Maj. Gen. Derek “Maestro” O’Malley is the Director of the Department of Defense Special Access Program Central Office, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. He serves under the authority, direction, and control of the Deputy Secretary of Defense for all programs protected under special access controls in order to acquire and deploy operational and intelligence capabilities to warfighters worldwide. Additionally, Maj. Gen. O’Malley chairs the Low Observable/Counter Low Observable Tri-Service Committee.
Maj. Gen. O'Malley received his commission as a distinguished graduate of the Air Force ROTC program from Brigham Young University, Utah, in 1996. He has accumulated more than 3,000 flight hours including operational flying assignments in the F-16, F-35A and A10C. He is a distinguished graduate and former instructor at the U.S. Air Force Weapons School and was also in the initial cadre for the F-35A Lightning II. Maj. Gen. O'Malley has held leadership positions at the squadron, group and wing levels. He also commanded a fighter wing, and the U.S. Air Force’s sole combat wing in Afghanistan, where he culminated the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing’s 19 years of combat operations. His staff experience includes joint assignments in the Canadian NORAD Region, NORAD and the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
Prior to his current position, he served as the Deputy Director of Operations for NORAD. The general has deployed in support of operations Northern Watch, Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, Resolute Support and Freedom's Sentinel.
EDUCATION
1996 Bachelor of Arts, Communications, Brigham Young University, Utah
2002 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2004 Distinguished Graduate, U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
2005 Master of Business Administration, Trident University, distance learning program
2005 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB., Ala., by correspondence
2009 Distinguished Graduate, Master of Science, Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflicts, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.
2013 Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence
2015 Distinguished Graduate, Master of Science, Strategic Studies, U.S. Army War College, Pa.
2024 CAPSTONE Executive Development Course, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. October 1996–May 1997, Executive Officer, 71st Operations Group, Vance Air Force Base, Okla.
2. May 1997–September 1998, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Vance AFB, Okla.
3. September 1998–August 1999, Student, F-16 Initial Qualification Training, 308th Fighter Squadron, Luke AFB, Ariz.
4. August 1999–July 2001, Assistant Chief of Weapons and Tactics, 389th FS, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho
5. July 2001–January 2003, F-16 Flight Examiner, Flight Commander, 22nd FS, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany
6. January 2003–July 2004, Student, U.S. Air Force Weapons Instructor Course, 16th Weapons Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
7. July 2004–August 2005, Chief of Weapons and Tactics, 35th FS, Kunsan AB, South Korea
8. August 2005–June 2008, F-16 Instructor, Assistant Director of Operations, U.S. Air Force Weapons School, 16th Weapons Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
9. June 2008–October 2009, Student, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.
10. October 2009–July 2011, Deputy Operations Group Commander, 33rd Operations Group, Eglin AFB, Fla.
11. July 2011–June 2012 Director of Operations, 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
12. June 2012–June 2014, Commander, 59th Test and Evaluation Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
13. June 2014–June 2015, Student, U.S. Army War College, Carlisle, Pa.
14. June 2015–June 2017, Senior Military Advisor for Air Warfare Systems, Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
15. June 2017–June 2018, Vice Commander, 388th Fighter Wing, Hill AFB, Utah
16. June 2018–June 2020, Commander, 20th Fighter Wing, Shaw AFB, S.C.
17. June 2020–June 2021, Commander, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing/Task Force Vulture, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan
18. June 2021–June 2023, Deputy Commander, Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Region, and Deputy Joint Forces Air Component Commander, 1 Canadian Air Division, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
19. June 2023–July 2024, Deputy Director of Operations, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Peterson Space Force Base, Colo.
20. July 2024–present, Director, Special Access Program Central Office, Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Pentagon, Va.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2015–June 2017, Senior Military Advisor for Air Warfare Systems, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Director of Operational Test & Evaluation, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a colonel
2. June 2021–June 2023, Deputy Commander, Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Region, and Deputy Joint Forces Air Component Commander, 1 Canadian Air Division, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, as a brigadier general
3. June 2023–July 2024, Deputy Director of Operations, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Peterson Space Force Base, Colo., as a brigadier general
4. July 2024–present, Director, Special Access Program Central Office, Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a major general
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 3,000 including 586 combat hours
Aircraft flown: T-41, T-3, T-37, T-38, F-35A, F-16C, A-10C, CF-18 and C-130J
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters and "C" device
Legion of Merit
Distinguished Flying Cross with "V" device
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with six oak leaf clusters and five "C" devices
Aerial Achievement Medal
Combat Action Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Meritorious Service Medal (Government of Canada)
(Current as of August 2024)