Brig. Gen. Erika A. Foster serves as the Mobilization Assistant to the Director, Defense Contract Management Agency at Fort Lee, Virginia. Management functions require knowledge of operational war-fighter support, acquisition, contracting, defense industrial base, quality assurance, production surveillance, systems and financial management, and small business support. She assists the Director in providing leadership for 9,500 civilian and 537 military personnel from all services at 11,000 locations worldwide. She also assists in the management of over 300,000 contracts valued at $7.9 trillion, delivering critical real-time acquisition data from the defense industrial base to inform War Department decisions, enabling effective operational planning and execution for the warfighter.
Brig. Gen. Foster was commissioned in June 1994 from the United States Air Force Academy. She completed Aircraft Maintenance and Munitions Officer Course in March 1995 and has since been assigned to a variety of roles holding positions at the squadron, group, agency, major command, and Headquarters Air Force level. She served on active duty in both overseas and stateside locations before joining the Air Force Reserves in 2007. Throughout her career she has participated in multiple deployments throughout Europe and the Middle East. Most recently, Brig. Gen. Foster was Mobilization Assistant to the Director of Logistics, Engineering, and Force Protection at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia.
EDUCATION
1994 Bachelor of Science, Biology, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. 1995 Aircraft Maintenance and Munitions Officer Course, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas
1998 Aircraft Mishap Investigation Course, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
2000 Squadron Officer School, in residence, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2002 Master of Human Relations, University of Oklahoma
2004 Aerospace Instructor Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2007 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2008 Air Operations Center training course, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
2016 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2017 Reserve Component National Security Course, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2023 Leading Strategically – Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1994–October 1995, Avionics Flight Commander, 1st Component Repair Squadron, Langley Air Force Base, Va.
2. October 1995–July 1996, Fabrication Flight Commander, 1st Equipment Maintenance Squadron, Langley AFB, Va.
3. July 1996–November 1997, Sortie Support/Deputy Sortie Generation Flight Commander, 71st Fighter Squadron, Langley AFB, Va.
4. November 1997–July 1998, Sortie Support Flight Commander, 492d Fighter Squadron, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, United Kingdom
5. July 1998–July 1999, Sortie Generation Flight Commander, 494th Fighter Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom
6. July 1999–November 2000, Propulsion Flight Commander, 48th Component Repair Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom
7. November 2000–June 2001, Maintenance Management Flight Commander, 48th Operations Support Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom
8. June 2001–June 2004, Instructor/Intercollegiate Coach, Directorate of Athletics, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.
9. June 2004–December 2007, Assistant Professor of Aerospace Studies/Commandant of Cadets, Rochester Institute of Technology, N.Y.
10. December 2007–July 2010, Support Flight Commander, Air Mobility Operations Squadron, Joint Base McGuire- Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
11. July 2009–December 2009, MPA, Strategic Communications Officer, Office of Corporate Communication, National Reconnaissance Office, Chantilly, Va.
12. July 2010–December 2011, Aircraft Maintenance Unit Officer-In-Charge, 459th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
13. December 2011–July 2013, Commander, Maintenance Operations Flight, 459th Maintenance Group, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
14. March 2013–September 2014, MPA, Political-Military International Affairs Officer, Assistant Vice Chief of Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
15. August 2013–August 2015, Deputy Commander, 512th Maintenance Group, Dover AFB, Del.
16. August 2015–August 2017, Joint Logistics Operations Officer, Joint Logistics Operation Center, Defense Logistics Agency, Fort Belvoir, Va.
17. April 2016–August 2017, MPA, Chief of Bomber, C2ISR, and Trainer Aircraft, Directorate of Logistics Aircraft Maintenance Division, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
18. August 2017–January 2019, Individual Mobilization Augmentee to the Chief of Logistics and Sustainment Division, F-35 Integration Office, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C
19. January 2019–August 2021, Commander, 927th Maintenance Group, MacDill AFB, Fla.
20. August 2021–September 2025, Mobilization Assistant to the Director of Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
21. September 2025–present, Mobilization Assistant to the Director, Defense Contract Management Agency, Fort Lee, Va.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 2015–August 2017, Joint Logistics Operations Officer, Joint Logistics Operation Center, Defense Logistics Agency, Fort Belvoir, Va., as major and a colonel
2. September 2025–present, Defense Contract Management Agency, Fort Lee, Va., as a brigadier general
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force and Space Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force and Space Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force and Space Outstanding Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force and Space Organizational Excellence Award with one oak leaf cluster
National Defense Service Medal with one service star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal
Air Force and Space Overseas Ribbon – Long Tour
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with 1 Hourglass Device
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon