Brig. Gen. Melissa Stone serves as the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence. She is responsible to the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Air Force for policy formulation, planning, evaluation, oversight and leadership of the Air Force’s Intelligence operations. As one of the Air Force's Senior Intelligence Officers, she is also directly responsible to the Director of National Intelligence and the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security. She leads four directorates and supports a 36,000-person enterprise with a portfolio valued at $35 billion across the Air Force.

Prior to this assignment, Brig. Gen. Stone was the Director of Intelligence (J2) for U.S. Cyber Command, Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, where she was responsible for ensuring synchronization of cyber intelligence actions directing the operations and defense of specified Department of Defense Information networks and prepared, when directed, to conduct full spectrum military cyberspace operations.

Brig. Gen. Stone received her commission through the United States Air Force Academy in May of 1998. A career Intelligence officer, she has held operational assignments in signals intelligence, cyber intelligence, information operations and analysis in addition to assignments in education and training. She has also served in various congressional affairs roles and deployments, as well as the White House Situation Room within the National Security Council.

EDUCATION
1998 Distinguished Graduate, Bachelor of Science, Behavioral Sciences, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.
1999 Master of Science, Engineering Psychology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
2003 Distinguished Graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2007 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2008 Doctor of Management, Organizational Leadership, University of Phoenix, Ariz.
2010 Air Force Legislative Fellowship, Washington, D.C.
2010 Certificate, Legislative Studies, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
2011 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2016 Highest Academic Distinction, Master of Strategic Studies, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2018 Air Force Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
2021 Air Force Leading Strategically Program, Center for Creative Leadership, by correspondence
2022 Fellow, Seminar XXI, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Washington, D.C.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 1998–May 1999, Graduate Student, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
2. June 1999–June 2000, Distinguished Graduate, Student, Intelligence Officer Course, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas
3. June 2000–June 2002, Flight Commander and Chief, Joint Section, 301st Intelligence Squadron, Misawa Air Base, Japan
4. June 2002–December 2003, Chief, Exercise Element, 39th Information Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
5. December 2003–June 2005, Chief, Adversary Air Element, 547th Intelligence Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
6. June 2005–June 2007, Flight Commander, Distributed Common Ground System Formal Training Unit, 17th Training Support Squadron, Goodfellow AFB, Texas
7. June 2007–June 2009, Senior Duty Officer and Assistant Director of Operations, White House Situation Room, National Security Council, The White House, Washington, D.C.
8. June 2009–December 2010, Defense Legislative Fellow, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington D.C.
9. December 2010–June 2011, Congressional Affairs Officer, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Washington D.C.
10. June 2011–September 2012, Legislative Liaison, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
11. September 2012–May 2013, Chief, Analysis and Applications Division and Special Programs Integration Division, Directorate of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
12. May 2013–June 2015, Commander, 35th Intelligence Squadron, Lackland AFB, Texas
13. June 2015–May 2016, Student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
14. May 2016–May 2017, Director of Staff, LeMay Center for Doctrine Development and Education, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
15. May 2017–May 2019, Vice Commander, 42nd Air Base Wing, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
16. May 2019–June 2021, Commander, 363rd Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
17. June 2021–June 2022, Chief, Senate Liaison Office, Legislative Liaison, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
18. June 2022–July 2023, Deputy Commander, 16th Air Force (Air Forces Cyber) and Joint Force Headquarters – Cyber (Air Force), Joint Base San Antonio–Lackland, Texas
19. July 2023–June 2025, Director of Intelligence, U.S. Cyber Command, Fort George G. Meade, Md.
20. June 2025–present, Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence (HQ AF/A2), the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2007–June 2009, Senior Duty Officer and Assistant Director of Operations, White House Situation Room, National Security Council, The White House, Washington, D.C., as a major
2. July 2023–June 2025, Director of Intelligence, U.S. Cyber Command, Fort George G. Meade, Md. as a brigadier general

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air and Space Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Air and Space Achievement Medal

(Current as of September 2025)