Steven A. Cantrell, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Special Assistant to the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, Management and Deputy Chief Management Officer, Office of the Under Secretary of the Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Virginia. He is responsible for the management and oversight of the Secretary of the Air Force’s two-year Publications Reduction Initiative. The Initiative encompasses a systematic review, reduction and clarification of all Headquarters Air Force Directive Guidance and Policy. The initiative’s goal is to reduce regulatory and administrative burden on the 685,000 active-duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian Airmen serving worldwide, driving a culture of innovation across a global enterprise with a focus on mission success.
Prior to assuming this position, Mr. Cantrell held multiple Senior Executive positions under the Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance to include Director of the Air Force Intelligence Analysis Agency, beginning in 2005. In addition, he was selected by the Air Force to serve two joint duty assignments, one with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the other with the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence.
Prior to joining Headquarters Air Force, Mr. Cantrell was the Deputy Assistant to the Secretary of Defense Intelligence Oversight, a position he was appointed to in June 1999. In coordination with the ATSD(IO), he was responsible to the Secretary of Defense for the independent oversight of all intelligence and intelligence-related activities across the Department of Defense. His office ensured that all activities performed by intelligence units were conducted in accordance with federal law, Executive Orders, DoD directives, regulations and policies.
Mr. Cantrell served as an officer in the U.S. Air Force from 1977 until he retired in 1999. While on active duty, he served as both an intelligence and a politico-military officer. He was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in June 1999.
EDUCATION
1977 Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington
1980 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1983 Master of Science, Strategic Intelligence, Defense Intelligence College, Washington, D.C.
1984 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by seminar
1990 Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
1996 Master of Science, National Resource Strategy, Industrial College of the Armed Forces (School of Information Warfare and Strategy), National Defense University, Washington, D.C.
1999 APEX Senior Executive Orientation Program, Washington, D.C.
2001 National Security Leadership Course, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y.
2006 Intelligence Community, Executive Leadership Program, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill.
2010 DoD Joint Executive Management Program, University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School, Chapel Hill
MILITARY ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 1977 - November 1977, Student, Intelligence Precision Photographic Officers’ Course, Lowry Air Force Base, Colo.
2. November 1977 - September 1980, Chief of Logistics, 62nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Shaw AFB, S.C.
3. September 1980 - March 1982, Officer in Charge of Imagery Processing, 38th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Zweibrucken Air Base, Germany
4. March 1982 - August 1983, Student, Defense Intelligence College, Washington, D.C.
5. August 1983 - September 1984, Chief, Threat Penetration and Analysis Section, 6th Tactical Intelligence Group, Osan AB, South Korea
6. September 1984 - January 1986, Politico-Military Affairs Officer, Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs, U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C.
7. January 1986 - March 1987, Chief, Soviet Space Threat Branch, Directorate of Estimates, Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Bolling AFB, Washington, D.C.
8. March 1987 - January 1989, Executive Officer to the Commander, Air Force Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
9. January 1989 - January 1990, Student, Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
10. January 1990 - July 1993, Commander in Chief, U.S. Central Command (General Hoar and General Schwarzkopf) Trip Coordinator/Executive Officer, U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.
11. July 1993 - December 1994, Chief, Acquisition Support Team, Air Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
12. December 1994 - August 1995, Chief, Operations Division, National Air Intelligence Center, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
13. August 1995 - July 1996, Student, School of Information Warfare and Strategy, National Defense University, Washington, D.C.
14. July 1996 - June 1998, Commander, 607th Air Intelligence Squadron, Osan AB, South Korea
15. June 1998 - June 1999, Director of Operations Applications, 497th Intelligence Group, Falls Church, Va.
CIVILIAN ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1999 - April 2005, Deputy Assistant to the Secretary of Defense (Intelligence Oversight), Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington, D.C.
2. April 2005 - August 2008, Director, Air Force Intelligence Analysis Agency and Director of Analysis, Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
3. August 2008 - April 2009, Deputy Assistant Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Global Maritime and Air Intelligence Integration, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Washington, D.C.
4. April 2009 - August 2011, Assistant Deputy Director of National Intelligence (ADDNI) (ODNI reorganization changed ADDNI to Group Chief) for Global Maritime and Air Intelligence Integration, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Washington, D.C.
5. August 2011 - September 2013, Director, Defense Analysis Capabilities, Office of the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, Washington, D.C.
6. September 2013 - August 2015, Deputy Director of ISR Strategy, Plans, Doctrine and Force Development, AF/A2, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
7. August 2015 – August 2017, Director Civil Aviation Intelligence Analysis Center, Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C.
8. August 2017 – present, Special Assistant to the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, Management and Deputy Chief Management Officer, Office of the Under Secretary of the Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
MAJOR MILITARY AWARDS AND HONORS
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
MAJOR CIVILIAN AWARDS AND HONORS
Secretary of Defense Meritorious Civilian Service Award
Air Force Meritorious Civilian Service Award
National Intelligence Exceptional Achievement Medal
Secretary of Defense Exceptional Civilian Service Award
(Current as of July 2019)