Burke Wilson
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy
U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)
Major General Burke E. "Ed" Wilson serves as the Deputy Principal Cyber Advisor to the Secretary of Defense and Senior Military Advisor for Cyber, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. In these capacities, Gen. Wilson supports the Principal Cyber Advisor as the primary advisor to integrate and oversee the development of all DoD cyber capabilities, activities and policy, as well as provides senior military perspective on cyber policies, strategies and plans which guide DoD efforts in cyberspace.
Gen. Wilson entered the Air Force in 1985 as a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy after earning a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering. He has served in various assignments, including space and cyber operations, planning, strategy, policy, acquisition and combat support. The general has commanded at the squadron, group, wing and numbered Air Force levels, as well as served on the staffs of Headquarters Air Force, Air Force Space Command, 24th Air Force, the National Reconnaissance Office, North American Aerospace Defense Command and the former U.S. Space Command. Prior to his current assignment, Gen. Wilson was triple-hatted serving as Commander, 24th Air Force; Commander, Air Forces Cyber; and Commander, Joint Force Headquarters-Cyber, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.
EDUCATION
1985 Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1986 Squadron Officer School, by correspondence
1990 Master of Science degree in electrical/computer engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Mass.
1990 Distinguished Graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1998 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1999 Master of Airpower Art and Science, School of Advanced Airpower Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2004 Air War College, by correspondence
2004 Back to Basics, Executive Business Training, Darden Graduate School of Business, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
2005 Secretary of Defense Corporate Fellowship, Cisco Systems, San Jose, Calif.
2006 Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
2009 U.S. Air Force Enterprise Leadership Course, Darden School of Business, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
2015 Cyberspace Operations Executive Course, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1985 – May 1988, design engineer, Space Defense Operations Center; Chief, SPADOC Systems Engineering Branch, Electrical Systems Division, Hanscom AFB, Mass.
2. June 1988 – June 1990, Military Strategic and Tactical Relay systems engineer; program manager, MILSTAR Transportable Terminal, Electronic Systems Division, Hanscom AFB, Mass.
3. July 1990 – June 1994, Operations Director; Flight Director; Chief, Advanced Satellite Planning Division; Chief, Advanced Satellite Management Division, Operational Detachment 4, Onizuka AFB, Calif.
4. July 1994 – December 1995, Mission Director; Chief, Support to Military Operations Division, Overhead Collection Management Center, Fort George G. Meade, Md.
5. January 1996 – February 1997, executive officer, Deputy Director, National Reconnaissance Office, Chantilly, Va.
6. March 1997 – July 1997, military assistant, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
7. July 1997 – June 1998, student, Air Command and Staff College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
8. July 1998 – June 1999, student, School of Advanced Airpower Studies, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
9. July 1999 – June 2000, plans and programs officer; Chief, Plans and Programs Branch, U.S. Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
10. July 2000 – June 2002, Deputy Director, Commander in Chief’s Action Group, North American Aerospace Defense Command/U.S. Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
11. July 2002 – July 2003, Commander, 1st Space Operations Squadron, 50th Space Wing, Schriever AFB, Colo.
12. July 2003 – July 2004, Deputy Commander, 50th Operations Group, 50th Space Wing, Schriever AFB, Colo.
13. August 2004 – May 2005, Secretary of Defense corporate fellow, Cisco Systems, San Jose, Calif.
14. June 2005 – June 2006, Director, Commander’s Action Group, Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
15. June 2006 – September 2006, student, Joint Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
16. September 2006 – April 2008, Commander, Space Operations Group, Aerospace Defense Facility-East, Fort Belvoir, Va.
17. April 2008 – February 2010, Commander, Space Development and Test Wing, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
18. February 2010 – August 2011, Commander, 45th Space Wing, Patrick AFB, Fla.
19. September 2011 – June 2013, Deputy Commander, Air Forces Cyber (AFCYBER/24th Air Force), Fort George G. Meade, Md.
20. June 2013 – July 2014, Director of Space Operations, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans and Requirements, Headquarters, U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
21. July 2014 -- June 2016, Commander, 24th Air Force and Commander, Air Forces Cyber, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas
22. July 2016 -- present, Deputy Principal Cyber Advisor to the Secretary of Defense and Senior Military Advisor for Cyber, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
23. June 2017 - present, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy, Washington, D.C.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1999 – June 2000, plans and programs officer; Chief, Plans and Programs Branch, U.S. Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo., as a major
2. July 2000 – June 2002, deputy director/member, Commander in Chief’s Action Group, North American Aerospace Defense Command/U.S. Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo., as a major and a lieutenant colonel
3. September 2006 – April 2008, Commander, Space Operations Group, as a colonel
4. July 2016 – present, Deputy Principal Cyber Advisor to the Secretary of Defense and Senior Military Advisor for Cyber, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., as a major general
BADGES AND RATINGS
Master Cyberspace Operator Badge
Command Space Badge
Basic Parachutist Badge
Basic Acquisition and Financial Management Badge
Certified Acquisition Professional: Program Management (Level III)
System Planning, Research and Development (Level III)
Test and Evaluation (Level I)
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal (Air Force) with oak leaf cluster
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Joint Service Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal
National Reconnaissance Office’s Distinguished Service Medal
National Reconnaissance Office’s Superior Service Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 28, 1985
First Lieutenant May 28, 1987
Captain May 28, 1989
Major Jan. 1, 1997
Lieutenant Colonel May 1, 2001
Colonel March 1, 2006
Brigadier General Dec. 17, 2010
Major General April 2, 2014