Robert B. Fookes Jr., a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Director of Engineering and Technical Management, and Chief Engineer, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. He provides comprehensive leadership for maintaining technical superiority and integrity of all Air Force systems. He leads the command’s transformation to digital materiel management to maximize the value of technology disruption, and provide rapid capability maturation, delivery, and readiness. He leads a 15,000-person national engineering organization and is responsible for talent acquisition, development, and management of over 80% of the Air Force’s engineering and technical workforce.
Mr. Fookes has more than 34 years of experience in federal civil service. He began his Air Force career at Aeronautical System Center in 1988 as an Embedded Computer Resource Engineer. Mr. Fookes has had various assignments throughout his career, to include engine controls for the Propulsion Directorate, sub-system software on C-17 Program, integrated flight and propulsion control for the Joint Strike Fighter Concept Demonstration, Silent Knight Radar development for U.S. Special Operations Command, Air Vehicle Deputy Lead and F-35A Airworthiness Lead for the F-35 Joint Program Office, and Director of Engineering for Presidential and Executive Airlift and the F-35 JPO. His experience covers all phases of acquisition, from concept demonstration through sustainment, and crosses a wide variety of technical disciplines.
In his previous position, Mr. Fookes was the first Director of Engineering and Technical Management for the F-35 JPO in Arlington, Virginia. The F-35 JPO is the Defense Department’s agency responsible for the development, production and sustainment of the F-35A/B/C Lightning II, the next-generation strike aircraft for the Air Force, Marines, Navy, eight partner nations, and multiple foreign military customers. Mr. Fookes was responsible for sound systems engineering processes, product integrity, engineering leadership, and all technical aspects of the DoD’s largest acquisition program.
Prior to his F-35 assignment, Mr. Fookes was the Director of Engineering for the Presidential and Executive Airlift Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. He was the technical advisor to the directorate Program Executive Officer and responsible for all technical aspects of the PE directorate, which manages the modifications and sustainment of the current Air Force One (VC-25A), the E-4B fleet, and other presidential and executive aircraft affectionately referred to as the “blue and white” fleet. Mr. Fookes was also the Chief Engineer, and led the development and start of modification, for the next-generation Air Force One (VC-25B).
EDUCATION
1988 Bachelor of Science, Systems Engineering, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio
2002 Master of Science, Management Science, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio
2016 Air War College, Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence
CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. September 1988–September 1989, Computer Resource Engineer, Engineering Home Office and Propulsion Directorate, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
2. September 1989–August 1996, Computer Resource Engineer, C-17 System Program Office, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
3. September 1996–December 1996, Student, University of Dayton, Ohio
4. January 1997–September 1998, Lead Systems/Software Engineer, Avionics Integrated Support Facility, C-17 System Program Office, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
5. September 1998–April 1999, Flight Controls Team Lead, C-17 System Program Office, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
6. April 1999–October 2001, Vehicle Management System Integrated Flight/Propulsion Control Lead Engineer, Joint Strike Fighter Program Office, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
7. October 2001–July 2007, Vehicle Management System/Subsystems Lead Software/Integration Engineer, F-35 Program Office, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
8. July 2007–May 2009, Vehicle Systems Integration Integrated Powertrain Lead, F-35 Program Office, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
9. June 2009–July 2011, Chief Engineer, Silent Knight Radar Program, U.S. Special Operations Command, Tampa, Fla.
10. August 2011–July 2014, F-35A Lead Avionics and Integration Engineer, F-35 Joint Program Office, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
11. July 2014–March 2015, F-35A Acting Chief Engineer and Delegated Airworthiness Authority, F-35 JPO, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
12. March 2015–March 2016, F-35A Deputy Chief and Lead Systems Engineer, F-35 JPO, AFLCMC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
13. April 2016–July 2017, Flight Systems Chief Engineer, F-35 JPO, AFLCMC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
14. July 2017–July 2020, Director of Engineering, Presidential and Executive Airlift Directorate, AFLCMC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
15. August 2020-July 2022, Director of Engineering and Technical Management, F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office, Arlington, Va.
16. August 2022-present, Director of Engineering and Technical Management, and Chief Engineer, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS
Certified Level III Systems Planning, Research, Development and Engineering
Certified Level I Test and Evaluation, Acquisition Professional Development Program
Certified Level I Program Management, Acquisition Professional Development Program
MAJOR AWARDS AND HONORS
1995, John J. Welch, Jr. Award for Excellence in Acquisition Management
1996, Exemplary Civilian Service Award
2001, Exceptional Civilian Service Award
2007, Exemplary Civilian Service Award
2008, Finalist for the Aeronautical System Center Mid-Career Engineering Award
2016, Finalist for the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Technical Leadership Award
(Current as of August 2022)