Brig. Gen. Debra A. Lovette is the Director of Manpower, Organization and Resources, Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower, Personnel and Services, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. She leads the management and oversight of the Air Force’s manpower enterprise encompassing more than 757,105 Total Force personnel and the programming of more than $61 billion in annual funding for the manpower portion of the Air Force Program Objective Memorandum. Additionally, she sets standards and policy for strategic manpower sourcing, performance management, organizational structure, and manpower data systems.
Brig. Gen. Lovette graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1994. She has served in a variety of assignments to include the Deputy Executive Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Special Assistant to the Director of the Joint Staff for General and Flag Officer Matters, and at the air staff level working assignment policy including associated budget, joint officer management and classification policy. Most recently, Brig. Gen. Lovette served as the Director for the Department of the Air Force’s Integrated Resilience Office, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. She was responsible for all matters relating to the strategic planning, research and development, and implementation of the Air Force resiliency programs to optimize Airmen Performance. She has served as the Director of the Executive Action Group for the Secretary of the Air Force, Air Force Chief of Staff and Chief of Space Operations. She deployed in support of Operation Noble Eagle in June 2002, and served overseas at Osan Air Base, South Korea, in the 51st Fighter Wing and again, as Commander of the 18th Mission Support Group, in the largest combat-coded wing in the Air Force, at Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan. Additionally, she served as Commander, 81st Training Wing at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, where she commanded 12,000 Airmen and civilians.
EDUCATION
1994 Bachelor of Science, English, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1996 Master of Science, Counseling and Human Development, Troy State University, Troy, Ala.
2000 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2004 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2006 Master of Science, Strategic Leadership, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
2010 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2013 Master of Science, National Security Strategy, National War College, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2017 Leading Strategically, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2018 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2018 Women In Leadership, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.
2019 Halifax International Security Forum Peace With Women Fellowship
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 1994–July 1997, Military Personnel Flight, Personnel Officer, 16th Mission Support Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2. July 1997–August 1998, Deputy Chief of Protocol, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
3. August 1998–August 1999, Chief, 51st Fighter Wing Military Equal Opportunity, Osan Air Base, South Korea
4. August 1999–August 2001, Deputy Chief of Air University Personnel, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
5. August 2001–May 2003, Chief, Personnel Officer Assignments, Air Force Personnel Center, Randolph AFB, Texas
6. May 2003–June 2004, Executive Officer to the Executive Director, AFPC, Randolph AFB, Texas
7. June 2004–June 2005, Aide-de-camp to the Air Education and Training Command Commander, Randolph AFB, Texas
8. June 2005–June 2006, Student, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
9. June 2006–July 2008, Chief, Assignment and Joint Officer Management Policy, Air Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
10. July 2008–July 2010, Commander, 4th Force Support Squadron, Seymour-Johnson AFB, N.C.
11. July 2010–July 2012, Deputy Executive Assistant to the Chairman, Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
12. August 2012–July 2013, Student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
13. July 2013–June 2014, Special Assistant to the Director, Joint Staff for General and Flag Officer Matters, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
14. June 2014–July 2016, Commander, 18th Mission Support Group, Kadena AB, Japan
15. July 2016–May 2017, Director, Manpower, Personnel and Services, Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB, La.
16. June 2017–May 2019, Commander, 81st Training Wing, Keesler AFB, Miss.
17. May 2019–May 2020, Director, Human Capital, United States Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
18. May 2020–July 2021, Director, Secretary of the Air Force-Air Force Chief of Staff-Chief of Space Operations Executive Action Group, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
19. July 2021–January 2024, Director, Department of the Air Force Integrated Resilience Office, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
20. January 2024-Present, Director, Manpower, Organization and Resources, Deputy Chief of Staff, Manpower, Personnel and Services, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Korean Defense Service Medal
(Current as of January 2024)