Erin N. Pettyjohn, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is Director, Air Force Research Laboratory, Directed Energy Directorate, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. She leads more than 900 employees in the Department of the Air Force's Center of Expertise for directed energy and optical technologies and oversees development and technology transitions in four core technical competencies: laser systems, high power electromagnetics, weapons modeling and simulation, and directed energy and electro-optics for space superiority.
Prior to her current position, she was the Deputy Director, Air Force Research Laboratory, Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland AFB. In this role, she supported a team of over 800 military, civilian, and on-site contractors, who comprise the nation's center of excellence for military space and nuclear science and technology, research and development, and advanced technologies integration and demonstration.
Ms. Pettyjohn was commissioned into the United States Air Force as a second lieutenant from the Virginia Military Institute in 2001 and joined the Air Force Reserve the same year, she became a federal civilian in 2006. She served over 23 years in a diverse field of research and development, primarily in space, intelligence, hypersonics and directed energy technology. Her range of assignments have included the Pentagon, intelligence community and AFRL, across a variety of positions where she excelled in program management, supervision, technology development and intelligence analysis. Previous to serving as Deputy Director at AFRL’s Space Vehicles Directorate, she was the division chief for the Geospace Technologies Division at the directorate. She was promoted to the Senior Executive Service in June 2024.
EDUCATION
2001 Bachelor of Science, Physics with distinction, Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Va.
2003 Master of Science, Applied Physics, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
2011 Squadron Officer School, Non-resident Studies Program, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
2011 Office of Personnel Management, Center for Leadership Development Program, Albuquerque, N.M.
2016 Air Command and Staff College, Non-resident Studies Program, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
2017 Joint and Combined Warfare School, Hybrid, Newport News, N.M.
2020 Air War College, Non-resident Studies Program, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
ASSIGNMENTS and CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. June 2001–August 2001, Systems Engineer, Logicon/Northrop Grumman, Fairfax, Va.
2. August 2001–April 2003, Student, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio (active duty)
3. April 2003–April 2005, Fiber Laser Researcher, Directed Energy Directorate, Kirtland AFB, N.M. (active duty)
4. April 2005–April 2012, Cryogenics Program Manager and Section Chief, Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
5. April 2007–April 2016, Satellite Vulnerability Analyst (Air Force Reserve), Kirtland AFB, N.M.
6. April 2012–October 2013, Deputy Chief, Battlespace Surveillance Innovation Branch, Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
7. October 2013–June 2016, Chief, Battlespace Surveillance Innovation Branch, Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
8. April 2016–March 2021, Individual Mobilization Augmentee to the Squadron Commander (reserves), National Air and Space Intelligence Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
9. June 2016–May 2019, Deputy Chief, High Power Electromagnetics Division, Directed Energy Directorate, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
10. May 2019–January 2021, Chief, High Power Electromagnetics Division, Directed Energy Directorate, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
11. January 2021–August 2022, Chief, Geospace Technologies Division, Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
12. March 2021–June 2022, Advanced Hypersonics Capability Lead (Air Force Reserve), Assistant Secretary of the Air Force – Acquisition Technology and Logistics, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
13. June 2022–January 2024, Military Assistant to Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Science, Technology, and Engineering (Air Force Reserve)
14. August 2022–June 2024, Deputy Director, Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirland AFB, N.M.
15. June 2024–present, Deputy Director, Joint Reserve Directorate, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
16. June 2024–present, Director, Directed Energy Directorate, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS
Engineering and Technical Management - Practitioner
(Current as of July 2024)