Mr. Bruce T. Desautels, is the U.S. Northern Command Deputy Director of Operations for Special Programs. The Directorate of Operations serves as the principal advisor to the USNORTHCOM Commander on all operational matters, providing strategic guidance to plan and execute USNORTHCOM missions within the area of responsibility including land, maritime and air homeland defense operations as well as defense support of civil authorities.
Mr. Desautels enlisted in the Air Force in 1979 as a Minuteman Missile Systems Analyst and earned his commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1985. He has almost two decades of joint, interagency and multinational experience and served in key positions with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Joint Staff, Defense Threat Reduction Agency and NATO. Mr. Desautels concluded his Air Force career as the DTRA Deputy Director of Operations, Readiness and Exercises, safeguarding the U.S. and its allies from weapons of mass destruction. A Command Pilot and Airline Transport Pilot, he’s flown as an Instructor Pilot, Flight Evaluator and NATO Tactical Evaluator. He has flown 36 combat and combat support hours, and over 3,400 hours in the A/OA-10, B737, F-5, F-16, Mig-21, SU-25, T-33, T-37, T/AT-38 and other aircraft.
Most recently, Mr. Desautels served in the defense industry as a Director. He led a research and development team of scientists, engineers, acquisition professionals and program managers to provide advisory and assistance services to DTRA’s Research and Development Directorate to support its mission to ensure readiness, technological superiority, risk mitigation and integration with stakeholders to include OSD, combatant commands, the Joint Staff, national laboratories, inter-agency and international partners.
EDUCATION
1980 Missile Systems Analyst Training, Chanute Air Force Base, Ill.
1985 Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1989 Squadron Officers School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1994 Masters of Science in Aerospace Sciences, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla.
1997 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2000 Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
2003 Air War College, by correspondence
2009 Army War College and National Security Policy Program, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.
2009 Master’s in Strategic Studies, Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.
2012 Senior Executive Fellows Program, Harvard University, JFK School of Government, Cambridge, Mass.
2014 Project Management Professional (PMP Certified), Springfield, Va.
CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. August 1979 - November 1979, Basic Military Training, Lackland AFB, Texas
2. November 1979 - April 1980, Electronics/Missile Systems Analyst Training, Chanute AFB, Ill.
3. April 1980 - June 1980, Minuteman Missile Systems Analyst, Ellsworth AFB, S.D.
4. June 1980 - June 1985, Cadet, USAF Academy Preparatory School and USAF Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
5. May 1985 - August 1986, Student Pilot, Williams AFB, Ariz.
6. August 1986 - August 1990, T-38 Instructor Pilot/Chief, Wing Scheduling, Williams AFB, Ariz.
7. August 1990 - October 1990, AT-38 Upgrade Pilot, Holloman AFB, N.M.
8. October 1990 - December 1990, A-10 Upgrade Pilot, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
9. December 1990 - April 1992, A-10 Fighter Pilot, England AFB, La.
10. April 1992 - December 1994, A-10 Instructor Pilot and Flight Commander, Pope AFB, N.C.
11. January 1995 - February 1998, A-10 Instructor Pilot and Assistant Director of Operations, 355th Training Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
12. February 1998 - February 2001, NATO Tactical Evaluator and Executive Officer, Assistant Chief of Staff for Plans and Policy, Allied Air Forces Southern Europe, NATO, Naples, Italy
13. February 2001 - October 2004, Director of Operations, 355th Training Squadron and Commander, ACC Training Support Squadron, Det 3, Davis Monthan AFB, Ariz.
14. Nov 2004 - July 2008, Senior Executive Assistant to the Director, Joint Staff and Executive Assistant, Joint Staff (J3), Deputy Director for Regional Operations, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
15. July 2008 - July 2009, Student, U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.
16. July 2009 - August 2011, Commander, 51st Operations Group, Osan AB, South Korea
17. August 2011 – March 2014, Military Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical, Biological Defense Programs, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., and DTRA J3/7 Deputy Director for Operations, Readiness, and Exercises, Fort Belvoir, Va.
18. March 2014 – April 2018, Corporate Executive Director of Advisory and Assistance Services in support of the DTRA’s Research and Development Directorate, Fort Belvoir, Va.
19. May 2018 – present, Deputy Director of Operations, Headquarters USNORTHCOM/J3, Peterson AFB, Colo.
MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS
Air Force Electronics and Missile Systems Analyst Honor Graduate
ACC Pilot Safety Award of Distinction
AT-38 Training Distinguished Graduate
A-10 Training Distinguished Graduate, Top Graduate, Top Academics, and Top Gun
AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
Combat Readiness Medal
AF Good Conduct Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal
Kosovo Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Korean Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal
Military Outstanding Volunteer Medal
NATO Medal
(Current as of August 2018)