Lt. Gen. Robert J. Skinner is the Director of the Defense Information Systems Agency and the Commander of the Joint Force Headquarters- Department of Defense Information Network, Fort George G. Meade, Maryland.
As Director of the Defense Information Systems Agency, Lt. Gen. Skinner manages a global network and leads nearly 19,000 service members, civilians and contractors who plan, develop, deliver and operate joint, interoperable command and control capabilities and defend an enterprise infrastructure in more than 42 countries. This mission directly supports the President, Secretary of Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff, combatant commanders, U.S. Department of Defense components, and other mission partners across the spectrum of competition, combat and combat support operations.
As Commander of Joint Force Headquarters-Department of Defense Information Network, he is charged with leading unified action across DoD to secure, operate and defend the DoDIN. He leads the establishment of DoDIN priorities and directs threat-informed actions through formal planning and future operational initiatives, as well as the command and control of daily unified network operations, cyber security actions and defensive operations on the DoDIN.
Lt. Gen. Skinner was commissioned through Officer Training School (second honor graduate) in 1989. He has served in various tactical and fixed communications assignments, plans, policy and resource staff work. He has commanded at the squadron, group, wing and Numbered Air Force levels and served on the staffs at a NAF, major command headquarters, Headquarters Air Force and the Joint Staff. Prior to assuming his current position, Lt. Gen. Skinner was the Director of Command, Control, Communications and Cyber at U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii.
EDUCATION
1989 Summa cum laude, Bachelor of Science, Computer Science, Park College, Parkville, Mo.
1990 Honor Graduate, Basic Communications Officer Training, Keesler Air Force Base, Miss.
1993 With Honors, Master of Science, Computer Science, Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma City, Okla.
1995 Distinguished Graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1996 Software Engineering Certification, Air Force Institute of Technology, Dayton, Ohio
1998 Advanced Communications Officer Training, Keesler AFB, Miss.
2000 Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
2003 Air War College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2006 Industrial College of the Armed Forces (Information Strategies Concentration), National Defense University, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 1984−August 1989, Administrative Supervisor, Office of the Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D.C.
2. August 1989−November 1989, Officer Trainee, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas
3. November 1989−April 1990, Student, Basic Communications Officer Training, Keesler AFB, Miss.
4. April 1990−May 1993, Airborne Warning And Control System Software Programmer/Analyst, 552nd Air Control Wing, Tinker AFB, Okla.
5. May 1993−May 1994, Chief, AWACS Mission Software Section, 552nd Air Control Wing, Tinker AFB, Okla.
6. May 1994−March 1997, Chief, Database Engineering Section, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb.
7. March 1997−June 1999, Commander, Info Systems Flight, 100th Air Refueling Wing, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom
8. June 1999−June 2000, Student, Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
9. June 2000−July 2002, Commander, 27th Communications Squadron, Cannon AFB, N.M.
10. July 2002−June 2004, Strategic Plans and Policy Division Chief, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
11. June 2004−July 2005, 14th Air Force Director of Communications and Commander 614th Space Communications Squadron, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
12. July 2005−June 2006, Student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
13. July 2006−July 2008, Commander, 50th Network Operations Group, Schriever AFB, Colo.
14. July 2008−August 2009, Deputy Director, Policy and Resources, Secretary of the Air Force Warfighting Integration and Chief Information Officer, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
15. August 2009−July 2011, Commander, 688th Information Operations Wing, Lackland AFB, Texas
16. July 2011−July 2013, Inspector General, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
17. July 2013−September 2014, Deputy Commander, Air Forces Cyber, Fort George G. Meade, Md.
18. September 2014−March 2015, Chief of Staff, Defense Information Systems Agency, Fort George G. Meade, Md.
19. March 2015−June 2017, Deputy Commander, Joint Force Headquarters Department of Defense Information Networks, Fort George G. Meade, Md.
20. July 2017−July 2018, Deputy Commander, Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
21. July 2018−October 2019, Commander, 24th AF; Commander, Air Forces Cyber, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas
22. October 2019−February 2021, Director, Command, Control, Communications, and Cyber, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii
23. February 2021−present, Director, Defense Information Systems Agency, and Commander, Joint Force Headquarters-Department of Defense Information Networks, Fort George G. Meade, Md.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 1994−March 1997, Chief, Database Engineering Section, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., as a captain
2. July 2002−June 2004, Strategic Plans and Policy Division Chief, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a lieutenant colonel
3. March 2015−June 2017, Deputy Commander, Joint Force Headquarters Department of Defense Information Networks, Fort George G. Meade, Md., as a brigadier general and major general
4. July 2018−October 2019, Commander, U.S. Cyber Command Joint Force Headquarters Cyber – Air Force, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, as a major general
5. October 2019−February 2021, Director, Command, Control, Communications and Cyber, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii, as a major general
6. February 2021−present, Director, Defense Information Systems Agency, and Commander, Joint Force Headquarters-Department of Defense Information Network, Fort George G. Meade, Md., as a lieutenant general
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Navy Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
OTHER AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
1998 Gen. Paschal Award winner, Keesler Air Force Base, Miss.
2000 AFCEA Writing Award winner, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Nov. 7, 1989
First Lieutenant Nov. 7, 1991
Captain Nov. 7, 1993
Major July 1, 1999
Lieutenant Colonel March 1, 2002
Colonel March 1, 2006
Brigadier General July 26, 2013
Major General May 2, 2017
Lieutenant General February 25, 2021
(Current as of April 2021)