Maj. Gen. Darren R. Cole serves as the Director of Operations, Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. He is responsible for policy, guidance, oversight and providing forces for rapid global mobility air operations around the world. These functions include airfield operations, Civil Reserve Air Fleet management and commercial carrier compliance, command and control and air operations center functional management, nuclear operations, global force management, air expeditionary force oversight, resource and readiness review monitoring, aircrew training, aircrew standardization and evaluation, joint exercise and commander's training guidance.
Maj. Gen. Cole earned his commission in 1992 through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program at the University of Illinois. He has commanded at the detachment, squadron, group, and wing levels and served in various positions within the Air Staff and combatant commands. He is a command pilot with more than 4,800 flying hours in the C-141, T-1, C-17, and KC-10, including combat missions in operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, Resolute Support, and Inherent Resolve. Prior to his current position, Maj. Gen. Cole served as the Director of Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, Headquarters AMC, Scott AFB, Illinois.
Maj. Gen. Cole’s joint assignments include Executive Officer to the Commander U.S. Southern Command; Commander of the 438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group, Kabul, Afghanistan; and Director, U.S. Central Command Deployment and Distribution Operations Center; and Deputy Director for Operations, USCENTCOM Logistics and Engineering Directorate, Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.
EDUCATION
1992 Bachelor of Arts, Geography, Distinguished Graduate, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Ill.
1999 Squadron Officer School, Outstanding Contributor, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2002 Master of Science, International Relations, Troy State University, Troy, Ala.
2005 Basic Spanish Course, Distinguished Graduate, Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Institute, Presidio of Monterey, Calif.
2006 Command and General Staff Course, Distinguished Graduate and Strategist Award, Western Hemisphere Institute for National Security Cooperation, Fort Benning, Ga.
2012 Master of Strategic Studies, Highest Academic Distinction, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2017 Leadership Development Program, Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, N.C.
2020 U.S. Air Force Executive Leadership Seminar, Kenan-Flagler School of Business, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 1993–August 1994, Student, Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Reese Air Force Base, Texas
2. December 1994–October 1997, Instructor Pilot, C-141B, Charleston AFB, S.C.
3. March 1998–March 2001, Flight Commander, Instructor Pilot, T-1A, Vance AFB, Okla.
4. June 2001–September 2004, Chief Standardization and Evaluation, C-17A, McChord AFB, Wash. (April 2004–July 2004, Commander, Detachment 2, 817th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar)
5. October 2004–May 2005, Student Officer, Spanish Basic Course, Presidio of Monterey, Calif.
6. May 2005–May 2006, Student, Command and General Staff Course, Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, Fort Benning, Ga.
7. May 2006–May 2008, Executive Officer to the Commander, U.S. Southern Command, Miami, Fla.
8. July 2008–June 2009, Chief of Safety, Hickam AFB, Hawaii (January 2009–May 2009, Chief of Safety, 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, Southwest Asia)
9. June 2009–June 2011, Commander, 15th Operations Support Squadron, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
10. June 2011–May 2012, Student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
11. June 2012–April 2014, Deputy Chief of Checkmate, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
12. April 2014–April 2015, Commander, 438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group, Kabul, Afghanistan
13. May 2015–Jun 2016, Chief of War Planning and Policy, HAF, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
14. Jul 2016–Jul 2018, Commander, 305th Air Mobility Wing, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
15. August 2018–August 2019, Director, U.S. Central Command Deployment and Distribution Operations Center; and Deputy Director for Operations, USCENTCOM Logistics and Engineering Directorate, Camp Arifjan, Kuwait
16. August 2019–June 2021, Deputy Director of Resource Integration and Chief Information Officer, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering, and Force Protection, HAF, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
17. June 2021–July 2022, Director, Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
18. July 2022–present, Director of Operations, Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration, Headquarters AMC, Scott Air Force Base, Ill.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 2006–May 2008, Executive Officer to the Commander, U.S. Southern Command, Miami, Fla., as a major and lieutenant colonel
2. April 2014–April 2015, Commander, 438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group, Kabul, Afghanistan, as colonel
3. August 2018–August 2019, Director, U.S. Central Command Deployment and Distribution Operations Center and Deputy Director, USCENTCOM Logistics and Engineering Directorate, Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, as a brigadier general
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 4,800
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-1A, C-141B, C-17A, C-130H, Mi-17, MD-530, C-208 and KC-10
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with oak leaf cluster
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Nov. 9, 1992
First Lieutenant Nov. 9, 1994
Captain Nov. 9, 1996
Major May 1, 2003
Lieutenant Colonel May 1, 2008
Colonel Aug. 1, 2014
Brigadier General Oct. 19, 2018
Major General June 24, 2022
(Current as of September 2022)