DR. TROY E. MEINK Dr. Troy E. Meink is the 27th Secretary of the Air Force, responsible for organizing, training, and equipping the U.S. Air and Space Forces. As the Department’s senior leader, he oversees an annual budget exceeding $200 billion, provides Air and Space forces to combatant commanders in support of global military operations, and is accountable for the welfare of nearly 680,000 active duty, Guard, Reserve, and civilian Airmen and Guardians and their families. Dr. Meink recently served as the Principal Deputy Director at the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), where he oversaw day-to-day management of the NRO, and acted on behalf of the Director in their absence. Prior to that position, he was the Director, Geospatial Intelligence Systems Acquisition (GEOINT) at the NRO, where he was responsible for the successful execution of all national geospatial intelligence satellite systems acquisitions with a budget of more than $15 billion. Dr. Meink is from Lemmon, South Dakota, and entered the Air Force in 1988 through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at South Dakota State University. His assignments have included operations and training, systems engineering, research and development, and program management of major defense acquisition programs. Dr. Meink began his career as a KC-135 Tanker Navigator and Instructor and then a lead test engineer for the design and evaluation of ballistic missile test vehicles for the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (now Missile Defense Agency). As an Air Force Civilian, he managed multiple next generation joint research and development programs transitioning global space capabilities, optical sensors, and advanced structures. He subsequently led development for the Military Satellite Communications Joint Program Office and served as program director for the Transformational Satellite Communications System. He was Director, Communications Directorate, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense/Networks and Information Integration, and the Director, Signal Intelligence Systems Acquisition, NRO. Dr. Meink left the NRO for a time when he was assigned to the Department of the Air Force as the Undersecretary of the Air Force for Space and the Director, Executive Agent for Space Staff in Washington, D.C. Dr. Meink then served as the Assistant Director of National Intelligence for Systems and Resource Analyses. As a rated officer, Dr. Meink completed 100 sorties including 8 combat and 29 combat support missions in support of operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and Provide Comfort. He has authored 20 articles in professional journals and conference publications, has been awarded three patents, and designed, built, and flown two experimental aircraft. Dr. Meink currently flies an RV-8 experimental aircraft. EDUCATION 1988 Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering, South Dakota State University, Brookings, S.D. 1995 Master of Science, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 1999 Doctor of Philosophy, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio CAREER CHRONOLOGY 1. August 1988 - September 1993, Air Force Navigator and Instructor Navigator, Grissom AFB, Ind. 2. June 1994 - March 1998, Flight Test Engineer and Deputy Program Manager (Air Force Reserve), National Air Intelligence Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 3. August 1994 – February 2001, Program Manager and Senior Research Engineer, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M. 4. February 2001 - March 2002, Chief Technical Adviser, Space Vehicles Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, N.M. 5. March 2002 - June 2003, Director, Military Satellite Communications Innovations Center, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif. 6. June 2003 - January 2006, Program Director, Transformational Satellite Communications Systems, Military Satellite Communications Joint Program Office, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif. 7. January 2006 - November 2008, Director, Communications Directorate, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Networks and Information Integration), the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. 8. November 2008 – November 2013, Director, Signals Intelligence Systems Acquisition, National Reconnaissance Office, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force for Space and Technology, Chantilly, Va. 9. November 2013 – June 2014, Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for Space; and Director, Executive Agent for Space Staff, the Pentagon, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. 10. June 2014 – April 2017, Assistant Director for Systems and Resource Analyses, McLean, Virginia 11. April 2017 – October 2020, Director, Geospatial Intelligence Systems Acquisitions (GEOINT), National Reconnaissance Office, Chantilly, Va. 12. October 2020 – May 2025, Principal Deputy Director, National Reconnaissance Office, Chantilly, Va. 13. May 2025 – present, Secretary of the Air Force, Department of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. AWARDS AND HONORS Distinguished Presidential Rank Award Distinguished Meritorious Rank Award Dr. Joseph V. Charyk Award, National Space Clubs Distinguished graduate, undergraduate navigator training Stellar Award for Space Achievement, NASA Department of the Air Force Invention Award Associate Fellow, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics John J. Welch Jr. Award, Air Force Space Command PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS Experimental Aircraft Association American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (Current as of May 2025)