Prior to his current assignment, he was the assistant program director for development at the F-35 Lighting II Joint Program Office, where he was responsible for F-35 fighter fifth generation modernization activities.[4][5][6]
1. September 1993–August 1995, Program Manager, 50th Logistics Support Squadron, Schreiver Air Force Base, Colo. 2. August 1995–July 1996, Executive Officer, 50th Logistics Group, Schreiver AFB, Colo. 3. July 1996–March 1998, Program Manager, Milstar Operations Support Division, Military Satellite Communications Joint Program Office, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif. 4. March 1998–July 2000, Chief, Military Satellite Communications Programs Planning Branch, Military Satellite Communications Joint Program Office, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif. 5. July 2000–June 2002, Student, United States Air Force Intern Program, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. 6. June 2002–July 2005, Chief, Satellite Command and Control Branch, then Program Manager, Missile Warning Systems, Space Systems Program Office, Signals Intelligence Directorate, National Reconnaissance Office, Chantilly, Va. 7. July 2005–June 2006, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 8. June 2006–June 2008, Deputy Chief, Future Systems Division, Developmental Planning Directorate, Space and Missiles System Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif. 9. June 2008–July 2009, Chief, Space Systems Acquisition Division, Transformational Satellite Communications System Space Group, MILSATCOM Systems Wing, Space and Missiles System Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif. 10. July 2009–August 2011, Commander, Space Based Infrared Systems Ground Squadron, then Materiel Leader, SBIRS Ground Systems Branch, SBIRS Ground Division, Infrared Space Systems Directorate, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif. 11. August 2011–June 2012, Student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. 12. June 2012–July 2014, Chief, Requirements Integration Department, Defense Threat Reduction Agency and U.S. Strategic Command, Center for Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction, Fort Belvoir, Va. 13. July 2014–June 2017, Senior Material Leader – Lower, Director, DoD Space Test Program and Chief, Space Demonstrations Division, Advanced Systems and Development Directorate, Space and Missile Systems Center, Kirtland AFB, N.M. 14. June 2017–June 2020, Senior Material Leader – Upper, Assistant Program Director for Development and Production, then Assistant Program Director for Development, F-35 Joint Program Office, Arlington, Va. 15. June 2020– August 2021, Vice Commander, Space and Missile Systems Center, U.S. Space Force, Los Angeles AFB, Calif. 16. August 2021 – January 2024, Deputy Commander, Space Systems Command, Los Angeles AFB, Calif. 17. February 2024 – present, Program Executive for Ground-Based Weapon Systems, Missile Defense Agency, Redstone Arsenal, Ala.[5]
Awards and decorations
Cothern speaks after winning the Schriever Fellowship Award during the Air Force Association's Inaugural Space Force Ball, 2021
Cothern is the recipient of the following awards:[5]
Retired Maj. Gen. Roosevelt Mercer Jr., SES, is the director of the Interagency Planning Office (IPO) for the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) at the Federal Aviation Administration where he provides high-level leadership for interagency and international collaboration related to NextGen. He executes the collaborative processes needed to ensure efficient coordination among all federal partners whose decisions impact NextGen. The federal partner agencies include the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Commerce (DOC), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), National Science Foundation (NSF), and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), as well as the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) as an ex officio participant. Mr. Mercer is charged with providing executive direction to a dynamic multi-agency and international partnering organization focused on future NextGen technology, policy, and collaborative activities.
William T. Lord was the Chief of Warfighting Integration and Chief Information Officer, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Prior to his retirement, General Lord led five directorates and two field operating agencies consisting of more than 1,000 military, civilian and contractor personnel supporting a portfolio valued at $17 billion. He integrated Air Force warfighting and mission support capabilities by networking space, air and terrestrial assets. Additionally, he shaped doctrine, strategy, and policy for all communications and information activities while driving standards and governance, innovation, and architectures for information systems and personnel.
Lieutenant General Clyde Dewey Moore II is a retired United States Air Force officer who served as Commander, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The organization is the single center responsible for total life cycle management covering all aircraft, engines, munitions, and electronic systems.
Wendy Lee Motlong Masiello retired as a lieutenant general in the United States Air Force on May 24, 2017. From May 2014 to May 24, 2017, she was the director of the Defense Contract Management Agency, based in Fort Lee, Virginia.
