Lt. Gen. Janet Wolfenbarger, the current military deputy in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, was confirmed as the first female four-star general in Air Force History.
“This is an historic occasion for the Air Force,” said Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley. “General Wolfenbarger’s 32 years of service, highlighted by extraordinary leadership and devotion to duty, make her exceptionally qualified for this senior position and to serve as the next commander of Air Force Materiel Command.”
“I am honored to have been confirmed by the Senate for promotion to the rank of General and to serve as commander of Air Force Materiel Command. Until I take command of AFMC, I will continue to focus on the important Air Force acquisition work here at the Pentagon,” said Wolfenbarger.
Bio:
Lt. Gen. Janet C. Wolfenbarger is the Military Deputy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. She is responsible for research and development, test, production, and modernization of Air Force programs worth more than $40 billion annually.
General Wolfenbarger was commissioned in 1980 as a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, and began her career in acquisition as an engineer at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. She has held a variety of assignments at headquarters Electronic Security Command and Air Force Systems Command.
The general has held several positions in the F-22 System Program Office at Wright-Patterson AFB, served as the F-22 Lead Program Element Monitor at the Pentagon, and was the B-2 System Program Director for the Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. She commanded ASC’s C-17 Systems Group, Mobility Systems Wing. The Service’s Director of the Air Force Acquisition Center of Excellence at the Pentagon, then served as Director of the Headquarters AFMC Intelligence and Requirements Directorate, Wright-Patterson AFB. Prior to her current assignment, General Wolfenbarger was the Vice Commander, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB.
EDUCATION
1980 Bachelor of Science degree in engineering sciences, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1983 Squadron Officer School, by correspondence
1985 Master of Science degree in aeronautics and astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
1988 Program Management Course, Defense Systems Management College, Fort Belvoir, Va.
1991 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
1994 Master of Science degree in national resource strategy, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1980 – August 1981, technical intelligence analyst, Armament Division, Eglin AFB, Fla.
2. August 1981 – July 1983, communication systems development officer, Electronic Security Command, Kelly AFB, Texas
3. July 1983 – December 1984, student, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.
4. December 1984 – October 1987, Chief, Strategic Offense Weapons Branch, Headquarters Air Force Systems Command, Andrews AFB, Md.
5. October 1987 – September 1988, executive officer, Headquarters Air Force Systems Command, Andrews AFB, Md.
6. September 1988 – July 1993, Chief, Plans and Strategies Division; Chief, Air Vehicle Analysis and Integration Team; and Chief, F-22 Subsystems Team, F-22 System Program Office, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
7. July 1993 – June 1994, student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
8. June 1994 – June 1997, Lead F-22 Program Element Monitor, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
9. June 1997 – April 2000, Chief, B-2 Air Vehicle Team, B-2 SPO, ASC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
10. April 2000 – December 2002, B-2 System Program Director, B-2 SPO, ASC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
11. December 2002 – July 2005, Commander, C-17 Systems Group, Mobility Systems Wing, ASC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
12. August 2005 – July 2006, Director, Air Force Acquisition Center of Excellence, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
13. August 2006 – January 2007, Special Assistant for Command Transformation to the Commander, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
14. January 2007 – July 2008, Director, Intelligence and Requirements Directorate, and Special Assistant for Command Transformation to the Commander, Headquarters AFMC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
15. July 2008 – December 2009, Director, Intelligence and Requirements Directorate, Headquarters AFMC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
16. December 2009 – September 2011, Vice Commander, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
17. September 2011 – present, Military Deputy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATION
Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with one silver and two bronze oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with bronze star
Global War on Terrorism Service MedalOTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1996 Kelly Burke Award, Department of the Air Force
2002 and 2004 Stewart Award, Aeronautical Systems CenterEFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 28, 1980
First Lieutenant May 28, 1982
Captain May 28, 1984
Major Jan. 1, 1990
Lieutenant Colonel June 1, 1993
Colonel Sept. 1, 1998
Brigadier General Feb. 1, 2006
Major General June 26, 2009
Lieutenant General Dec. 3, 2009
