Dr. Howard R. Meyer, Jr., is the Air Force Research Laboratory Senior Advisor to Air Force Futures, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategy, Integration and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. A member of the scientific and professional cadre of senior executives, he serves as the principal technical advisor to Air Force Futures as they lead the design, development, and integration of new warfighting capabilities to meet Air Force needs for the future.
Dr. Meyer began his career in the Air Force in 1977 as a Missile Combat Crew (MCC) member and Alternate Command Post MCC Commander in the 321st Strategic Missile Squadron and as a staff officer in the 90th Strategic Missile Wing at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming. He completed his M.S. in Chemistry and served as an Instructor and Associate Professor of Chemistry at the USAF Academy from 1983 to 1987. After completing his Ph.D. in Chemistry at the University of Wyoming in 1990, he served as a Branch Chief and as the Chief, External Outreach in the Air Force Civil Engineering Support Agency and Armstrong Laboratory at Tyndall AFB, Florida. In 1993, Dr. Meyer was assigned to Phillips Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, where he served as Deputy Chief Scientist, Deputy Director for Special Programs, and Deputy Director of the Airborne Laser System Program Office. He was assigned to the Pentagon in 1998 where he served as the Deputy Director of the Counterproliferation Support Program. He completed his active duty career in 1999 after serving the Chief, Counterproliferation Program Office at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Alexandria, Virginia.
Over the next 22 years, Dr. Meyer supported several offices in Headquarters U.S. Army, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering as a support contractor. He oversaw the Army’s Basic Research portfolio and led major studies for fuel cell applications, vehicle autonomy, and biotechnology applications for the Army Chief Scientist from 1999 until 2001. He then returned to the Air Force, serving as the Science Advisor to the Future Concepts Division in the Directorate for Strategic Planning (A8X) and the Electronic Warfare Division of the Directorate for Operational Capability Requirements (A5R), HAF until 2006. He then served as the Science Advisor for the Director for Electronic Warfare and Countermeasures within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Research and Engineering until August 2021. Dr. Meyer started serving in his current position September 2021.
EDUCATION
1977 Bachelor of Science in General Studies/Chemistry, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.
1983 Master of Science, Physical Chemistry, University of Wyoming, Laramie
1987 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence
1990 Doctor of Philosophy, Analytical Chemistry, University of Wyoming, Laramie
1995 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. June 1977–February 1981, Missile Combat Crew Member and Alternate Command Post MCC Commander, 321st Strategic Missile Squadron, F. E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo.
2. March 1981–December 1982, Code Control Officer and Chief, Code Handler Training, 90th Strategic Missile Wing, F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo.
3. January 1983–June 1983, M.S., Physical Chemistry, Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyo.
4. July 1983–June 1987, Instructor and Associate Professor of Chemistry, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.
5. July 1987–July 1990, Ph.D., Analytical Chemistry, AFIT, University of Wyoming, Laramie
6. August 1990–July 1993, Environics Branch Chief and Chief, External Outreach, Air Force Civil Engineering Support Agency and U.S. Air Force Armstrong Laboratory, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
7. August 1993–October 1997, Deputy Chief Scientist, Deputy Director for Special Programs, and Deputy Director of the Airborne Laser System Program Office, U.S. Air Force Phillips Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
8. November 1997–October 1998, Deputy Director, Counterproliferation Support Program, Deputy to the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense, Counterproliferation and Chemical/Biological Defense, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
9. November 1998–August 1999, Chief, Program Integration Office, Counterproliferation Directorate, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Alexandria, Va.
10. September 1999–January 2001, Senior Scientist, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), supporting the Army Chief Scientist, Arlington, Va.
11. February 2001–April 2006, Science Advisor, SAIC and Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH), supporting the Directorate for Strategic Planning (A8X) and the Directorate for Operational Capability Requirements (A5R), Headquarters USAF, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
12. May 2006–August 2021, Science Advisor, BAH and Strategic Analysis, Inc., supporting the Director, Electronic Warfare and Countermeasures, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Research and Engineering, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
13. September 2021–present, Air Force Research Laboratory Senior Advisor to Air Force Futures, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategy, Integration and Requirements, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
AWARDS AND HONORS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Outstanding Young Men of America, 1985
Who’s Who in the West/South & Southwest/America/Science and Engineering/Emerging Leaders in America
Member of the Board of Directors and Vice President, Directed Energy Professional Society, 2015-2018
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
American Chemical Society
American Association of Science
Directed Energy Professional Society
Association of Old Crows
(Current as of February 2022)