Mr. Dominic Pohl, a member of the Defense Intelligence Senior Executive Service, is the Executive Director, Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber), Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. Mr. Pohl assists the commander in reviewing, evaluating and formulating policies, concepts and objectives governing the mission of the globally dispersed numbered air force. Sixteenth Air Force ensures the readiness of more than 49,000 personnel conducting worldwide operations by delivering multisource intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance products, applications, capabilities and resources. In addition, they build, extend, operate, secure and defend the Air Force portion of the Department of Defense global network. Furthermore, Joint Force Headquarters-Cyber (Air Force) personnel perform operational planning as part of coordinated efforts to support Air Force component and combatant commanders, and upon approval of the President and/or Secretary of Defense, the execution of offensive cyberspace operations. The command also serves as the Service Cryptologic Component, responsible to the Director, National Security Agency, and Chief, Central Security Service, as the Air Force's sole authority for matters involving the conduct of cryptologic activities. Sixteenth Air Force leads Air Force global information warfare activities with nine wings, a technical center and an operations center.
Mr. Pohl has more than 35 years of experience in systems engineering, program management, program analysis and as an intelligence officer. He was a member of the Central Intelligence Agency's Senior Intelligence Service from 2002-2012. He previously served as Deputy Director of Air, Space and Cyberspace Operations, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. In that capacity, he also served as the Senior National Reconnaissance Office Advisor to the Commander, AFSPC. Mr. Pohl was responsible for the development of operations policy and guidance, concepts of operations and emergency action procedures for all AFSPC space and cyberspace forces in the areas of command and control, missile warning, space surveillance, space control, space lift, navigation, weather, communication and across the spectrum of Air Force cyberspace operations.
Prior to his AFSPC assignment, Mr. Pohl served as the Director of the Information Integration Program Management Office in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. He was responsible for developing, implementing and maintaining the DNI information integration and sharing program across the intelligence community. His duties included the management, systems engineering and integration and program execution oversight of an extensive portfolio of more than 40 information sharing and network services initiatives across the intelligence community. As the Program Manager for I2P, Mr. Pohl also served as the implementation lead for Intelligence Community Directive 501, the DNI policy that mandated a significant broadening in the discoverability and accessibility of intelligence information by authorized users throughout the intelligence community. Mr. Pohl directed the development of the ICD 501 plan that was successfully implemented June 1, 2009.
Mr. Pohl also served as the Director of the Systems Engineering and Technology Office within the Signals Intelligence Systems Acquisition and Operations Directorate at the NRO. In that capacity, Mr. Pohl was the Chief Systems Engineer for the SIGINT Directorate of the NRO. He provided the architectural systems engineering and integration to define and verify the implementation of the end-to-end SIGINT program. He also managed the development of leading-edge technologies to continuously improve the NRO's ability to exploit new and emerging targets. Finally, he worked closely with the National Security Agency to identify and satisfy evolving user needs while ensuring interoperability with other intelligence providers. Mr. Pohl previously served as the Deputy Director of SETO.
Earlier in his career Mr. Pohl held a variety of senior systems engineering, program management and intelligence collection management positions on the staffs of the DNI and the Director of Central Intelligence from 1996-2004. He was the first Chief of Requirements for the DCI, establishing and directing the operations of the DCI Mission Requirements Board from 2000-2004. Mr. Pohl began his career with active-duty service in the U.S. Air Force from 1986-1995, first as an intelligence applications officer, and then as a signals intelligence officer.
EDUCATION
1982 Bachelor of Arts, Physics, Columbia University, New York
1995 Master of Science, Strategic Intelligence, Joint Military Intelligence College, Defense Intelligence Agency, Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C.
2003 Intelligence Community Senior Leadership Program, Washington, D.C.
2007 Pinnacle Executive Leader Program, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill.
CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. November 1986–January 1990, Team Chief, then Branch Operations Officer, Offensive Missiles Branch, 544th Intelligence Analysis Squadron, Strategic Air Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb.
2. January 1990–June 1995, Team Chief, SIGINT Analysis, Strategic Forces Branch, National Security Agency, Fort George G. Meade, Md.
3. June 1996–April 1999, Senior Program Analyst for SIGINT, Program Assessment and Evaluation Office, Office of the DCI, Community Management Staff, CIA Headquarters, Langley, Va.
4. April 1999–March 2000, Senior Collection Requirements Officer, Office of the Assistant DCI for Collection, CIA Headquarters, Langley, Va.
5. March 2000–March 2004, Chief of Requirements, Office of the Deputy DCI for Community Management, CIA Headquarters, Langley, Va.
6. March 2004–June 2005, Chief, Discipline Analysis Group, Program Assessment and Evaluation Office, Office of the Director of National Intelligence Langley, Va.
7. June 2005–October 2006, Deputy Director, Systems Engineering and Technology Office, National Reconnaissance Office, Chantilly, Va.
8. October 2006–May 2008, Director, Systems Engineering and Technology Office, NRO, Chantilly, Va.
9. May 2008–October 2008, Integrated Project Team Lead for Integrated NRO Program Plan for Transformation, Systems Engineering Directorate, NRO, Chantilly, Va.
10. October 2008–July 2009, Director, Information Integration Program Management Office, Office of the DNI, McLean, Va.
11. August 2009–June 2010, Senior Staff, Office of Development and Engineering, NRO, Chantilly, Va.
12. July 2010–June 2012, Deputy Director, Air, Space, and Cyberspace Operations, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
13. June 2012–September 2014, Executive Director, Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas
14. September 2014–September 2017, Executive Director, Twenty-Fifth Air Force, JB San Antonio-Lackland, Texas
15. September 2017–September 2019, Executive Director, Twenty-Fifth Air Force; Director, Air Force Cryptologic Office, JB San Antonio-Lackland, Texas
16. October 2019–present, Executive Director, Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber), JB San Antonio-Lackland, Texas
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Presidential Rank Award – Meritorious Executive (2016 and 2022)
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal
(Current as of September 2024)