Brig. Gen. Joel W. Safranek is the Director of the Air Force Security Assistance and Cooperation Directorate, and dual-hatted as Director of International Affairs, Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC), Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The directorate is AFMC’s Foreign Military Sales enterprise focal point charged with administering a more than $249 billion security assistance portfolio supporting 99 countries, eight NATO agencies and one regional organization.
General Safranek hails from Cave Creek, Arizona, and received his commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1996. He has served in a variety of positions at the squadron, group and wing level, to include detachment, squadron and wing command. He has deployed in support of Operations Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, Freedom’s Sentinel, Renewal of Hope, Resolute Support, Noble Eagle, Inherent Resolve, and Deep Freeze.
General Safranek is a command pilot with over 3,500 hours, in both airlift and tanker aircraft; and has been qualified as a contingency response element commander, title 10 deputy dual status commander, director of mobility forces, and joint task force-port opening commander. Prior to this assignment, he was the Director of the Defense Personal Property Management Office at United States Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.