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Brian Denaro

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Brian Denaro
Official portrait, 2024
Bornc. 1978 (age 45–46)
Long Grove, Illinois, U.S.
AllegianceUnited States
Branch
Years of service
2000–2020 (Air Force)
  • 2020–present (Space Force)
RankBrigadier General
CommandsSpace Sensing Directorate
Space Development Corps
Strategic Systems Division
Aircraft Analysis Squadron
AwardsDefense Superior Service Medal
Alma materUnited States Air Force Academy (BA)
Sun Yat-sen University (MBA)

Brian Angelo Denaro (born c. 1978) is a United States Space Force brigadier general who serves as the director of plans and programs of the Space Force. He previously served as the senior military assistant to the under secretary of the Air Force.[1]

Denaro was born and raised in Long Grove, Illinois. He entered the United States Air Force after graduating from the United States Air Force Academy. An Olmsted Scholar, he studied in Guangzhou, China. In the Air Force, he was a career foreign area officer, serving several intelligence and international affairs assignments in the United States Pacific Command. He commanded the National Air and Space Intelligence Center's Aircraft Analysis Squadron from 2013 to 2015. He then transitioned to the acquisition career field, working on RQ-4 Global Hawk acquisitions before getting assigned at the Space and Missile Systems Center.

In 2021, Denaro transferred to the Space Force, where he served as the first program executive officer space sensing and director of SSC's Space Sensing Directorate. During his tenure, he led the completion of the Space-Based Infrared System. In 2024, he was nominated for promotion to brigadier general.

Early life and education

[edit]
Denaro at a steeplechase race, 1997

Denaro was born and raised in Long Grove, Illinois.[2] He finished high school from Stevenson High School.[3] In 2000, he graduated from the United States Air Force Academy with a B.S. degree in electrical engineering. As an Olmsted Scholar, he received an International Master of Business Administration from the Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China. As part of his professional military education, he also attended the Air and Space Basic Course, Squadron Officer School, Air Command and Staff College, Joint Forces Staff College, and National War College.[4]

Military career

[edit]
Denaro handing a plaque symbolizing the transfer of SBIRS GEO-6 to Space Delta 4, 2022

On June 6, 2000, Denaro was commissioned into the United States Air Force after graduating from the United States Air Force Academy. His first assignment was at Yokota Air Base, Japan, from 2000 to 2003, where he served as a scientific and technical intelligence collection officer with the 315th Intelligence Squadron for two years. After that, he assigned to the Detachment 4, 692nd Information Operations Group as the chief of overt collection.[4]

Denaro speaks after relinquishing authority of the Space Sensing Directorate, 2023

In 2005, he moved back to the U.S., assigned as an F-22 aeronautical test engineer with the 31st Test and Evaluation Squadron (31 TES) at Edwards Air Force Base, California. During his time at the 31 TES, the squadron successfully executed the initial operational test and evaluation of the F-22 Raptor. After that, he was selected as an Olmsted Scholar. From 2005 to 2008, he studied at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China.[4]

After finishing his studies in China, Denaro was assigned to Hawaii from 2008 to 2013. He was first assigned as China-Japan regional affairs specialist at the Pacific Air Forces for two years. Afterward, he was assigned with the United States Pacific Command, first as an aide-de-camp to the commander, Admiral Robert F. Willard, and then as a program manager at the command's Strategic Capabilities Office.[4]

Denaro was assigned at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, for three years after his Hawaii tour. From 2013 to 2015, he commanded the National Air and Space Intelligence Center's Air Analysis Squadron. For a year after that, he served as chief of Global Hawk Modernization with the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center's RQ-4 System Program Office. Denaro was assigned to the Pentagon from 2017 to 2019 as deputy director for special programs at the office of the under secretary of defense for intelligence.[4]

