Lieutenant General MARK E. WEATHERINGTON

Lt. Gen. Mark E. Weatherington is the Deputy Commander, Air Force Global Strike Command and Deputy Commander, Air Forces Strategic-Air, U.S. Strategic Command, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. AFGSC provides strategic deterrence, global strike capability and combat support to USSTRATCOM and the geographic combatant commands. The command is comprised of more than 33,700 professionals operating at two numbered air forces; 11 active duty, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve wings; and the Joint Global Strike Operations Center. Weapons systems assigned to AFGSC include all Air Force iIntercontinental ballistic missiles and bomber aircraft, UH-1N helicopters, E-4B National Airborne Operations Center aircraft, and the Air Force NC3 weapons system.

Lt. Gen. Weatherington earned his commission in 1990 following graduation from the U.S. Air Force Academy. He has served in a variety of operational assignments, including command of the 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, and has held various positions at the major command, combatant command, the Joint Staff, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense levels. Prior to this assignment, Lt. Gen. Weatherington commanded “The Mighty Eighth” Air Force and the Joint-Global Strike Operations Center, Barksdale AFB.

The general is a command pilot with more than 2,400 flying hours, including combat over Afghanistan.

EDUCATION
1990 Bachelor of Science, History, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1994 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2000 U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
2002 Master of Arts, History, Hardin-Simmons University, Abilene, Texas
2003 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2004 School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2005 Joint and Combined Warfighting School, Joint Professional Military Education II, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
2009 Foreign Policy Fellow, The Brookings Institution, Washington, D.C.
2014 Space Operations Executive Course, Peterson AFB, Colo.
2015 Cyberspace Operations Executive Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2016 Joint Flag Officer Warfighting Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2017 U.S.-U.K. Rising Leader Forum, Royal College of Defense Studies, London, United Kingdom
2018 Chief Information Security Officer Certificate, College of Information and Cyberspace, National Defense University, Washington, D.C.
2018 Senior Executives in National and International Security, The Kennedy School, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
2019 Senior Joint Information Operations Applications Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2019 Senior Leader Nuclear Management Course, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
2020 Combined Force Air Component Commander Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2022 Leadership at the Peak, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2022 Pinnacle Course, National Defense Univeristy, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 1990–October 1991, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Reese Air Force Base, Texas
2. November 1991–June 1994, Flight Commander, 22nd Security Police Squadron, McConnell AFB, Kan.
3. June 1994–February 1997, B-1 Pilot, 9th Bomb Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas
4. February 1997–October 1999, Assistant Operations Officer, 34th BS; Wing Scheduler, 366th Operational Support Squadron, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho
5. October 1999–June 2002, Wing Weapons Officer, 28th Operational Support Squadron; Assistant Operations Officer and Chief of Weapons and Tactics, 77th BS, Ellsworth AFB, S.D.
6. July 2002–June 2003, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
7. July 2003–June 2004, Student, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
8. June 2004–November 2006, Chairman’s Action Group Strategist, Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Joint Doctrine Planner, the Joint Staff, J7, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
9. November 2006–July 2008, B-1 Requalification Student, then Commander, 28th BS, Dyess AFB, Texas
10. July 2008–July 2009, Foreign Policy Fellow, The Brookings Institution, Washington, D.C.
11. July 2009–August 2010, Chief of Staff of the Air Force Fellow, with duties as Chief of Naval Operations Fellow, Strategic Studies Group XXIX, Newport, R.I.
12. August 2010–April 2011, Chief of Staff of the Air Force Fellow, with duties as Special Assistant to the Commander, United States Air Forces Central Command, Southwest Asia
13. May 2011–April 2013, Commander, 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth AFB, S.D.
14. April 2013–May 2014, Military Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense, Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
15. May 2014–June 2016, Deputy Director for Command, Control, Communications and Computers (C4)/Cyber, Joint Staff, J6, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
16. July 2016–March 2018, Director, Cyberspace Operations (J6/J3D), North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
17. April 2018–May 2020, Deputy Commander, Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas
18. June 2020–August 2021, Commander, Eighth Air Force and Joint-Global Strike Operations Center, Barksdale AFB, La.
19. August 2021–present, Deputy Commander, AFGSC and Deputy Commander, Air Forces Strategic-Air, U.S. Strategic Command, AFGSC, Barksdale AFB, La.

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2004–November 2006, Chairman’s Action Group Strategist, Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Joint Doctrine Planner, Joint Staff, J7, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a major and lieutenant colonel
2. April 2013–May 2014, Military Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense, Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a colonel
3. May 2014–June 2016, Deputy Director for Command, Control, Communications and Computers (C4)/Cyber, Joint Staff, J6, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a brigadier general
4. July 2016–March 2018, Director, Cyberspace Operations (J6/J3D), North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, Peterson AFB, Colo., as a brigadier general and major general
5. June 2020–August 2021, Commander, Joint-Global Strike Operations Center, Barksdale AFB, La., as a major general

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 2,400
Aircraft flown: B-1, B-2 and MQ-9

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Defense Superior Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with oak leaf cluster
Aerial Achievement Medal

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 30, 1990
First Lieutenant May 30, 1992
Captain May 30, 1994
Major June 1, 2001
Lieutenant Colonel May 1, 2005
Colonel Oct. 1, 2008
Brigadier General Oct. 2, 2014
Major General June 2, 2018
Lieutenant General Aug. 23, 2021

(Current as of June 2023)