Gentry B. Stephens, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs, Office of the Under Secretary of the Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. In this position, he provides oversight and guidance for U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force international policy, programs and engagements in support of national security objectives. As leader of the security cooperation enterprise for the Department of the Air Force, Mr. Stephens oversees the planning and accelerated execution of approximately $55 billion in annual equipping, training and support of allies and partners, further facilitating strategic burden shifting and burden sharing through education, exercises, personnel exchanges, agreements, engagements and advocacy for the U.S. defense industrial base.
Mr. Stephens brings extensive experience working in international air and space security cooperation. Prior to his current appointment, Mr. Stephens spent more than 20 years leading, developing and executing strategy, profit and loss business, program management and business development globally for Raytheon Technologies, The Boeing Company, Honeywell and Anduril Industries. He holds multiple patents and awards in these organizations.
Mr. Stephens is a 1994 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and spent six years on active duty before transitioning to the Air Force Reserve where he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. As an Air Force officer, he specialized in astronautical engineering, test and evaluation and program management in multiple international security cooperation and international affairs roles. He also served as the Air Force Programs Director at the American Institute in Taiwan, Taipei, Taiwan. Mr. Stephens is Defense Acquisition University-certified in Systems Planning, Research, Development and Engineering; Test and Evaluation; and Program Management.
EDUCATION
1994 Bachelor of Science, Astronautical Engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1996 East Asia Executive Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston
1997 Master of Business Administration, International Business, Bentley College, Waltham, Mass.
2003 Mandarin, Chinese Certificate Program, Taipei Language Institute, Taiwan
2007 Middle East Executive Program, Brooking Institute, Cairo, Egypt
2021 INSEAD Global Leadership Development Cohort
CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. June 1994–February 1998, International Flight Test Engineer and Program Manager, Electronic Systems Center, Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass.
2. February 1998–October 2000, Political-Military Affairs, International Plans and Programs, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
3. October 2000–July 2004, Director Air Force Programs, American Institute in Taiwan, Taipei, Taiwan
4. July 2004–October 2008, International Business Regional Manager for Asia Pacific and the Middle East, The Boeing Company, St. Louis, Mo.
5. October 2008–September 2012, Senior Manager, The Boeing Company, St. Louis, Mo.
6. September 2012–July 2016, Managing Director, Boeing Middle East, Saudi Arabia
7. July 2016–September 2018, Director, Boeing Autonomous Systems, St. Louis, Mo.
8. October 2016–July 2020, Cambridge University/University of Leeds Industrial Advisory Board Member, The Boeing Company, St. Louis, Mo.
9. September 2018–July 2020, Senior Director, Boeing Middle East, Saudi Arabia
10. July 2020–December 2022, Vice President, Middle East and North Africa, Raytheon, Saudi Arabia
11. April 2023–July 2024, Vice President, Middle East, Africa, Central/South Asia, Honeywell, Saudi Arabia
12. July 2024–May 2025, Vice President and General Manager, Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia, Anduril Industries, United Arab Emirates
13. December 2022–December 2025, President, Stephens Global Consulting, St. Louis, Mo.
14. December 2025–present, Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs, Arlington, Va.
(Current as of January 2026)