Maj. Gen. Derek C. France is the Director of Operations, Strategic Deterrence, and Nuclear Integration, Headquarters United States Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Maj. Gen. France oversees a directorate staff and the 603rd Air Operations Center providing integrated air and missile defense, aeromedical evacuation, space and cyberspace operations, aerial refueling, weather, combat aerial delivery, operational support airlift and distinguished visitor airlift, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and precision strike in the European and African Commands.
Maj. Gen. France was commissioned at the United States Air Force Academy in May 1992. He is a Command Pilot with more than 2,800 hours in the F-15C and F-22A. He graduated from the U.S. Air Force Weapons School in 1998 and later returned as a Weapons School Instructor and Operations Officer. He subsequently served as Deputy Detachment Commander and Instructor Pilot in the Royal Saudi Air Force Fighter Weapons School in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Since transitioning to the F-22A in 2008, he has commanded the 43rd Fighter Squadron, Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida; the 3rd Operations Group, Joint Base Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska; the 325th Fighter Wing, Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida; and the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates. He has also served as a National Defense
Fellow at the Department of State, the Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff, J3, United States Forces Korea, and as the Senior Executive Officer to the Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force. Prior to assuming his current assignment, Maj. Gen France was the Deputy Director of Operations, U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Florida.
EDUCATION
1992 Bachelor of Science, Engineering Sciences, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1999 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2003 Air Command and Staff Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2006 Naval Command and Staff College, Newport, R.I.
2006 Master of Science, National Security and Strategic Studies, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
2007 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2011 National Defense Fellowship, U.S. Department of State Senior Seminar, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. October 1992–October 1993, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas
2. April 1994–November 1994, Student, F-15C Basic Course 95th Fighter Squadron, 325th Fighter Wing, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
3. December 1994–December 1997, Pilot, Instructor Pilot, and Flight Examiner, 54th Fighter Squadron, 3rd Wing Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
4. January 1998–June 1998, Student, U.S. Air Force Weapons Instructor Course, Nellis AFB, Nev.
5. July 1998–June 2000, Instructor Pilot and Chief of Weapons and Tactics, 71st Fighter Squadron, 1st Fighter Wing, Langley AFB, Va.
6. July 2000–July 2004, Instructor Pilot, Flight Commander and Operations Officer, F-15C Division/433rd Weapons Squadron, U.S.Air Force Weapons School, 57th Wing, Nellis AFB, Nev.
7. August 2004–June 2005, Instructor Pilot and Detachment Commander, Dhahran Detachment, United States Military Training Mission, Saudi Arabia
8. July 2005–June 2006, Student, Naval Command and Staff College, Newport, R.I.
9. July 2006–May 2008, Aide-de-Camp to the AETC Commander, Randolph AFB, Texas
10. June 2008–June 2010, Commander, 43rd Fighter Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
11. July 2010–July 2011, Student, National Defense Fellow, U.S. Department of State Senior Seminar, Washington, D.C.
12. July 2011–June 2013, Commander, 3rd Operations Group, Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Alaska
13. June 2013–July 2014, Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff, J3, United States Forces Korea, United States Army Garrison Yongsan, South Korea
14. July 2014–July 2016, Commander, 325th Fighter Wing, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
15. July 2016–July 2017, Senior Executive Officer to the Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
16. July 2017–July 2018, Commander, 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates
17. July 2018–June 2020, Deputy Director of Operations, U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.
18. June 2020–present, Director of Operations, Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration for Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe and U.S Air Forces Africa, Ramstein AB, Germany
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight Hours: over 2,800
Aircraft Flown: F-15A-D, F-22A
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters and C device
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 27, 1992
First Lieutenant May 27, 1994
Captain May 27, 1996
Major November 1, 2002
Lieutenant Colonel August 1, 2007
Colonel September 1, 2011
Brigadier General September 2, 2017
Major General Frocked
(Current as of May 2021)