BIOGRAPHY U N I T E D S T A T E S A I R F O R C E
COLONEL JOHN M. OLSON
Col John M. Olson is the Mobilization Assistant to the Commander of the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center (AFNWC) and the Program Executive Officer for Strategic Systems at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. He directs the Air Force’s nuclear modernization, acquisition, and sustainment programs with 1,100 personnel at 14 locations in the United States and Europe. The AFNWC is responsible for the life cycle management of nuclear weapons systems supporting two legs of the nation’s nuclear triad, including intercontinental ballistic missiles; air launched cruise missiles; gravity bombs; and nuclear command, control, and communications systems. Col Olson graduated with military distinction from the USAF Academy in 1992 and then received a graduate scholarship to earn a Master’s degree from the University of Illinois. His initial assignment was to the Air Force Advanced Composites Program Office at Sacramento Air Logistics Center, Calif. While on active duty, Col Olson held numerous air and space, acquisition, test, systems, and munitions command and leadership roles. He is a graduate of USAF Test Pilot School and a former European and Eurasian Foreign Area Officer. Transitioning to the USAF Reserve in 2004 after joining NASA where he served
as a Senior Executive Service civilian leader, Col Olson held several key joint national space, acquisition, and technology leadership roles at the Pentagon. Prior to his current assignment, Col Olson was the Individual Mobilization Augmentee to the Program Executive Officer for Agile Combat Support, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH. Colonel Olson deployed to Southwest Asia in 2011 in the 379 th Expeditionary Wing supporting air and space operations for operations Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, New Dawn in Iraq, Odyssey Dawn in Libya, and Joint Task Force Horn of Africa. In his civilian role, Col Olson is currently a Vice President and General Manager for a large public corporation following 25 years of federal service culminating as the Assistant Director for Space and Aeronautics in the Office of Science and Technology Policy at the White House. He serves on the National Academies’ Air and Space Engineering Board and the National Academy of Science Intelligence Science and Technology Expert Working Group. EDUCATION 1992 Bachelor of Science degrees, Engineering Sciences and Mechanical Engineering, German Minor, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. 1993 Master of Science degree, Materials Science and Engineering (Advanced Composites), AFIT-Civilian Institutions and Graduate School Scholarship Program, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, Ill. 1997 French Language and Russian for Astronauts courses, Defense Language Institute, Presidio of Monterey, Calif. 1998 USAF Test Pilot School, Flight Test Engineer course, Edwards, AFB, Calif. 1999 Squadron Officer School, Air University, Maxwell AFB, AL 2001 Master of Science degree, Aviation Systems (Avionics and Human Factors), University of Tennessee, Tenn. 2001 Joint Special Operations School, European & Eurasian Foreign Area Officer courses, Hurlburt Field, Fla. 2002 Air Command and Staff College (by seminar), Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 2003 Doctor of Philosophy degree, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, Ala. 2005 Harvard Senior Executive Fellows program, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. 2006 Defense Systems Management College and Program Management Officers course, Ft. Belvoir, Va. 2008 Air War College (by correspondence), Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs