Brig. Gen. Colin J. Connor is the Director of Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Modernization, Site Activation Task Force, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. He is responsible for overseeing and coordinating the activities of the Air Force in support of the deployment of the LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM weapon system and the retirement of the LGM-30G Minuteman III ICBM weapon system.
Brig. Gen. Connor earned his commission from the United States Air Force Academy in 1995. He has served as an ICBM combat crew commander, instructor, evaluator and flight commander. He also served on staff at Headquarters Eighth Air Force and Headquarters Air Force Global Strike Command. Brig. Gen. Connor commanded the 21st Operations Support Squadron at Peterson AFB, Colorado and the 91st Missile Wing, Minot AFB Base, North Dakota.
Prior to his current assignment, Brig. Gen. Connor served as the Deputy Director for Nuclear and Homeland Defense Operations, the Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia.
EDUCATION
1995 Bachelor of Science, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1995 Undergraduate Space and Missile Training, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
1996 Undergraduate Missile Training, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
2000 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2002 United States Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
2003 Master of Business Administration, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
2009 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2010 School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2012 Air War College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2014 National Defense Fellow (Senior Developmental Education), Security Studies Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1995–September 1995, Student, Undergraduate Space and Missile Training, 392d Training Squadron, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
2. September 1995–January 1996, Student, Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Initial Qualification Training, 381st Training Squadron, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
3. February 1996–June 2001, Deputy Missile Combat Crew Instructor, Operations Support Flight Commander, and Senior Evaluator Missile Combat Crew, 90th Operations Group, F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo.
4. July 2001–June 2002, Flight Commander, 11th Space Warning Squadron, Schriever AFB, Colo.
5. July 2002–December 2002, Student, Space Weapons Instructor Course, Space Division, U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
6. January 2003–September 2005, Assistant Director of Operations, Eighth Information Warfare Flight, Barksdale AFB, La. (May 2005–September 2005, Air Force Central Command Director of Space Forces Weapons Officer, Commander of Air Force Forces Staff, operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar)
7. October 2005–August 2006, Flight Commander, 328th Weapons Squadron, U.S. Air Forces Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
8. September 2006–June 2008, Deputy Director Commander’s Action Group and Executive Officer, U.S. Air Force Warfare Center, Nellis AFB, Nev.
9. July 2008–June 2010, Student, Air Command and Staff College and School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
10. July 2010–April 2011, Branch Chief, Strategic Studies and Wargaming, Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB, La.
11. May 2011–July 2013, Commander, 21st Operations Support Squadron, Peterson AFB, Colo.
12. August 2013–May 2014, National Defense Fellow, Massachusetts Institute Technology, Cambridge
13. June 2014–January 2015, Chief of Staff of the Air Force Fellow with duty as Chief of Operations, Operations Team 3, National Military Command Center, the Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
14. February 2015–June 2016, Air Force Chief of Staff Fellow with duty as Deputy Division Chief Operations Training and Support Division in Joint Staff Operations Directorate, the Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
15. June 2016–August 2018, Commander, 91st Missile Wing, Minot AFB, N.D.
16. August 2018–June 2020, Director, Air Force General Officer Management, Headquarters Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
17. June 2020–August 2023, Deputy Director for Nuclear and Homeland Defense Operations, the Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
18. August 2023–present, Director of Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Modernization, Site Activation Task Force, Barksdale AFB, La.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2014–January 2015, Air Force Chief of Staff Fellow with duty as Chief of Operations, Operations Team 3, National Military Command Center, the Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a colonel
2. February 2015–June 2016, Air Force Chief of Staff Fellow with duty as Deputy Division Chief Operations Training and Support Division in Joint Staff Operations Directorate, the Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a colonel
3. June 2020–August 2023, Deputy Director for Nuclear and Homeland Defense Operations, the Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a brigadier general
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal
(Current as of October 2023)