GARY A. O'CONNELL

Gary A. O'Connell serves as a Defense Intelligence Senior Leader in the position of Chief Scientist for the National Air and Space Intelligence Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. As Chief Scientist, Mr. O'Connell guides the 3,000-person center’s analytic production mission, ensuring timely delivery of relevant intelligence data products and services to Air Force and joint operational warfighters, acquisition and force modernization communities, and senior defense and intelligence community policy-making customers.

Mr. O’Connell began his government career as a co-op student with the Naval Surface Weapons Center in Dahlgren, Va. Upon graduation from the University of Cincinnati, he started work as an air-to-air missile analyst for the Foreign Technology Division, now NASIC. Prior to his current assignment, he was the Associate Chief Scientist of the Air and Electronics Directorate, NASIC.

EDUCATION
1981 Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering, University of Cincinnati, Ohio
1986 Master of Science degree in aeronautical engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
1997 Master of Science degree in national resource strategy, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2004 Intelligence Community Senior Leadership Program, Washington, D.C.
2006 Executive Leader Program, Northwestern University, Chicago, Ill.

CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. June 1981 - September 1988, Air-to-Air Missile Analyst, Foreign Technology Division, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
2. September 1988 - August 1992, Chief, Air-to-Air Weapons Branch, Foreign Technology Division, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
3. August 1992 - September 1993, Chief, Program Development Branch, Foreign Technology Division, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
4. October 1993 - July 1996, Chief, Acquisition Integration Division, National Air Intelligence Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
5. August 1996 - June 1997, Student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
6. July 1997 - September 1997, Chief, Futures Division, NAIC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
7. September 1997 - January 2004, Associate Chief Scientist for Global Threat, National Air and Space Intelligence Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
8. January 2004 - July 2005, Associate Chief Scientist, Air and Electronics Directorate, NASIC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
9. July 2005 - present, Chief Scientist, NASIC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio

AWARDS AND HONORS
2007 Meritorious Senior Professional Presidential Rank Award

(Current as of September 2013)