Director, Strategy, Policy, Programs and Logistics Directorate (J5J4), U.S. Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
16. May 2008–April 2010, Vice Commander, 375th Airlift Wing, later, 375th Air Mobility Wing, Scott AFB, Ill. (May 2009–September 2009, Deputy Director of Mobility Forces-Air, U.S. Air Forces Central Command, Southwest Asia)
17. April 2010–May 2012, Commander, 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing, JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
18. June 2012–June 2013, Director, Air Force Colonel Management Office, Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower, Personnel and Services, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Va.
19. June 2013–July 2014, Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
20. August 2014–August 2016, Deputy Director, Strategy, Plans and Programs Directorate (J5), U.S. Africa Command, Stuttgart-Mohringen, Germany
21. August 2016–September 2017, Vice Commander, U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center, JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
22. October 2017–present, Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs, Office of the Under Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2006–May 2008, Chief, Distribution Process Owner Program Management and Strategy Division, later, Deputy Director, Strategy, Policy, Programs, and Logistics Directorate (J5J4), U.S. Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill, as a lieutenant colonel and colonel
2. August 2014–August 2016, Deputy Director, Strategy, Plans and Programs Directorate (J5), U.S. Africa Command, Stuttgart-Mohringen, Germany, as a brigadier general

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: master navigator
Flight Hours: more than 3,100
Aircraft flown: KC-135R, C-130E/H3 and C-21A

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit with three oak leaf clusters
Bronze Star
Meritorious Service Medal with silver oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal
Combat Readiness Medal with oak leaf cluster
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with service star
Southwest Asia Service Medal with service star
Kosovo Campaign Medal with service star
Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War On Terrorism Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal with service star
Humanitarian Service Medal with service star
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 13, 1989
First Lieutenant Sept. 8, 1991
Captain Sept. 8, 1993
Major July 1, 1999
Lieutenant Colonel March 1, 2002
Colonel Jan. 1, 2007
Brigadier General April 2, 2014
Major General Dec. 3, 2017

(Current as of December 2020)