Mr. Curtis D. McGiffin

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Mr. Curtis D. McGiffin is currently the Associate Dean of the School of Strategic Force Studies at the Air Force Institute of Technology. Additionally, he is an adjunct professor at the same, teaching strategic deterrence to hundreds of Airmen each year. Prior to this position, Mr. McGiffin served as Executive Director of the Louisiana Tech Research Institute, a non-profit partnership that connected Louisiana Tech University with the Department of Defense where he led strategic deterrence education and research efforts. He also serves as an adjunct professor with Missouri State University’s Department of Defense and Strategic Studies teaching "Nuclear Strategy and Deterrence" and has supported industry as a National Security Consultant and Nuclear Deterrence and Nuclear Command and Control, Communications (NC3) Subject Matter Expert.

Colonel McGiffin was commissioned in May of 1990 through the ROTC program at Southwest Texas State University. He has served as an Instructor Navigator on the EC-135 Looking Glass and E-4B National Airborne Operations Center and as a T-43 Instructor/Evaluator Navigator, Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, and as AETC’s T-43/Joint Undergraduate Navigator Training Program Manager. Following graduation from the Joint Military Intelligence College, Col McGiffin commanded the 339th Recruiting Squadron, where his unit led the nation for two consecutive years in enlisted recruitments. Colonel McGiffin then served as Chief, Contingency/Adaptive Plans and Future Operations Branch, US Joint Forces Command where he was responsible for reviewing and coordinating Combatant Command joint-operations plans utilizing USJFCOM-assigned resources, the formulation of all USJFCOM plans, the Global Force Management process, and contingency plan assessments as directed by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He went on to support the Assistant Chief of Staff, Strategic Deterrence & Nuclear Integration’s (AF/A10) mission of reinvigorating the USAF’s nuclear enterprise as the Deputy Chief, Assessments Division and Chief, Executive Services Division. Upon his return from Baghdad, Iraq where he served as the Senior Advisor to the Vice Chief of Staff, Iraqi Armed Forces and mentored the development of the Iraqi National Defense Strategy, Col McGiffin served as the Command Systems Operations Division Chief, Joint Staff J36, Deputy Director for Command, Control, and Nuclear Operations. His final staff assignment was as the first Chief of the National, Nuclear Command, Control, Communications Division, Joint Staff J33, Deputy Director for Nuclear, Homeland Defense, and Current Operations supporting the Chairman’s National Military Command System. Colonel McGiffin’s Air Force career culminated as the Associate Dean of Faculty and Assistant Professor of Strategy and Deterrence at the National War College, where he developed and delivered the college’s first deterrence theory elective. 

Colonel McGiffin was a Master Navigator and an instructor/evaluator navigator with more than 2,700 hours in the E-4B, EC-135C/J, KC-135A/E and T-43A aircraft.

EDUCATION

1990     Bachelor of Arts in Geography (Resource & Environmental Studies), Southwest Texas State

            University (renamed Texas State University), San Marcos, TX

1995     Squadron Officer School, by correspondence

1996     Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL

1999     Master of Aeronautical Science (Aviation Management), Embry-Riddle University, Daytona

            Beach, FL (Randolph AFB, TX)

2003     Air Command and Staff College, (JPME I), by correspondence

2004     Master of Science Strategic Intelligence, Joint Military Intelligence College (renamed National

            Intelligence University), Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Bolling AFB, DC

2004     Post-Graduate Intelligence Program certificate, Joint Military Intelligence College (renamed

            National Intelligence University), Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Bolling AFB, DC

