George R. Farfour

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Mr George R. Farfour is the Associate Dean of the School of Strategic Force Studies at the Air Force Institute of Technology.  He assists in leading 35 faculty and staff members committed to developing Airmen, joint service professionals and international partners to thrive in a technologically competitive environment. The School of Strategic Force Studies graduates approximately 5,000 mid-to-senior level students annually from competency-based professional continuing education or scholarship programs focused on critical subject matter such as nuclear surety; deterrence strategy; nuclear command, control, and communications (NC3) methodology; and cyberspace operations. The school’s operating budget is $3.4 million per year, which supports four Departments: Nuclear Studies located at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, NC3 at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, Nuclear Academic Partnerships and Cyberspace located at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. 

Before retiring after 37 years of uniformed service, he was most recently the  Chief, Defense Nuclear Inspections Oversight Department, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.  He was responsible to the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Office of the Secretary of Defense for the oversight of US Air Force and Navy nuclear inspection teams on the health and warfighting capability of the Nation’s nuclear triad. 

Mr Farfour enlisted in the United States Air Force Reserve on 3 Aug 85.  He was commissioned in May 1989 as a distinguished graduate of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina. He has served as an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Officer for most of his career, with extensive experience in nuclear war planning; national nuclear policy; conventional, nuclear, and space arms control policy, nuclear operations, nuclear weapon systems acquisition and sustainment and nuclear command, control and communications. He has also served in a variety of staff positions, including at U.S. Strategic Command, on the Air Staff at the Pentagon, and as Deputy Director of the Air Force Space Command Commander's Action Group. He served as the Chief, Nuclear Operations and Integration Division, Assistant Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration, Headquarters, United States Air Force. Colonel Farfour had leading roles in the stand-up of Headquarters, Air Force A10, Air Force Global Strike Command and the Air Force’s organization of Nuclear Command, Control and Communications.

He also served as the Vice Commander, 90th Missile Wing, Francis E. Warren AFB, Wyo. and as the Vice Commander, Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Kirtland AFB, NM.

Education

1989 Bachelor of Science in Communications/Political Science, East Carolina University, Greenville, N.C.
1993 Master of Arts in Management, Outstanding Graduate Student, Webster University, St. Louis, Mo.
1994 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2001 Air Command and Staff College (correspondence)
2003 Master of Military Operational Art and Science degree, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2003 Air Command and Staff College, Top Third graduate, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2004 Air War College (correspondence)
2006 National Defense Fellow (Senior Developmental Education), Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), International Security Program, Washington, D.C.
2012 Joint and Combined Warfighting School (JPME-II), Joint Forces Staff College, National Defense University, Norfolk, Va.

Awards

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 Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Combat Readiness Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Recognition Ribbon with three oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with bronze service star
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal with bronze service star
Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal with four bronze service stars
Air & Space Campaign Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with "N" device and four oak leaf clusters
AFNWC Order of the Nucleus
Honorable Order of St Barbara, US Field Artillery Association

Effective Dates of Promotion

Airman First Class August 3, 1985
Second Lieutenant May 6, 1989
First Lieutenant June 20, 1991
Captain June 20, 1993
Major Oct. 1, 2000
Lieutenant Colonel April 1, 2004
Colonel Sept. 1, 2008
GS-15 Feb 26, 2023

Publications

2005 "The Fog of War: Lt Kenneth M. Taylor on December 7, 1941", Air Power History
2006 "U.S. Nuclear Forces and Policy", A Collection of Papers from the 2005 Conference Series, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Project on Nuclear Issues.
2006 "Service Perspectives on the Quadrennial Defense Review", Center for Strategic and International Studies Strategy Report.
2006 "Deterrence: Cold War to Tailored--It Is Time To Think Differently", High Frontier
2008 "No Space Capabilities, No Joint Fight," With Maj Kenneth Yee, High Frontier
2023 “Attention to Detail,” Vexillum

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Air Force Institute of Technology
2950 Hobson Way
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH 45433-7765
Commercial: 937-255-6565 | DSN: 785-6565