Brigadier General Brian A. Denaro Brig. Gen. Brian A. Denaro is the Director, Plans and Programs, Office of the Chief Strategy and Resource Officer, Headquarters Space Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. As Resourcing Lead, he is responsible for executing U.S. Space Force programs across the Future Years Defense Plan and the Program Objective Memorandum. Brig. Gen. Denaro received his commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2000 with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. He has served in various positions within defense acquisition, intelligence, and international affairs. His notable staff tours include Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, U.S. Pacific Command and Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence. Brig. Gen. Denaro served as Commander of the Aircraft Analysis Squadron at the National Air and Space Intelligence Center and Division Chief of the Strategic Systems Division at Space Systems Command. Brig. Gen. Denaro was the Program Executive Officer for the $23 billion Space Sensing portfolio. Prior to his current assignment, the general was the Senior Military Assistant to the Under Secretary of the Air Force. In this capacity, he advised the Under Secretary on issues facing the Department of the Air Force. EDUCATION 2000 Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. 2000 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. 2005 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 2008 Master of Business Administration, Olmsted Scholar, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China 2009 Air Command and Staff College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence 2013 Joint Professional Military Education Level II, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va. 2017 Master of Science, National Security Strategy, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. 2021 Executive Program Manager’s Course (PMT 402), Defense Acquisition University, Fort Belvoir, Va. 2023 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina ASSIGNMENTS 1. October 2000–May 2002, Scientific and Technical Intelligence Collection Officer, 315th Intelligence Squadron, Yokota Air Base, Japan 2. May 2002–April 2003, Chief of Overt Collection, Detachment 4, 692nd Information Operations Group, Yokota AB, Japan 3. April 2003–August 2005, F-22 Aeronautical Test Engineer, 31st Test and Evaluation Squadron, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. 4. August 2005–September 2008, Olmsted Scholar, Guangzhou, China 5. September 2008–July 2010, China-Japan Regional Affairs Strategist, International Affairs, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii 6. July 2010–October 2012, Aide-de-Camp to the Commander US Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii 7. October 2012–June 2013, J81 Program Manager Strategic Capabilities Office, U.S. Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii 8. June 2013–June 2015, Commander, Aircraft Analysis Squadron, National Air and Space Intelligence Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 9. June 2015–June 2016, Chief, Global Hawk Modernization, RQ-4 System Program Office, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 10. June 2016–June 2017, Student, National War College, Washington, D.C. 11. June 2017–June 2019, Deputy Director for Special Programs, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. 12. June 2019–August 2021, Senior Materiel Leader, Strategic Systems Division, Space Development, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif. 13. August 2021–March 2022, Program Executive Officer for Space Development, Space Systems Command, Los Angeles AFB, Calif. 14. March 2022–June 2023, Program Executive Officer for Space Sensing, Space Systems Command, Los Angeles AFB, Calif. 15. June 2023–June 2024, Senior Military Assistant to the Under Secretary of the Air Force, Headquarters Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. 16. June 2024–present, Director, Plans and Programs, Office of the Chief Strategy and Resource Officer, Headquarters Space Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS 1. July 2010–June 2013, Aide-de-Camp to the Commander and J81 Program Manager Strategic Capabilities Office, U.S. Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii, as a major 2. June 2017–June 2019, Deputy Director for Special Programs, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a lieutenant colonel and colonel MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster Defense Meritorious Service Medal Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS 2001 “Prosthetic arm monitoring system using a programmable interface controller”, Biomedical Sciences Instrumentation journal 2004 Air Force Outstanding Junior Engineer of the Year 2007 MacArthur Foundation Award, JPME-II, Joint Forces Staff College, VA 2008 MBA Top Thesis Award, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China 2009, 2010 All-Armed Forces Triathlon Team Championship (Gold Medalist), Point Mugu NAS, CA 2017 SECDEF National Security Essay Competition, 2nd Place 2023 Lt. Gen. O’Neill Award for Outstanding Senior Leader, Air and Space Forces Association (Current as of September 2024)