Sandra E. Finan was the Deputy Chief Information Officer for Command, Control, Communications and Computers (C4) and Information Infrastructure Capabilities, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Pentagon, Washington D.C.
Burke Edwin Wilson is a retired United States Air Force two-star general who served as Commander, 24th Air Force at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas from 2014 to 2016.
Donna D. Shipton is a United States Air Force lieutenant general who serves as commander of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center. The center is responsible for total life cycle management for aircraft, engines, munitions, electronic, computer, network, cyber and agile combat support systems. The center employs more than 28,000 people and has a budget of over $300 billion. Previously she served as military deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics.
Christopher Stephen Povak is a United States Space Force major general who serves as the deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office and commander of the Space Force Element to the National Reconnaissance Office. He previously served as the deputy director of the Space Warfighting Analysis Center.
John Ferdinand "JT" Thompson is a retired lieutenant general in the United States Air Force who last served as the commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center from May 2017 to July 2021. He entered the United States Air Force in 1984 as a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy.
Sam Johnson is a retired colonel in the United States Air Force who last served as the commander of the 21st Space Wing of the Space Operations Command. He was vice commander of the 21st Space Wing before assuming the command on May 12, 2020 after the previous commander, Colonel Thomas Falzarano unexpectedly died.
James Earl Smith is a United States Space Force brigadier general who serves as the assistant deputy chief of space operations for operations, cyber, and nuclear. He previously served as the deputy United States military representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. He was previously the commander of the 50th Space Wing before it was inactivated and replaced by the Peterson-Schriever Garrison. He was also nominated for transfer to the U.S. Space Force and promotion to brigadier general.
Casey Michael Beard is a United States Space Force colonel who served as the first commander of Space Delta 9 from 2020 to 2022. In 2019, Beard was nominated for transfer to the U.S. Space Force from the U.S. Air Force. His previous assignment was as the deputy director of the Space Strategy and Plans Directorate in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy, Pentagon, Washington D.C. He was the team leader who drafted the U.S. Space Force's first service doctrine.
Stephen G. Purdy Jr. is a United States Space Force major general who serves as the military deputy to the assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisition and integration. He previously served as commander of Space Launch Delta 45, program executive officer for assured access to space, director of the Eastern Range, and director of launch and range operations of Space Systems Command.
Steven P. Whitney is a United States Space Force major general who serves as the director of staff of the United States Space Force. He previously served as the military deputy to the assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisition and integration from 2021 to 2023.
Devin Ruben Pepper is a United States Space Force brigadier general who served as commander of Buckley Garrison, 460th Space Wing, and the 21st Operations Group. He is the first African American general officer in the Space Force and the first one to have enlisted before commissioning as an officer.
Dennis O. Bythewood is a United States Space Force brigadier general who serves the deputy commander of the United States Space Forces – Space. He previously served as the commander of Joint Task Force–Space Defense and deputy commander of the Combined Force Space Component Command.
Timothy Alan Sejba is a United States Space Force major general who serves as the commander of Space Training and Readiness Command. He previously served as the program executive officer for both the Space Domain Awareness and Combat Power (SDACP); and Battle Management, Command, Control, and Communications (BMC3) directorates. He has also served as acting director of the Space Rapid Capabilities Office from 2018 to 2019.
Brigadier General Allen J. Jamerson is a retired United States Air Force officer who last served as the Director of United States Air Force Security Forces from July 2012 to October 2016.
Rodney D. Lewis is a retired United States Air Force major general who last served as the deputy director for force protection of the Joint Staff and the Joint Integrated Air and Missile Defense Organization. He previously served as the Director of Strategy, Posture, and Assessments of the Air Force.
Terrence (Terry) Feehan is a retired major general in the United States Air Force and was the Director of Strategic Plans and Requirements, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. In that role he was responsible for developing strategy, doctrine and policy for the command's space and cyberspace operations. After his military retirement, he became a vice president at Northrop Grumman where he directed a variety of staff functions and served as a major program director.
Program Executive for Ground-based Weapon Systems of the Missile Defense Agency 2024–present
Vacant
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
