Brig. Gen. Joseph D. Kunkel is the Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff of the Air Force for Operational Imperative Integration, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Virginia. He leads a team of military and civilians to integrate the capabilities developed under the seven Operational Imperatives and put them in the hands of the warfighter. Brig. Gen. Kunkel is also responsible for integrating the Operational Imperatives with the corporate process — defining capability requirements for the priority mission threads; then codifying them as inputs in the annual Program Objective Memorandum cycles.
Brig. Gen. Kunkel commissioned at the United States Air Force Academy in June of 1994. Following Undergraduate Pilot Training at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma, he was assigned to the F-15E Strike Eagle. He transitioned to the F- 22 Raptor as part of Pacific Air Forces’ F-22 initial cadre where he served as the Commander of the 90th Fighter Squadron. Before assuming his current position, he was the Director of Plans, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force. Brig. Gen. Kunkel is a command pilot with over 2,776 flying hours.
EDUCATION
1994 Bachelor of Science, Aeronautical Engineering, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2002 Master of Arts, Organizational Management, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
2013 Master of Arts, Strategic Studies, Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2014 National Preparedness Leadership Initiative, Cohort XI, Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government, Cambridge, Mass.
2019 Air Force Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
ASSIGNMENTS
1. February 1995–February 1996, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Vance Air Force Base, Okla.
2. February 1996–December 1996, Student, F-15E Replacement Training Unit, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
3. December 1996–December 1999, Flight Lead, 494th Fighter Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom
4. January 2000–June 2001, Instructor Pilot, 89th Flying Training Squadron, Sheppard AFB, Texas
5. June 2001–June 2002, Student, Air Force Intern Program, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
6. June 2002–November 2004, Flight Commander, Instructor Pilot, 90th Fighter Squadron, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
7. November 2004–July 2007, Executive Officer to the Air Force A3/5, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
8. August 2007–June 2010, Director of Operations, 525th Fighter Squadron, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
9. June 2010–May 2012, Commander, 90th Fighter Squadron, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
10. June 2012–June 2013, Student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
11. July 2013–June 2015, Director of Operations, Alaskan Command, JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
12. June 2015–September 2017, Vice Commander, 325th Fighter Wing, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
13. September 2017–July 2019, Commander, 366th Fighter Wing, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho
14. July 2019–June 2020, Vice Director of Operations, Headquarters North American Aerospace Defense Command, Colo.
15. June 2020–August 2021, Commander, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, Southwest Asia
16. August 2021–July 2023, Director of Plans, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
17. August 2023–present, Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff of the Air Force for Operational Imperative Integration, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2013–June 2015, Director of Operations, Alaskan Command, JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, as a colonel
2. July 2019–June 2020, Vice Director of Operations, Headquarters North American Aerospace Defense Command, Colo., as a colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 2,776
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-38, F-15E, F-15SG, F-22A, KC-135R and HC-130J
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Distinguished Flying Cross with “V” device
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters Air Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
PUBLICATIONS
Sovereignty-in-being: A Dangerous New Model for Territorial Expansion in the 21st Century, InterAgency Journal, Vol. 9, No. 2 (2018)
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 1, 1994
First Lieutenant June 1, 1996
Captain June 1, 1998
Major Aug. 1, 2004
Lieutenant Colonel June 1, 2008
Colonel Oct. 11, 2013
Brigadier General Aug. 6, 2020
(Current as of September 2023)