From 2019 to 2023, Denaro was assigned at Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, with the Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC). He served as the senior materiel leader for the Strategic Systems Division, Development Corps for two years. During this time, he was nominated and confirmed to transfer to the United States Space Force.[5] After serving as senior materiel leader, he was promoted as the program executive officer (PEO) for development and director of SMC's Development Corps. Less than a year after, SMC was redesignated as Space Systems Command (SSC) and several organizational changes were implemented. In 2022, was selected to serve as the first PEO for space sensing and director of SSC's Space Sensing Directorate.[4] Additionally, he served as the head of the newly-formed Combined Program Office, a tri-agency composed of representatives from SSC, the Space Development Agency, and the Missile Defense Agency to coordinate acquisition on missile warning, missile tracking, and missile defense capabilities.[6][7]

In June 2023, Denaro relinquished command of the Space Sensing Directorate and moved to the Pentagon to serve as senior military assistant to the under secretary of the Air Force. As the Space Sensing Directorate director, he led the completion of the Space-Based Infrared System with the operational acceptance of the last satellite. The directorate also developed the medium Earth orbit missile track custody program.[8]

In January 2024, Denaro was nominated for promotion to brigadier general.[5][9] He was reassigned as the director of plans and programs of the Space Force in July 2024.[4]

Awards and decorations

[edit]

Atwood is the recipient of the following awards:[4]

Air Force Master Acquisition and Financial Management Badge
Basic Parachutist Badge
Office of the Secretary of Defense Badge
Space Staff Badge
Defense Superior Service Medal
Width-44 crimson ribbon with a pair of width-2 white stripes on the edges Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Width-44 crimson ribbon with two width-8 white stripes at distance 4 from the edges.
Meritorious Service Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with one bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with one bronze oak leaf cluster
Width=44 scarlet ribbon with a central width-4 golden yellow stripe, flanked by pairs of width-1 scarlet, white, Old Glory blue, and white stripes National Defense Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Air Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon with one bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Air Force Longevity Service Award with four bronze oak leaf clusters
Air Force Training Ribbon

Dates of promotion

[edit]
Rank Branch Date[4]
Second Lieutenant Air Force June 6, 2000
First Lieutenant June 6, 2002
Captain June 6, 2004
Major January 1, 2010
Lieutenant Colonel December 1, 2013
Colonel May 1, 2018
Colonel Space Force ~June 24, 2021[11]
Brigadier General February 1, 2024

References

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  1. ^ Erwin, Sandra (April 21, 2023). "Space Force procurement command rebrands commercial space office".
  2. ^ "USAFA Yearbook 2000" (PDF). amazonaws.com. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  3. ^ "The Daily Herald 06 Sep 1996, page Page 398". Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Brigadier General Brian A. Denaro". United States Space Force. June 2024. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  5. ^ a b "PN1269 — Space Force". www.congress.gov. January 8, 2024. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  6. ^ "Space Systems Command to lead new office for security against missile threats - GPS World". GPS World - The Business and Technology of Global Navigation and Positioning. September 16, 2022.
  7. ^ Edwards, Jane (September 19, 2022). "Combined Program Office to Improve US Capability Against Advanced Missile Threats; Col. Brian Denaro Quoted".
  8. ^ a b "New Program Executive Officer leads Space Systems Command's Space Sensing Directorate". Space Systems Command. June 12, 2023.
  9. ^ "General Officer Announcements". U.S. Department of Defense.
  10. ^ "FAOA - Writing Awards Program". www.faoa.org.
  11. ^ "PN602 - 765 nominees for Space Force, 117th Congress (2021-2022) | Congress.gov | Library of Congress".
Military offices
Preceded by Program Executive Officer for Space Development of Space Systems Command
2021–2022
Unit inactivated
New unit Program Executive Officer for Space Sensing of Space Systems Command
2022–2023
Succeeded by
Preceded by Senior Military Assistant to the Under Secretary of the Air Force
2023–2024
Vacant
Preceded by Director of Plans and Programs of the United States Space Force
2024–present
Incumbent