LEA T. KIRKWOOD
Lea T. Kirkwood, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Program Executive Officer Electronic Systems, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts. She leads more than 1,800 Airmen, government civilians, and support contractors to execute an $11.3 billion-dollar active year portfolio of Acquisition Categories (ACAT), non-ACAT, technology transition & software programs, and Foreign Military Sales cases. She provides direction and oversight on acquisition policy, strategy development, and program management in support of aerospace management, sensors, force protection, electronic warfare, position, navigation, and timing, and command and control capabilities.
Ms. Kirkwood served 29 years as an active-duty Air Force officer. As an acquisition program manager, she managed space, command and control, mission planning, automatic test systems, and early warning and control programs for United States and NATO operations, as well as foreign military sales. She led international relations at the Pentagon, in Hungary, and in the United Kingdom. She commanded the 422d Air Base Squadron, Royal Air Force Croughton, United Kingdom, and served as Deputy Commander, 78th Mission Support Group, Robins AFB, Georgia; Deputy Commander, 451st Expeditionary Mission Support Group, Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan; and Vice Commander, 72d Air Base Wing, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. She deployed in support of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and FREEDOM’S SENTINEL, and for the NATO-led RESOLUTE SUPPORT Mission.
She previously served as Program Executive Officer and Director for the Agile Combat Support Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. She led over 1,600 military and civilian personnel and was responsible for executing $8.2 billion annually to provide materiel solutions and acquisition life cycle management for simulators, support equipment and vehicles, electronic warfare, combat avionics, human systems, automatic test systems, and metrology and calibration to meet Air Force operational needs.
EDUCATION:
1992 Bachelor of Environmental Design in Architecture, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio
1997 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2004 Master of International Business Administration, Georgetown University, Washington D.C.
2006 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. (correspondence)
2006 Master of Arts in Security Studies, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.
2009 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. (correspondence)
CAREER CHRONOLOGY:
1. February 1993 – August 1995, Executive Officer to the Director of Acquisition Development and Chief Engineer, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
2. September 1995 – September 1996, Acquisition Manager, Directorate of Acquisition Development, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
3. September 1996 – August 1997, Executive Officer to the Commander, 8th Support Group, Kunsan AB, Republic of Korea
4. September 1997 – October 1999, Program Manager, Mission Planning Foreign Sales and Program Manager, B-1B Mission Planning, Combat Air Forces Command and Control System Program Office, Electronic Systems Center, Hanscom AFB, Mass.
5. October 1999 – September 2000, Deputy Division Chief, Joint Mission Planning, Combat Air Forces Command and Control System Program Office, Electronic Systems Center, Hanscom AFB, Mass.
6. September 2000 – June 2003, International Politico-Military Affairs Officer, Foreign Liaison Office, Defense Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
7. June 2003 – June 2004, Executive Officer to the Director for External Relations, Defense Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
8. June 2004 – August 2005, Chief, GPS III Acquisition Integration Branch, Navstar/Global Positioning Satellite Joint Program Office, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
9. September 2005 – December 2006, graduate student, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.
10. January 2007 – July 2008, Deputy Chief of International Relations, Headquarters 3rd Air Force, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom
11. July 2008 – July 2010, Commander, 422d Air Base Squadron, RAF Croughton, United Kingdom
12. August 2010 – July 2013, Deputy Commander, 78th Mission Support Group, Robins AFB, Ga.
13. July 2011 – February 2012, Deputy Commander, 451st Expeditionary Mission Support Group, 451st Air Expeditionary Wing, Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan
14. July 2013 – June 2014, Chief, Automatic Test Systems Division, Agile Combat Support Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins AFB, Ga.
15. June 2014 – August 2016, Vice Commander, 72d Air Base Wing, Tinker AFB, Okla.
16. August 2016 – July 2019, Chief, International Airborne Battle Management Command and Control Division, Battle Management Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hanscom AFB, Mass.
