Brig. Gen. Lance R. French serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Contracting, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, Washington, D.C. He is responsible for all aspects of contracting relating to the acquisition of weapons systems, logistics, operational and enterprise efforts for the Air Force and provides contingency contracting support to the geographic combatant commanders. He leads a highly skilled staff of mission-focused business leaders and acquisition change agents to deliver $825 billion in United States Air Force and Space Force platforms. Additionally, he is the Contracting Functional Manager for nearly 9,000 professionals, who execute programs worth approximately $99 billion annually for the Department of the Air Force.
As a career contracting officer, he has served as a squadron, group and wing commander. He has also served at major command, combatant command and Air Staff levels and deployed in support of operations Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
Prior to his current assignment, he was the Commander of the Air Force Installation Contracting Center. Brig. Gen. French has also served as served as the Commander, Defense Contract Management Agency, Western Regional Command Carson, California, where he led a workforce of 2,500 contracting, quality assurance, engineering and manufacturing acquisition professionals and support personnel across 12 primary and nine tertiary Contract Management offices located across the Western U.S.
EDUCATION
1995 Bachelor of Arts, Economics, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces
2000 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2002 Master of Science, Strategic Purchasing, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
2004 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2008 Master of Arts, National Security and Strategic Studies, College of Naval Command and Staff, Newport Naval Station, R.I.
2012 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2015 Joint and Combined Warfighting School, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk Naval Base, Va.
2016 Executive Seminar, Darden School of Business, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
2017 Secretary of Defense Executive Fellow, Honeywell Aerospace, Tempe, Ariz.
2019 Executive Development Seminar, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2024 Capstone General and Flag Officer Course, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2024 Senior Acquisition Management Course, Defense Acquisition University, Fort Belvoir, Va.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1995–July 1998, Acquisition Contracting Officer, Holloman Air Force Base, N.M.
2. August 1998–June 2000, Procurement Contracting Officer, Space Based Infrared Satellite System Program Office, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
3. July 2000–March 2002, Student, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
4. April 2002–December 2003, Procurement Contracting Officer, C-130 Avionics Modernization Program and Halvorsen Loader System Program Offices, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
5. January 2003–March 2005, Chief, Contracting Force Development, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
6. April 2005–June 2007, Staff Officer and Executive Officer, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Contracting), the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
7. July 2007–June 2008, Intermediate Developmental Education Student, College of Naval Command and Staff, Newport Naval Station, R.I.
8. July 2008–June 2011, Commander, 52nd Contracting Squadron, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany (June 2011–July 2011, Acting Deputy Commander, 52nd Mission Support Group, Spangdahlem AB, Germany)
9. August 2011–July 2012, Commander, Kandahar Regional Contracting Center, U.S. Central Command Joint Theater Support Contracting Command, Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan
10. July 2012–July 2014, Deputy Commander, 7th Mission Support Group, Dyess AFB, Texas
11. July 2014–June 2016, Chief, Contract Management Branch, Resource Management and Comptroller Division, Capability and Resource Integration Directorate (J8), U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb.
12. June 2016–June 2017, Senior Developmental Education Student, Secretary of Defense Executive Fellowship, Honeywell Aerospace, Tempe, Ariz.
13. June 2017–June 2020, Commander, Defense Contract Management Agency Lockheed Martin Marietta/Air Force Plant 6, Marietta, Ga.
14. July 2020–July 2022, Commander, Defense Contract Management Agency Western Region, Carson, Calif.
15. August 2022–June 2025, Commander, Air Force Installation Contracting Center, Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
16. June 2025–present, Deputy Assistant Secretary (Contracting), Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 2011–July 2012, Commander, Kandahar Regional Contracting Center, U.S. Central Command Joint Theater Support Contracting Command, Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, as a lieutenant colonel
2. July 2014–June 2016, Chief, Contract Management Branch, Resource Management and Comptroller Division, Capability and Resource Integration Directorate (J8), U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb., as a lieutenant colonel
3. June 2017–June 2020, Commander, Defense Contract Management Agency Lockheed Martin Marietta/Air Force Plant 6, Marietta, Ga., as a colonel
4. July 2020–July 2022, Commander, Defense Contract Management Agency Western Region, Carson, Calif., as a colonel
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATION
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal
Joint Service Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Joint Meritorious Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with bronze star
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with bronze star
Iraq Campaign Medal with bronze star
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
(Current as of November 2025)