2007     Air War College, by correspondence

2007     Joint and Combined Warfighting School (JPME II), Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, VA

ASSIGNMENTS

1. Jan 1991 - Feb 1992, student, specialized undergraduate navigator training, Mather AFB, CA
2. Apr 1992 - Aug 1992, student, KC-135A Combat Crew Training Course, Castle AFB, CA
3. Aug 1992 - Jul 1994, EC-135 Navigator, 2nd Airborne Command Control Squadron, Offutt AFB, NE
4. Jul 1994 - Jul 1995, EC-135 Instructor Navigator, 7th Airborne Command Control Squadron, Offutt AFB, NE
5. Aug 1995 - Jun 1996, Chief, EC-135 Flight Operations Scheduling/Instructor Navigator, 55th Operations Support Squadron, Offutt AFB, NE
6. Jul 1996 - Sep 1997, T-43 Instructor Navigator, 562nd Flying Training Squadron, Randolph AFB, TX
7. Oct 1997 - Jun 1998, T-43 Evaluator/Instructor Navigator, 562nd Flying Training Squadron, Randolph AFB, TX
8. Jul 1998 - Jun 1999, Chief, Standardization/Evaluation Flight/T-43 Evaluator/Instructor Navigator, 562nd Flying Training Squadron, Randolph AFB, TX
9. Jul 1999 - Aug 2000, NAF Chief, T-43 Navigator Programs, MAJCOM Flight Examiner/ Evaluator/Instructor Navigator, 19th Air Force, Randolph AFB, TX
10.  Sep 2000 - Feb 2002, E-4B Navigator/Executive Officer, 1st Airborne Command Control Squadron, Offutt AFB, NE
11.  Mar 2002 - May 2003, E-4B Instructor Navigator/Wing Executive Officer, 55th Wing, Offutt AFB, NE
12. Jun 2003 - Jul 2004, IDE Student, Joint Military Intelligence College, Defense Intelligence Agency, Bolling AFB, DC
13. Aug 2004 - Jul 2006, Commander, 339th Recruiting Squadron, Clinton Township, MI
14. Jul 2006 - Jul 2008, Joint Operations Planner, Plans and Future Operations Division (J35), US Joint Forces Command, Norfolk, VA
15. Jul 2008 - Jul 2009, Chief, Contingency/Adaptive Plans & Future Operations, Plans and Future Operations Division (J35), US Joint Forces Command, Norfolk, VA
16. Jul 2009 - Apr 2010, Chief, Enterprise Oversight Branch, Assessments Division, ACS Strategic Deterrence & Nuclear Integration (AF/A10), Pentagon, DC
17. May 2010 - Sep 2010, Deputy Chief, Assessments Division, ACS Strategic Deterrence & Nuclear Integration (AF/A10), HQ USAF, Pentagon, DC
18. Sep 2010 - Jul 2011, Chief, Executive Services Division, ACS Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration (AF/A10), HQ USAF, Pentagon, DC
19. Aug 2011 - Dec 2011, Senior Leader Advisor to the Vice Chief of Staff, Iraqi Armed Forces, Baghdad, Iraq
20. Jan 2012 - Jun 2012, Deputy Chief, Command Systems Operations Division, Deputy Director for Command, Control, and Nuclear Operations, Joint Staff J36, Pentagon, DC
21. Jul 2012 - Nov 2012, Operations Officer, Deputy Director for Regional Operations, Global Force Management, Joint Staff J33, Pentagon, DC
22. Dec 2012 - Oct 2013, Chief, Command Systems Operations Division, Deputy Director for Command, Control, and Nuclear Operations, Joint Staff J36, Pentagon, DC
23. Nov 2013 - Jul 2014, Chief, National and Nuclear Command, Control and Communications Division, Deputy Director for Nuclear, Homeland Defense, Current Operations, Joint Staff J33, Pentagon, DC
24. Jul 2014 – Jun 2017, Associate Dean of Faculty and Assistant Professor of Strategy and Deterrence at the National War College, National Defense University, Ft McNair, Washington DC

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS

1. Jul 2006 - Jul 2008, Joint Operations Planner, Plans and Future Operations Division (J35), US Joint Forces Command, Norfolk, VA
2. Jul 2008 - Jul 2009, Chief, Contingency/Adaptive Plans & Future Operations, Plans and Future Operations Division (J35), US Joint Forces Command, Norfolk, VA
3. Jul 2012 - Nov 2012, Operations Officer, Deputy Director for Regional Operations, Global Force Management, Joint Staff J33, Pentagon, DC
4. Dec 2012 - Oct 2013, Chief, Command Systems Operations Division, Deputy Director for Command, Control, and Nuclear Operations, Joint Staff J36, Pentagon, DC
5. Nov 2013 - Jul 2014, Chief, National and Nuclear Command, Control and Communications Division, Deputy Director for Nuclear, Homeland Defense, Current Operations, Joint Staff J33, Pentagon, DC
6. Jul 2014 – June 2017, Associate Dean of Faculty and Assistant Professor of Strategy and Deterrence at the National War College, National Defense University, Ft McNair, Washington DC

FLIGHT INFORMATION

Rating: Master Navigator

Flight hours: 2755

Aircraft flown:  E-4B, EC-135C/J, KC135A/E, T-43

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Defense Superior Service Medal

Legion of Merit

Defense Meritorious Service Medal

Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters

Aerial Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster

Joint Service Commendation Medal

Air Force Commendation Medal

Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters

Combat Readiness Medal with device

National Defense Service Medal with device

Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with device

Southwest Asia Service Medal with device

Iraq Campaign Medal with device

Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

Armed Forces Service Medal

Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster

Kuwait Liberation Medal Government of Kuwait

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION

Second Lieutenant - 12 May 1990

First Lieutenant - 12 September 1992

Captain - 12 September 1994

Major - October 1, 2001

Lieutenant Colonel - September 1, 2006

Colonel - February 1, 2012

GS-15 – May 13, 2019

(Current as of June 2020)