Brig. Gen. Douglas P. “Beaker” Wickert serves as the Director, Air, Space and Cyberspace Operations, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. He is responsible for shaping the workforce and for stewarding the infrastructure to develop, test, field and sustain integrated war-winning capabilities. He is also responsible for AFMC’s policy and resource allocation for test and cyber operations, flight management, airfield services, weather services and command and control operations.
Brig. Gen. Wickert commissioned in 1995 as a distinguished graduate from the U.S. Air Force Academy. He is a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and holds advanced engineering degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. from the Air Force Institute of Technology. He has commanded at the squadron, group and wing level and previously served as the permanent Professor and Head, Department of Aeronautics, and the Chair of the Engineering Division at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Brig. Gen. Wickert is a command pilot with combat time supporting multiple operations.
EDUCATION
1995 Bachelor of Science, Astronautical Engineering and Mathematics, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1997 Master of Science, Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
2000 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2004 U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.
2008 Air Command and Staff College, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
2009 Doctor of Aeronautical Engineering, AFIT, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
2016 Master of National Resource Strategy, Eisenhower School, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2016 Senior Acquisition Course, Defense Acquisition University, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2018 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
ASSIGNMENTS
1.July 1995–June 1997, Student, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
2.June 1997–November 1998, Student, Joint Specialize Undergraduate Pilot Training, Vance Air Force Base, Okla.
3.December 1998–August 1999, Student, F-16, Luke AFB, Ariz.
4. September 1999–November 2001, F-16 Pilot, Hill AFB, Utah
5.November 2001–May 2003, F-16 Instructor Pilot, Osan Air Base, South Korea
6.June 2003–June 2004, Student, U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.
7.June 2004–July 2006, Instructor/Evaluator Test Pilot, Eglin AFB, Fla.
8. August 2006–September 2009, Doctoral Candidate, A.F. Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
9. September 2009–December 2009, Service Chief Fellow, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Va.
10. January 2010–July 2012, F-35 Special Programs Test and Integration Lead, Arlington, Va.
11. July 2012–August 2015, Squadron Commander (data masked)
12. August 2015–June 2016, Student, Eisenhower School, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
13. July 2016–July 2018, Operations Group Commander (data masked)
14. August 2018–June 2019, Division Chief, Policy, Programs and Resources, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
15. July 2019–August 2023, Permanent Professor and Head, Department of Aeronautics, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.
16. August 2023–July 2025, Commander, 412th Test Wing, Edwards AFB, Calif.
17. August 2025–present, Director, Air, Space and Cyberspace Operations, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 2,000 hours
Aircraft flown: F-16, F-35, F-117 and more than 40 other aircraft
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit with three oak leaf clusters
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal
Combat Readiness Medal
(Current as of September 2025)