Robert “Bus” Bussian is the Director for Cyber and Strategic Enabling in the Concepts, Development and Management Office under the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force, Arlington, Va. SAF/CDM develops and implements initiatives and activities for the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence as well as the Secretary of the Air Force. In this role, Mr. Bussian is the principal adviser to the Director, CDM, for assessing technical and operational risks, identifying optimized strategies, and determining operational efficacy to meet cyberspace, information and applied technology requirements for intelligence activities and operations.
Mr. Bussian entered the Air Force in 1985 as a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. During his military career, he served in a variety of operational and intelligence assignments, at both unit and staff levels. He has more than 4,000 hours in the B-52G/H to include assignments as an Air Force Weapons School instructor and operational squadron commander, leading expeditionary units for combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
While on active duty, he held a variety of joint assignments in Defense Agencies, Combatant Commands, the Joint Staff and Office of the Secretary of Defense. Upon retirement, Mr. Bussian joined the civil service with the Office of Naval Intelligence under a joint duty assignment to the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence. He rejoined the Air Force when appointed as a Defense Intelligence Senior Leader in 2012.
EDUCATION
1985 Bachelor of Science, Engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1995 Distinguished graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force base, Ala.
1998 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1999 Master of Aerospace Science, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Fla.
2000 Armed Forces Staff College, National Defense University, Washington, D.C.
2005 National Defense Fellow, Institute for Defense Analyses, Alexandria, Va.
CAREER CHRONOLGY
1. July 1985 – September 1986, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Reese Air Force Base, Texas
2. September 1986 – October 1994, Student then B-52G Copilot, Aircraft Commander, B-52H Instructor Pilot, Standardization and Evaluation Flight Examiner, Weapons Officer and Flight Commander, various locations
3. October 1994 – September 1995, B-52H Instructor Pilot, Detachment 1, U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Ellsworth AFB, S.D.
4. September 1995 – August 1997, B-52H Flight Commander, and Chief, Standardization and Evaluation (Weapons School and Test), Detachment 5, 57th Wing, Barksdale AFB, La.
7. August 1997 – June 1998, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
8. June 1998 – July 2001, Assistant Deputy Director of Operations, National Military Command Center, then Chief, Emergency Actions Section, Nuclear Operations Division, J-3, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.
9. July 2001 - June 2002, Chief of Safety, 5th Bomb Wing, Minot AFB, N.D.
10. June 2002 - June 2004, Commander, 23rd Bomb Squadron, Minot AFB, N.D.
11. June 2004 - June 2005, National Defense Fellow, Institute for Defense Analyses, Alexandria, Va.
12. June 2005 - July 2007, Director of Operations, Joint Functional Component Command-ISR, U.S. Strategic Command, Bolling AFB, Washington, D.C.
13. July 2007 - June 2009, Chief, Office of Strategy and Assessments, Defense Intelligence Agency, Bolling AFB, Washington, D.C.
14. June 2009 – June 2010, Military Assistant to the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Arlington, Va.
15. September 2010 – October 2015, Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor, Intelligence Systems Support Office, Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force, Arlington, Va.
16. October 2015 – present, Director, Cyber and Strategic Enabling, Concepts, Development and Management Office, Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force, Arlington, Va.
MAJOR AWARDS AND HONORS
Presidential Rank Award
Meritorious Civilian Service Award
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
(Current as of May 2019)