Brig. Gen. Kenneth McGhee is the Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. In this role, he provides counsel and assistance to the Secretary on all military matters and interfaces directly on the Secretary’s behalf with senior civilian and military members of the Secretariat, the Air and Space Forces staffs, Major Commands, the Joint Staff, the Office of the Secretary of War, the White House, the Intelligence Community and other governmental agencies.
Brig. Gen. McGhee earned his commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps in 1998 from the University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee. A career nuclear officer, Brig. Gen. McGhee has served in a variety of assignments within the nuclear enterprise with duties related to ICBM operations, training, and maintenance. His staff assignments include positions within Twentieth Air Force, United States Strategic Command, Air Force Global Strike Command and the Joint Staff. Brig. Gen. McGhee is a graduate of the National Laboratories Technical Fellowship Program at Sandia National Laboratory and National War College.
Prior to his current position, Brig. Gen. McGhee was the 91st Missile Wing Commander, Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota.
EDUCATION
1997 Bachelor of Science, Political Science, Rhodes College, Memphis, Tenn.
2002 Master of Science, Business Administration, Troy State University, Ala.
2003 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2008 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2011 Air Force Fellows, National Laboratories Technical Fellowship Program, Sandia National Laboratory, Albuquerque, N.M.
2013 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2013 Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
2018 Master of Science, National Security Strategy, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. April 1999–December 1999, Student, 392d Training Squadron, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
2. December 1999–July 2004, Missile Combat Crew Member, Evaluator, and Instructor, Malmstrom AFB, Mont.
3. July 2004–May 2006, Instructor and Flight Commander of Student Operations, 392d Training Squadron, Vandenberg, AFB, Calif.
4. May 2006–July 2007, Aide de Camp to the Twentieth Air Force Commander, F. E. Warren AFB, Wyo.
5. July 2007–August 2008, Resources and Operations Flight Commander, 90th Maintenance Operations Squadron, F. E. Warren AFB, Wyo.
6. August 2008–July 2009, Maintenance Operations Officer, 90th Maintenance Operations Squadron, F. E. Warren AFB, Wyo.
7. July 2009–June 2010, Maintenance Operations Officer, 90th Missile Maintenance Squadron F. E. Warren AFB, Wyo.
8. June 2010–August 2011, Air Force Fellow, National Laboratories Technical Fellowship Program, Albuquerque, N.M.
9. August 2011–February 2012, Chief of Operations, Global Operations Center, Global Operations Directorate, United States Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb.
10. February 2012–July 2013, Executive Officer to the Deputy Director, Global Operations (DJ3), Global Operations Directorate, United States Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb.
11. July 2013–August 2014, Operations Officer, 740th Missile Squadron, Minot AFB, N.D.
12. August 2014–November 2014, Wing Inspector General, Minot AFB, N.D.
13. November 2014–May 2016, Commander, 741st Missile Squadron, Minot AFB, N.D.
14. May 2016–July 2017, Director, Commander’s Action Group, Headquarters Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB, La.
15. July 2017–June 2018, Student, National War College, National Defense University, Fort Leslie J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
16. July 2018–July 2019, Deputy Chief, National Military Command System Operations Division, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
17. July 2019–June 2020, Chief, National Military Command System Operations Division, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
18. June 2020–June 2022, Commander, 341st Operations Group, Malmstrom AFB, Mont.
19. June 2022–June 2024, Commander, 91st Missile Wing, Minot AFB, N.D.
20. June 2024–present, Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 2011–February 2012, Chief of Operations, Global Operations Center, Global Operations Directorate, United States Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., as a major
2. February 2012–July 2013, Executive Officer to the Deputy Director, Global Operations (DJ3), Global Operations Directorate, United States Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb., as a major and lieutenant colonel
3. July 2018–July 2019, Deputy Chief, National Military Command System Operations Division, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a lieutenant colonel and colonel
4. July 2019–June 2020, Chief, National Military Command System Operations Division, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a colonel
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Force Outstanding Unit Award with four oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with “N” device
(Current as of March 2026)