17. October 2018 – April 2019, Executive Officer to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategy and Policy, HQ Resolute Support, and Chief of Staff, US Forces-Afghanistan, Kabul, Afghanistan
18. July 2019 – July 2020, Deputy Director and Deputy Program Executive Officer, Agile Combat Support Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
19. August 2020 – January 2022, Acting Director and Program Executive Officer, Agile Combat Support Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
20. January 2022 – September 2024, Director and Program Executive Officer, Agile Combat Support Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
21. September 2024 – October 2024, Director and Program Executive Officer, Training Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
22. October 2024 – Present, Program Executive Officer, Electronic Systems Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hanscom AFB, Mass.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
National Defense Silver Medal, Ministry of Defense, France
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATES:
2019 Acquisition Professional Development Program (APDP), Program Management Advanced
(CURRENT AS OF OCT 2024)
Ms. Kirkwood served 29 years as an active-duty Air Force officer. As an acquisition program manager, she managed space, command and control, mission planning, automatic test systems, and early warning and control programs for United States and NATO operations, as well as foreign military sales. She led international relations at the Pentagon, in Hungary, and in the United Kingdom. She commanded the 422d Air Base Squadron, Royal Air Force Croughton, United Kingdom, and served as Deputy Commander, 78th Mission Support Group, Robins AFB, Georgia; Deputy Commander, 451st Expeditionary Mission Support Group, Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan; and Vice Commander, 72d Air Base Wing, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. She deployed in support of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and FREEDOM’S SENTINEL, and for the NATO-led RESOLUTE SUPPORT Mission.
She previously served as Program Executive Officer and Director for the Agile Combat Support Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. She led over 1,600 military and civilian personnel and was responsible for executing $8.2 billion annually to provide materiel solutions and acquisition life cycle management for simulators, support equipment and vehicles, electronic warfare, combat avionics, human systems, automatic test systems, and metrology and calibration to meet Air Force operational needs.
EDUCATION:
1992 Bachelor of Environmental Design in Architecture, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio
1997 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2004 Master of International Business Administration, Georgetown University, Washington D.C.
2006 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. (correspondence)
2006 Master of Arts in Security Studies, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.
2009 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. (correspondence)
CAREER CHRONOLOGY:
1. February 1993 – August 1995, Executive Officer to the Director of Acquisition Development and Chief Engineer, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
2. September 1995 – September 1996, Acquisition Manager, Directorate of Acquisition Development, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
3. September 1996 – August 1997, Executive Officer to the Commander, 8th Support Group, Kunsan AB, Republic of Korea
4. September 1997 – October 1999, Program Manager, Mission Planning Foreign Sales and Program Manager, B-1B Mission Planning, Combat Air Forces Command and Control System Program Office, Electronic Systems Center, Hanscom AFB, Mass.
5. October 1999 – September 2000, Deputy Division Chief, Joint Mission Planning, Combat Air Forces Command and Control System Program Office, Electronic Systems Center, Hanscom AFB, Mass.
6. September 2000 – June 2003, International Politico-Military Affairs Officer, Foreign Liaison Office, Defense Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
7. June 2003 – June 2004, Executive Officer to the Director for External Relations, Defense Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
8. June 2004 – August 2005, Chief, GPS III Acquisition Integration Branch, Navstar/Global Positioning Satellite Joint Program Office, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
9. September 2005 – December 2006, graduate student, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.
10. January 2007 – July 2008, Deputy Chief of International Relations, Headquarters 3rd Air Force, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom
11. July 2008 – July 2010, Commander, 422d Air Base Squadron, RAF Croughton, United Kingdom
12. August 2010 – July 2013, Deputy Commander, 78th Mission Support Group, Robins AFB, Ga.
13. July 2011 – February 2012, Deputy Commander, 451st Expeditionary Mission Support Group, 451st Air Expeditionary Wing, Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan
14. July 2013 – June 2014, Chief, Automatic Test Systems Division, Agile Combat Support Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins AFB, Ga.
15. June 2014 – August 2016, Vice Commander, 72d Air Base Wing, Tinker AFB, Okla.
16. August 2016 – July 2019, Chief, International Airborne Battle Management Command and Control Division, Battle Management Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hanscom AFB, Mass.
17. October 2018 – April 2019, Executive Officer to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategy and Policy, HQ Resolute Support, and Chief of Staff, US Forces-Afghanistan, Kabul, Afghanistan
18. July 2019 – July 2020, Deputy Director and Deputy Program Executive Officer, Agile Combat Support Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
19. August 2020 – January 2022, Acting Director and Program Executive Officer, Agile Combat Support Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
20. January 2022 – September 2024, Director and Program Executive Officer, Agile Combat Support Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
21. September 2024 – October 2024, Director and Program Executive Officer, Training Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
22. October 2024 – Present, Program Executive Officer, Electronic Systems Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hanscom AFB, Mass.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
National Defense Silver Medal, Ministry of Defense, France
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATES:
2019 Acquisition Professional Development Program (APDP), Program Management Advanced
(CURRENT AS OF OCT 2024)
