Brig. Gen. John Walker is the Deputy Inspector General of the Department of the Air Force, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. The Inspector General reports to the Secretary of the Air Force, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and Chief of Space Operations on the readiness, efficiency and military discipline of all components of the Department of the Air Force: active duty, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard. The Inspector General provides inspection policy and oversees the inspection and evaluation system for all Air Force nuclear and conventional forces; oversees counterintelligence operations; investigates fraud, waste and abuse; oversees criminal investigations; and provides oversight of complaints resolution programs. The Inspector General is also responsible for three field operating agencies: the Air Force Inspection Agency, the Office of Special Investigations and the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center.
Brig. Gen. Walker earned his commission in 1993 from the United States Air Force Academy and his pilot wings from Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. He is a command pilot with more than 2,700 hours, primarily in the F-16, and has commanded at the squadron, group, and wing levels. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, the U.S. Army School of Advanced Military Studies, and the Joint Forces Staff College’s Joint Advanced Warfighting School.
EDUCATION
1993 Bachelor of Science, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2000 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2007 Master of Military Art and Science in Strategy, U.S. Army Command & General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
2008 Master of Military Art and Science in Theater Operations, U.S. Army School of Advanced Military Studies, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
2012 Master of Science in Joint Campaign Planning and Strategy, Joint Advanced Warfighting School, Norfolk, Va.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. November 1993–December 1994, Student Pilot, Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas
2. April 1995–March 1996, Student Pilot, 309th Fighter Squadron, Luke AFB, Ariz.
3. March 1996–September 1998, Squadron Scheduler and F-16 Pilot, 34th Fighter Squadron, Hill AFB, Utah
4. September 1998–July 2000, Chief of Training and F-16 Instructor Pilot, 36th Fighter Squadron, Osan Air Base, South Korea
5. September 2000–September 2003, Flight Commander and Harrier GR7 Instructor Pilot, Number 1 (Fighter) Squadron, Royal Air Force Cottesmore, United Kingdom
6. January 2004–May 2006, Assistant Director of Operations, Chief of Wing Deployments and BRAC, and F-16 Instructor Pilot and Flight Examiner, 389th Fighter Squadron, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho
7. July 2006–June 2007, Student, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
8. July 2007–May 2008, Student, U.S. Army School of Advanced Military Studies, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
9. June 2008–March 2009, Director of Operations, 6th Combat Training Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
10. March 2009–February 2010, Commander, 549th Combat Training Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
11. June 2010–June 2011, Commander, Provincial Reconstruction Team Laghman, Forward Operating Base Mehtar Lam, Afghanistan
12. July 2011–June 2012, Student, Joint Advanced Warfighting School, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
13. June 2012–July 2013, Director of Weapon Systems Integration, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics), Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
14. July 2013–May 2014, Military Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Acquisition), Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics), Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
15. May 2014–July 2015, Commander, 8th Operations Group, Kunsan AB, South Korea
16. July 2015–June 2017, Commander, 39th Air Base Wing, Incirlik AB, Turkey
17. June 2017–June 2018, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s Special Assistant to the Secretary of State, Joint Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
18. June 2018–July 2019, Director, Joint Staff Legislative Affairs, Joint Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
19. July 2019–November 2019, Vice Commander, 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force-Afghanistan; and Deputy Commander, NATO Air Command-Afghanistan, Kabul, Afghanistan
20. December 2019–June 2020, Commander, 378th Air Expeditionary Wing, Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia
21. July 2020–July 2021, Deputy Director for Operational Requirements Development, Air Force Futures, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
22. July 2021–present, Deputy Inspector General, Department of the Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2010–June 2011, Commander, Provincial Reconstruction Team Laghman, Forward Operating Base Mehtar Lam, Afghanistan, as a lieutenant colonel
2. June 2012–July 2013, Director of Weapon Systems Integration, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics), Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a lieutenant colonel
3. July 2013–May 2014, Military Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Acquisition), Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics), Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a colonel
4. June 2017–June 2018, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s Special Assistant to the Secretary of State, Joint Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a colonel
5. June 2018–July 2019, Director, Joint Staff Legislative Affairs, Joint Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight Hours: more than 2,700, including 288 combat hours
Aircraft Flown: T-37, T-38, AT-38, F-16, Hawk T Mk1, and Harrier GR7
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Army Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
Army Achievement Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 2, 1993
First Lieutenant June 2, 1995
Captain June 2, 1997
Major Oct. 1, 2003
Lieutenant Colonel Oct. 1, 2008
Colonel Oct. 1, 2013
Brigadier General Aug. 2, 2019
(Current as of August 2021)