Lieutenant General Steven P. Whitney Lt. Gen. Steve Whitney is the Director, Force Structure, Resources and Assessment (J8), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. He develops capabilities; conducts studies, analysis and assessments; and evaluates plans, programs and strategies for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He serves as the Joint Requirements Oversight Council Secretary and as the Chairman of the Joint Capabilities Board. Lt. Gen. Whitney graduated in 1992 from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and completed the university’s Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program as a distinguished graduate. Through the years, he has served in a wide variety of space system acquisition and operations leadership positions within the Air Force, Space Force, Joint Staff, Office of the Secretary of Defense and National Reconnaissance Office. His assignments include serving as a Crew Commander, Spacecraft Engineer, Senior Flight Commander, Program Element Monitor, Director of Engineering, Squadron Commander, Senior Materiel Leader, Program Director, Program Executive Officer and Military Deputy. Prior to his current assignment, Lt. Gen. Whitney was the Director of Staff, Headquarters, U.S. Space Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia, where he was responsible for synchronizing policy, plans, procedures and cross functional issues for the U.S. Space Force headquarters staff. EDUCATION 1992 Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 1997 Distinguished Graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. 2000 Master of Arts, Administrative Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C. 2004 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence 2007 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence 2011 Distinguished Graduate, Master of Science, Systems Engineering Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 2011 Master of Science, National Security Strategy, National War College, Washington, D.C. 2013 Program Manager’s Course, Defense Acquisition University, Fort Belvoir, Va. 2014 Executive Program Manager’s Course, Defense Acquisition University, Fort Belvoir, Va. ASSIGNMENTS 1. April 1993–July 1996, Defense Support Program and Defense Meteorological Satellite Program Crew Commander and Chief, DSP Spacecraft Engineering; 1st Space Operations Squadron, Schriever Air Force Base, Colo. 2. July 1996–June 1998, Chief, Commander’s Action Group and FDS Operations Manager; (Space-Based Infrared System) Program Office, Los Angeles AFB, Calif. 3. June 1998–June 2000, Air Force Intern; Directorate of Space and Nuclear Deterrence, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force and Force Management Policy, Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. 4. June 2000–May 2004, Senior Flight Commander; Chief, Production Division; and Director of Engineering; Air Force Communications Support Facility, White Sands Missile Range, Las Cruces, N.M. 5. May 2004–June 2005, Student, Air Force Institute of Technology; Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 6. June 2005–May 2008, Military Satellite Communications Program Element Monitor and Chief, Congressional and Media Affairs, Space Acquisition Directorate, Office of the Under Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. 7. June 2008–July 2010, Commander, Enterprise Operations Squadron, Mission Operations Directorate, National Reconnaissance Office, Chantilly, Va. 8. August 2010–June 2011, Student, National War College; Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. 9. June 2011–July 2013, Chief, Space/C4 Branch and Space Lead; Joint Staff J8, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. 10. July 2013–July 2015, Senior Materiel Leader, Global Positioning System User Equipment Division, Global Positioning Systems Directorate, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif. 11. July 2015–June 2019, Director, Global Positioning Systems Directorate, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif. 12. October 2018–June 2019, Program Executive Officer for Space Production, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif. 13. July 2019–July 2020, Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. 14. August 2020–August 2021, Director, Space Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. 15. August 2021–July 2023, Military Deputy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. 16. July 2023–October 2025, Director of Staff, Headquarters, U.S. Space Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. 17. October 2025–present, Director, Force Structure, Resources and Assessment, Joint Staff J8, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS 1. June 2008–July 2010, Commander, Enterprise Operations Squadron, National Reconnaissance Office, Chantilly, Va., as a lieutenant colonel 2. June 2011–July 2013, Chief, Space/C4 Branch and Space Lead; Joint Staff J8, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a lieutenant colonel and colonel 3. July 2019–July 2020, Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a brigadier general 4. October 2025–present, Director, Force Structure, Resources and Assessment, Joint Staff J8, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a lieutenant general MAJOR MILITARY DECORATIONS Air and Space Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster Air Force Commendation Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Armed Forces Service Medal OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS Space and Missile Systems Center Company Grade Officer of the Year Forrest S. McCartney Award for Outstanding Program Management, Air Force Association National Citation of Honor, Air Force Association Director’s Circle Award for Leadership, National Reconnaissance Office 2010 Medal for Superior Service (Gold), National Reconnaissance Office 2019 Schriever Fellowship Award, Air Force Association (Current as of December 2025)