BRIGADIER GENERAL RICHARD S. STAPP

Brig. Gen. Richard S. Stapp is the Director of the Department of Defense Special Access Program Central Office.  In this capacity, he serves as Executive Secretary of the Special Access Program Oversight Committee.  He is also the Director of Special Programs, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.  He serves as the principal staff assistant and advisor to the Deputy Secretary of Defense and to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics on all programs protected under special access controls.  Additionally, the general serves as the DOD Director of Low Observables.

General Stapp received his commission in 1986 as a distinguished graduate of Officer Training School. He served as the lead flight test engineer for the joint service V-22 Osprey and conducted more than 250 hours of flight test on two prototype V-22s. He also served as an instructor at the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School.  General Stapp commanded the 36th Electronic Warfare Squadron, 84th Combat Sustainment Wing and 508th Aerospace Sustainment Wing.  He was the Director, Aerospace Sustainment Directorate, Ogden Air Logistics Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah.  He most recently served as the Deputy Director for Requirements (J8), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.  His staff assignments include Chief of Special Programs in the Directorate for Force Structure, Resources and Assessment on the Joint Staff; Director, Special Technology Group, National Reconnaissance Office; and Director of Special Programs in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition. 

EDUCATION
1985 Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering, with honors, University of Wyoming
1989 Master of Science degree in electrical engineering, with honors, University of New Mexico
1991 Distinguished graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1992 Distinguished graduate, USAF Test Pilot School, Edwards AFB, Calif.
1997 Distinguished graduate, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1997 Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
2003 Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.

ACQUISITION CERTIFICATION (APDP/DAWIA)
Level III – Program Management
Level III – Test and Evaluation
Level III – Systems Planning, Research and Development Engineering

ASSIGNMENTS
1. April 1986 - October 1991, Lead Space Electronics Engineer, Air Force Weapons Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
2. January 1992 - December 1992, Student, USAF Test Pilot School, Edwards AFB, Calif.
3. January 1993 - January 1996, Experimental Flight Test Engineer, Pilot and Chief, Avionics Division, V-22 Integrated Test Team, Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. (January 1993 - January 1996, Adjunct Professor, Florida Institute of Technology, NAS Patuxent River, Md.
4. January 1996 - August 1996, Instructor, U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, NAS Patuxent River, Md.
5. August 1996 – June 1997, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
6. September 1997 - December 1997, Deputy Chief, Systems Implementation Branch, Intelligence Directorate (J2), U.S. Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
7. January 1998 - June 2000, Chief, Space Control and Information Operations Branch, Intelligence Directorate (J2), U.S. Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
8. June 2000 - June 2002, Commander, 36th Electronic Warfare Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla.
9. June 2002 - June 2003, Student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
10. June 2003 - June 2005, Chief, Special Programs, Force Structure, Resources and Assessment (J8), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
11. June 2005 - June 2006, Director, Special Technology Group, National Reconnaissance Office, Washington, D.C.
12. June 2006 - October 2007, Director, Special Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
13. October 2007 - August 2009, Executive Assistant to the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
14. August 2009 - July 2010, Commander, 84th Combat Sustainment Wing, and Commander, 508th Aerospace Sustainment Wing, Hill AFB, Utah.
15. July 2010 - May 2011, Director, Aerospace Sustainment Directorate, Hill AFB, Utah
16. May 2011 – July 2013, Deputy Director for Requirements (J8), Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
17. July 2013 – present, Director, Special Programs, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.