BRIGADIER GENERAL DAVID A. COTTON Brig. Gen. David A. Cotton is Director of Cyberspace Operations and Air Force Senior Information Assurance Officer, Secretary of the Air Force Office of Information Dominance and Chief Information Officer, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. As the career field functional manager he is responsible for the oversight and transformation of the officer, enlisted and civilian cyberspace operations and support career fields aligned with a 44,000-person workforce. As the Senior Information Assurance Officer, he oversees the Air Force information assurance program to ensure compliance with all legislative, Department of Defense and joint information assurance policies and directives. Additionally, he serves as the Air Force's chief strategist in the development of information technology efficiencies across the Future Years Defense Program, as well as their integration into the Secretary of Defense's information technology consolidation initiative. A native of Newton, Iowa, General Cotton entered the Air Force in 1982 after receiving his commission through the ROTC program at Iowa State University. He has held a variety of communications positions, highlighted by service as Director of Command, Control, Communications and Computer (C4) Systems for Joint Task Force - Southwest Asia during Operation Enduring Freedom. The general has commanded two communications squadrons as well as the 5th Combat Communications Group. He also served as the Director of Communications and Information and Chief Information Officer, Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command, and Director for C4 Systems and the Chief Information Officer for U.S. Joint Forces Command. Prior to his current assignment, General Cotton was Director of Command, Control, Communications and Warfighting Integration and the Chief Information Officer, Headquarters U.S. European Command. EDUCATION 1981 Bachelor of Science degree in computer science, Iowa State University, Ames 1984 Master of Arts degree in computer data and personnel management, Webster University, St. Louis, Mo. 1986 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. 1993 Canadian Forces Command and Staff College, Toronto, Ontario, Canada 1999 Master of Arts degree in strategic studies, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 2005 Federal Executive Institute, Charlottesville, Va. 2006 Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, N.C. 2010 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Darden School of Business, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va. ASSIGNMENTS 1. February 1982 - April 1984, computer programmer, Tactical Warning and Attack Assessment Simulation Software, Headquarters North American Aerospace Defense Command, North American Aerospace Defense Off-site Test Facility, Colorado Springs, Colo. 2. April 1984 - July 1984, executive officer, NORAD Cheyenne Mountain Complex Systems Software Directorate, Headquarters NORAD, NORAD Off-site Test Facility, Colorado Springs, Colo. 3. July 1984 - August 1985, aide-de-camp, Space Communications Division, Cheyenne Mountain Complex, Colorado Springs, Colo. 4. August 1985 - October 1986, Chief, Tactical Systems Engineering, 3rd Combat Communications Group, Tinker AFB, Okla. 5. October 1986 - September 1988, Commander, 32nd Combat Communications Squadron, Tinker AFB, Okla. 6. September 1988 - September 1989, Air Staff Training Program, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, DC. 7. September 1989 - April 1990, Program Decision Package and Element Monitor, Tactical Communications Integration Program, Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for C4 Systems, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, DC. 8. April 1990 - July 1991, Chief, Command and Control Systems Panel Operations, Deputy Chief of Staff for C4 Systems, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, DC. 9. July 1991 - July 1992, executive officer, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for C4 Systems, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, DC. 10. July 1992 - June 1993, student, Canadian Forces Command and Staff College, Toronto, Ontario, Canada 11. July 1993 - July 1995, Commander, 437th Communications Squadron, Charleston AFB, S.C. 12. July 1995 - June 1997, Chief, C4 Architecture and Program Review, Command, Control and Systems Directorate, Headquarters USEUCOM, Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany 13. June 1997 - June 1998, executive officer, Office of the Director for Command, Control and Systems, Headquarters USEUCOM, Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany 14. June 1998 - June 1999, student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 15. June 1999 - March 2000, assistant for Senior Officer Matters, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Information, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. 16. March 2000 - May 2001, Chief, Communications and Intelligence, U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff's Developing Aerospace Leaders Program Office, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington DC. 17. May 2001 - May 2002, Director, C4 Systems Directorate (J6), Joint Task Force-Southwest Asia, Saudi Arabia 18. May 2002 - June 2004, Commander, 5th Combat Communications Group, Robins AFB, Ga. 19. June 2004 - July 2005, Director, Communications and Information, Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla. 20. July 2005 - May 2007, Director, C4 Systems (J6) and Chief Information Officer, Headquarters U.S. Joint Forces Command, Norfolk, Va. 21. May 2007 - September 2009, Director of Command, Control, Communications and Warfighting Integration (J6/J9), Headquarters USEUCOM, Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany 22. September 2009 - present, is Director of Cyberspace Operations and Air Force Senior Information Assurance Officer, Secretary of the Air Force Office of Information Dominance and Chief Information Officer, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS 1. July 1995 - June 1997, Chief, C4 Architecture and Program Review, Command, Control and Systems Directorate, Headquarters USEUCOM, Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany, as a major 2. June 1997 - June 1998, executive officer, Office of the Director for Command, Control and Systems, Headquarters USEUCOM, Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany, as a major and lieutenant colonel 3. May 2001 - May 2002, Director, C4 Systems Directorate (J6), Joint Task Force-Southwest Asia/OEF (USCENTCOM), Saudi Arabia, as a colonel 4. July 2005 - May 2007, Director, C4 Systems (J6) and Chief Information Officer, Headquarters U.S. Joint Forces Command, Norfolk, Va., as a colonel 5. May 2007 - September 2009, Director of Command, Control, Communications and Warfighting Integration (J6/J9), Headquarters USEUCOM, Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany, as a colonel and brigadier general MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster Legion of Merit Bronze Star Medal Defense Meritorious Service Medal Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters Joint Service Commendation Medal Air Force Achievement Medal EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION Second Lieutenant Dec. 19, 1981 First Lieutenant Jan. 22, 1984 Captain Jan. 22, 1986 Major May 1, 1993 Lieutenant Colonel Jan. 1, 1998 Colonel July 1, 2002 Brigadier General May 16, 2008 (Current as of September 2011)