Brig. Gen. Cathy Barrington is the Principal Military Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense. In this role, she provides support to the Deputy Secretary on issues related to national defense, sensitive intelligence and joint force operational concerns.
Brig. Gen. Barrington graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in May 1997. She has extensive experience in missile operations, having served as a missileer, crew evaluator, senior instructor crew and maintenance flight commander for three different flights. Brig. Gen. Barrington also completed staff tours at Headquarters, Air Force, as an Intern and later as an executive officer; Headquarters, Air Force Space Command, where she worked classified space programs and served as a speechwriter for the commander; the Joint Staff as a member of the National Military Command center operations teams and division chief; and Twentieth Air Force as Director, Operations.
During her career, Brig. Gen. Barrington commanded the 319th Missile Squadron, Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming; the 91st Operations Group, Minot AFB, North Dakota, and the 90th Missile Wing, Franics E. Warren AFB, Wyoming. Prior to her current position, the general was the Senior Executive Officer to the Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Headquarters United States Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia.
EDUCATION
1997 Bachelor of Science in English, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2001 Master of Aeronautical Science, Embry-Riddle University, Daytona Beach, Fla.
2001 Distinguished Graduate, Squadron Officers School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2003 Marine Corps Planning Process and Amphibious Warfare School, Phase 1, Quantico, Va., by correspondence
2003 Certificate in Organizational Management, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
2007 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2011 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2015 Master of Science in National Security Strategy, National War College, Washington, D.C.
2019 Strategic Leader Seminar, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2021 Enterprise Leadership Seminar University of North Carolina, Kenan Flagler Business School
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1997–April 1998, Student, Undergraduate Space/Missile Training and Initial Qualification Training - Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Operations, 381st Training Group, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
2. May 1998–June 2002, Senior Instructor Crew Commander, Commander Instructor, Deputy Evaluator, 90th Space Wing, Francis E. Warren AFB, Wyo.
3. June 2002–June 2003, Student, Air Force Intern, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
4. June 2003–June 2006, Facilities Flight Commander, Generation Flight Commander, Maintenance Operations Flight Commander, 91st Space Wing, Minot AFB, N.D.
5. June 2006–June 2011, Requirements Lead, Advanced Space Program, Commander’s Speechwriter, Headquarters, Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
6. June 2011–May 2012, Operations Officer, 90th Operations Support Squadron, Francis E. Warren AFB, Wyo.
7. May 2012–June 2014, Commander, 319th Missile Squadron, Francis E. Warren AFB, Wyo.
8. July 2014–June 2015, Student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
9. June 2015–June 2017, Division Chief, Operations Training and Standardization Division, Joint Staff J-33, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
10. June 2017–July 2020, Commander, 91st Operations Group, Minot AFB, N.D.
11. July 2020–June 2021, Director of Operations and Communications, 20th Air Force, Francis E. Warren AFB, Wyo.
12. June 2021–June 2023, Commander, 90th Missile Wing, Francis E. Warren AFB, Wyo.
13. June 2023–Feb 2024, Senior Executive Officer to the Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
14. February 2024–present, Principal Military Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2015–June 2017, Division Chief, Operations Training and Standardization Division, Joint Staff J-33, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a colonel
2. Feb 2024–present, Principal Military Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a colonel and brigadier general
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Joint Meritorious Unit Award with three oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal with oak leaf cluster
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with “N” Device and five oak leaf clusters
(Current as of August 2025)