John F. Vona is Deputy Director of the Plans, Program and Requirements Directorate (ACC/A5/8/9), Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. He is responsible for planning and programming more than $60 billion annually for a force of more than 146,000 personnel and 2,800 aircraft, supporting 10 unified commands and U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command. He leads operational requirements functions for Combat Air Force weapon system acquisition, modernization, sustainment, and test for more than 140 programs. He also serves as senior acquisition and engineering advisor for CAF fighter, munitions, command and control, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, cyberspace, joint personnel recovery, weather, test and training, combat support, airborne networking, and tactical edge communications programs. He assists in directing a staff of 25 divisions and more than 700 personnel, and guides multiple ACC-sponsored innovation, experimentation and advanced technology initiatives, teaming with Air Force Research Laboratory, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and other government and industry partners.
Prior to his current assignment, Mr. Vona was Chief of the ACC/A5/8/9 Information Superiority Division, directing modernization and sustainment of the Air Force Distributed Common Ground System weapon system, and the Air Force’s primary Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance multi-intelligence Processing, Exploitation and Dissemination capability. He also directed multiple other ISR infrastructure, battlespace awareness and multi-domain operations programs, experimentation activities and technology initiatives. He previously served as Chief, ACC A5/8/9 Air Operations Center Division and Technical Director of the ACC Requirements Directorate.
From 2007 to 2013, Mr. Vona led the Air Force Command & Control Integration Center Plans and Integration Division, supervising numerous initiatives to improve integration of air, space and cyberspace C2 capabilities. From 2004 to 2006, he served as Deputy Technical Director for the Air Force Command & Control, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center, directing innovation and experimentation efforts for new C2 & ISR concepts and technologies.
Prior to his assignments at JB Langley-Eustis, Mr. Vona spent 16 years at the Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate, Rome, New York. He held various branch chief, program management and engineering positions acquiring, fielding and sustaining advanced intelligence processing, exploitation and dissemination capabilities for Combatant Commands, multi-service DCGS, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, National Reconnaissance Office and selected Foreign Military Sales programs. He served on multiple Intelligence Community systems engineering boards and study teams and established the DIA’s Joint Integration and Test Facility, leading testing of more than 40 software IC-standard mission applications.
He began his Air Force career in 1985 as an Electronics Engineering Technician at the 485th Engineering Installation Group, Griffiss AFB, New York, fielding secure communications systems to multiple U.S. and ally sites.
EDUCATION
1988 Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering, Syracuse University, N.Y.
1992 Master of Science, Electrical Engineering, Syracuse University, N.Y.
1995 Maxwell School of Government National Security Studies Program, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, N.Y.
1996 Advanced Management Program, State University of New York, Marcy.
2008 Air War College, Maxell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence
2011 Leadership for a Democratic Society Program, Federal Executive Institute, Charlottesville, Va.
CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. 1984−1986, Electronics Engineering Technician, 485th Engineering and Installation Group, Griffiss Air Force Base, N.Y.
2. 1987−1997, Electronics and Computer Engineer, Rome Laboratory, later Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate, Rome, N.Y.
3. 1998−2004, Chief, Information Handling Branch and Director, Air Force Intelligence Data Handling System Program Office, Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate, Rome, N.Y.
4. 2004−2011, Chief, Plans and Integration Division, Air Force Command and Control, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center, Langley Air Force Base, Va.
5. 2011−2013, Technical Director, Air Force Command and Control Integration Center, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
6. 2013−2015, Chief, Air Operations Center Division and Technical Director, Requirements Directorate, Air Combat Command, JB Langley-Eustis, Va.
7. 2015−2019, Chief, Information Superiority Division, Directorate of Plans, Programs and Requirements, Air Combat Command, JB Langley-Eustis, Va.
8. 2019−present, Deputy Director, Plans, Programs and Requirements, Air Combat Command, JB Langley-Eustis, Va.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
2010 Association of Old Crows Electronic Warfare Team Award
2015 Air Force Meritorious Civilian Service Award
2016 Chief Acquisition Officer Council Acquisition Excellence Award
PUBLICATIONS
“Global Effects: Pilot Explores Integrated Command and Control” High Frontier, the Journal for Space and Missile Professionals, Volume 5, Number 3, May 2009 (sole author)
(Current as of July 2021)