Maj. Gen. Jeff Taliaferro is Vice Director for Operations, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. The Vice Director for Operations serves as the principal assistant to the Director for Operations in assisting the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in developing and providing operational guidance and in fostering clear communication between the President, Secretary of Defense, unified commands and services.
Maj. Gen. Taliaferro received his commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1989 and first served in a variety of B-1 flying positions, including U.S. Air Force Weapons School Instructor. He has commanded at the squadron and wing levels and last commanded the 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force-Afghanistan and NATO Air Command-Afghanistan. His staff experience includes various operations, strategy, programming and military planning positions within headquarters U.S. Air Force, Air Combat Command, U.S. Central Command, U.S Northern Command and the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Maj. Gen. Taliaferro is a command pilot with over 2,600 hours, including combat over Iraq, Serbia and Afghanistan.
Prior to his current assignment, Maj. Gen. Taliaferro was the special assistant to the commander at the Headquarters U.S. Northern Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado.
EDUCATION
1989 Bachelor of Science, Human Factors Engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1997 Masters of Organizational Management, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
1997 Squadron Officers School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1998 U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
2002 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2003 School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2007 Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
2008 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
2008 National Defense Fellow, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, D.C.
2011 Public Policy Seminar, Capitol Hill Club, Washington, D.C.
2015 Joint Force Air Component Commander Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2016 Joint Force Land Component Commander Course, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 1989–August 1990, Student Pilot, T-37/T-38, Reese Air Force Base, Texas
2. August 1990–July 1995, B-1 Instructor Pilot, 9th Bomb Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas
3. July 1995–April 1997, Intern, Air Force Intern Program, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
4. April 1997–January 1998, Assistant Flight Commander, 37th Bomb Squadron, Ellsworth AFB, S.D.
5. January 1998–June 1998, Student, U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Ellsworth AFB, S.D.
6. June 1998–June 1999, Wing Weapons Officer, 28th Operations Support Squadron, Ellsworth AFB, S.D.
7. June 1999–July 2001, Flight Commander, U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Ellsworth AFB, S.D.
8. July 2001–July 2002, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
9. July 2002–July 2003, Student, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
10. July 2003–July 2005, Strategic Warplanner, Strategy, Plans and Policy, U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.
11. July 2005–July 2007, Commander, 28th Bomb Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas
12. July 2007–June 2008, National Defense Fellow, International Security, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, D.C.
13. June 2008–December 2008, Chief of Staff of the Air Force Fellow, Division Chief, CSAF Strategic Studies Group “CHECKMATE”, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
14. December 2008–May 2009, CSAF Fellow, Military Assistant to Department of Defense Transition Task Force, Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
15. June 2009–May 2011, Commander, 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth AFB, S.D.
16. May 2011–July 2011, Chief, Combat Forces Division, Directorate of Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Va.
17. July 2011–June 2013, Principal Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense, Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
18. June 2013–June 2015, Deputy Director, Plans and Programs, Directorate of Plans, Programs and Requirements, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
19. June 2015–April 2016, Director, Plans, Programs, and Requirements, Headquarters Air Combat Command, JB Langley-Eustis, Va.
20. April 2016–April 2017, Commander, 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force-Afghanistan; Commander, NATO Air Command-Afghanistan; Director, Air Force Central Command’s Air Component Coordination Element for U.S. Forces-Afghanistan and NATO’s Operation Resolute Support; and Deputy Commander-Air for U.S. Forces-Afghanistan
21. May 2017–July 2019, Director, Operations, Headquarters U.S. Northern Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
22. July 2019–September 2019, Special Assistant to the Commander, Headquarters U.S. Northern Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
23. September 2019–present, Vice Director, Operations, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2003–July 2005, Strategic Warplanner, Strategy, Plans and Policy (J5), U.S. Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., as a major
2. December 2008–May 2009, Chief of Staff of the Air Force Fellow, Military Assistant to Department of Defense Transition Task Force, Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a colonel
3. July 2011–June 2013, Principal Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense, Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a colonel
4. April 2016–May 2017, Commander, 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force-Afghanistan; Commander, NATO Air Command-Afghanistan; Director, Air Force Central Command’s Air Component Coordination Element for U.S. Forces–Afghanistan and NATO’s Operation Resolute Support; and Deputy Commander-Air for U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, as a major general
5. June 2017–July 2019, Director, Operations, Headquarters U.S. Northern Command, Peterson AFB, Colo., as a major general
6. September 2019–present, Vice Director, Operations, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. as a major general
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 2,600 hours
Aircraft flown: T-38, MQ-9 and B-1
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with oak leaf cluster
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 31, 1989
First Lieutenant May 31, 1991
Captain May 31, 1993
Major June 1, 2000
Lieutenant Colonel April 1, 2004
Colonel Sept. 1, 2007
Brigadier General Dec. 3, 2013
Major General Aug. 2, 2017
(Current as of October 2019)