Lt. Gen. Samuel A. Greaves is the Director, Missile Defense Agency and advises the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering on Ballistic Missile Defense policy, requirements, priorities, systems, resources, and programs. MDA’s mission is to develop, test, and field an integrated, layered, ballistic missile defense system to defend the United States, its deployed forces, allies and friends against all ranges of enemy ballistic missiles in all phases of flight. General Greaves directs the organization spanning 14 time zones with more than 9,000 military, civilian and contract personnel and he exercises management oversight for the BMDS per Department of Defense Directive 5134.09, to include program management of missile defense and BMD-related programs, BMDS resources and execution of a single research, development, test and evaluation program supporting the BMDS.
General Greaves was commissioned in 1982 through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program after he graduated from Cornell University. He has held a variety of assignments in operational, acquisition and staff units, including assignments at Headquarters Air Combat Command, the National Reconnaissance Office and on the Air Staff within the Directorate of Operational Requirements and the Air Force Colonel Matters Office. He commanded the 45th Launch Group at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, the Launch and Range Systems Wing and Military Satellite Communications Systems Wing at Los Angeles AFB, California. The general also served as Vice Commander, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, California, and subsequently as Director, Strategic Plans, Programs and Analyses, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colorado. He was then assigned as the Deputy Director, Missile Defense Agency, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. Prior to his current assignment, he was the Commander, Space and Missile Systems Center, Air Force Space Command, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California.
He has operational launch crew experience in the space shuttle, Titan, Atlas and Delta space-launch systems. He wears the Command Space Badge.
EDUCATION
1982 Bachelor of Science, electrical engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.
1984 Master of Science, computer science, West Coast University, Los Angeles, Calif.
1986 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1997 Distinguished graduate, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1997 Undergraduate Space and Missile Training, Staff Course, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
1999 Air War College, by correspondence, with distinction
2001 Master's degree in strategic studies, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2003 Program Managers Course, Defense Systems Management College, Fort Belvoir, Va.
2008 Executive Program Managers Course, Defense Systems Management College, Fort Belvoir, Va.
2010 NSP Executive Course, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
2010 Systems Acquisition Management Course, Fort Belvoir, Va.
2011 Requirements Executive Overview Workshop, Peterson AFB, Colo.
2015 Cyberspace Operations Executive Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1982 - December 1984, space shuttle avionics engineer, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
2. December 1984 - June 1986, avionics engineer, Space Shuttle Main Engines, Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
3. June 1986 - October 1987, Chief, Titan Inter-Range Operations, 6595th Aerospace Test Group, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
4. October 1987 - March 1990, Titan Space Launch Systems Manager, 6595th Aerospace Test Group, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
5. March 1990 - January 1992, Chief, Spacecraft Test and Launch Operations, SP-11 Program Office, Secretary of the Air Force Office of Special Projects, Los Angeles, Calif.
6. January 1992 - March 1994, Chief, Satellite Engineering, SP-11 Program Office, Secretary of the Air Force Office of Special Projects, Los Angeles, Calif.
7. March 1994 - August 1995, executive officer to the Director, Secretary of the Air Force Office of Special Projects, Los Angeles, Calif.
8. August 1995 - August 1996, National Space Systems Applications Manager, Directorate of Requirements, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va.
9. August 1996 - August 1997, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
10. August 1997 - June 1998, Chief, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Requirements, Space and Reconnaissance Division, Directorate of Operational Requirements, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
11. June 1998 - June 1999, executive officer to the Director of Operational Requirements, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
12. June 1999 - July 2000, Deputy Chief, Assignments Division, and Chief, Space, Missile, Acquisition and Technical Assignments, Air Force Colonel Matters Office, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
13. July 2000 - June 2001, student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
14. June 2001 - July 2002, Commander, Air Force Communications Support Facility, White Sands Missile Range, N.M.
15. August 2002 - June 2004, Materiel Group Director, Air Force Satellite Control Network, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
16. June 2004 - August 2006, Commander, 45th Launch Group, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
17. August 2006 - June 2008, Commander, Launch and Range Systems Wing, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
18. June 2008 - August 2009, Commander, Military Satellite Communications Systems Wing, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
19. August 2009 - February 2011, Vice Commander, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
20. February 2011 - August 2012, Director, Strategic Plans, Programs and Analyses, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
21. August 2012 – June 2014, Deputy Director, Missile Defense Agency, Redstone Arsenal, Ala.
22. June 2014 – May 2017, Commander, Space and Missile Systems Center and Program Executive Officer for Space, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
23. June 2017 – present, Director, Missile Defense Agency, Fort Belvoir, Va.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 2012 - June 2014, Deputy Director, Missile Defense Agency, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., as a major general
2. June 2017 - present, Director, Missile Defense Agency, Ft. Belvoir, Va., as a lieutenant general
OPERATIONAL INFORMATION
Space Shuttle Missions: 51-C, 51-D, 51-B, 51-G, 51-F, 51-I, 51-J, 61-A, 61-B, 61-C, 51-L Titan: 34B-66, 34D-15, II-G1, 34D-14, II-G2
Titan IV: B-30
Delta II: NASA MESSENGER, Swift, Deep Impact, GPS IIR-13/GPS IIR-14(M), MiTEx, GPS IIR-15(M), GPS
IIR-16 (M), GPS IIR-17 (M), GPS IIR-18 (M), GPS IIR-19(M)
Delta IV: Air Force Heavy Demo, GOES-N, DMSP-17, DSP-23 Atlas II/III: AC-167, NROL-1, AC-206
Atlas V: AMC-16, INMARSAT-IV, NASA MARS Reconnaissance Orbiter, Pluto New Horizons, ASTRA, WGS-1, NRO L-24, NRO L-28, WGS-2
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2008 Lt. Gen. John W. O'Neill Outstanding System Program Director Award
2016 Gen. Bernard A. Schriever National Space Leadership Award
2017 Peter B. Teets National Security Space Award
2017 General Thomas D. White Space Award
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS
1994 Program Management, Level III, Acquisition Professional Development Program
1994 Research and Development, Level III, APDP
1994 Test and Engineering, Level I, APDP
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 2, 1982
First Lieutenant June 2, 1984
Captain June 2, 1986
Major July 1, 1994
Lieutenant Colonel Feb. 1, 1999
Colonel Aug. 1, 2003
Brigadier General Dec. 9, 2008
Major General July 13, 2012
Lieutenant General June 19, 2014
(Current as of November 2018)