Lieutenant General Mary F. O'Brien

Director of Command, Control, Communications and Computer (C4)/Cyber, and Chief Information Officer, J6, Joint Staff

Lt. Gen. Mary F. O’Brien is the Director of Command, Control, Communications and Computer (C4)/Cyber, and Chief Information Officer, J6, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. She develops C4 capabilities, conducts analysis and assessments, provides Joint and Combined Force C4 guidance, and evaluates C4 requirements, plans, programs and strategies for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Lt. Gen. O'Brien received her commission upon graduation from the U.S. Air Force Academy with a Bachelor of Science in chemistry. She has served in a variety of command and staff assignments. Her commands include the 22nd Intelligence Squadron, Fort George G. Meade, Maryland; 691st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group, Royal Air Force Menwith Hill, United Kingdom; 70th ISR Wing, Fort George G. Meade; and Twenty-Fifth Air Force, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. Lt. Gen. O’Brien has also served in numerous staff leadership positions including the Joint Staff, the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force Legislative Liaison, Headquarters U.S. Air Force and Air Force Space Command and served as the U.S. Cyber Command Director of Intelligence.

Prior to her current assignment, she served as Deputy Chief of Staff for ISR and Cyber Effects Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, responsible to the Secretary and Air Force Chief of Staff for policy formulation, planning, evaluation, oversight and leadership of Air Force intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, cyber effects operations, and electromagnetic spectrum superiority capabilities.

In October 2019, Lt. Gen. O’Brien volunteered to serve as the general officer champion for the Women’s Initiative Team. The WIT is a Department of the Air Force Barrier Analysis Working Group charged with identifying barriers to women’s service and advocate for policy changes to eliminate those barriers.

EDUCATION
1989 Bachelor of Science, Chemistry, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1994 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1997 Master of Arts, Organizational Management, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
1999 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2000 National Defense Fellow, Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.
2005 Master of Strategic Studies, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2007 Joint Forces Staff College, Joint and Combined Warfighting School, Norfolk, Va.
2010 National Security Studies, Elliott School of International Affairs, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
2012 Program for Senior Executive Fellows, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
2016 Advanced Senior Leader Development Seminar, Warrenton, Va.
2017 Creating Strategic Value Through Information Technology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill.
2018 Cybersecurity: Intersection of Policy and Technology Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
2020 Leadership at the Peak, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2021 Pinnacle Course, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2022 Executive Leadership Program in Managing for Inclusion, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1989–February 1990, Student, 3490th Technical Training Group, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas
2. February 1990–November 1992, Combat Intelligence, 7th Bomb Wing, Carswell AFB, Texas
3. November 1992–March 1994, Chief, Intelligence Flight, 2nd BW, Barksdale AFB, La.
4. March 1994–July 1995, Chief, Unit Support, 608th Air Intelligence Squadron, Eighth Air Force, Barksdale AFB, La.
5. July 1995–June 1997, Air Force Intern, Reconnaissance Operations Division, Operations Directorate, J3, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
6. June 1997–July 1998, Executive Officer, 607th Air Intelligence Group, Seventh Air Force, Osan Air Base, South Korea
7. July 1998–October 1999, General Defense Intelligence Program Element Monitor, Resources Division, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
8. October 1999–October 2000, Legislative Fellow, Office of Congressman Ike Skelton, Washington, D.C.
9. October 2000–July 2002, Chief, Congressional Inquiries Branch, Secretary of the Air Force Legislative Liaison, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
10. July 2002–July 2004, Commander, 22nd Intelligence Squadron, Fort George G. Meade, Md.
11. July 2004–July 2005, Student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
12. July 2005–June 2008, Project Officer Intelligence Assessments and Doctrine Division, later Chief, Future Capabilities Division, Intelligence Directorate, J2, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
13. June 2008–July 2010, Commander, 691st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group, Royal Air Force Menwith Hill, United Kingdom
14. August 2010–June 2011, Director of ISR, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
15. June 2011–July 2013, Commander, 70th ISR Wing, Fort George G. Meade, Md.
16. July 2013–June 2014, Vice Commander, Air Force ISR Agency, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland AFB, Texas, and Fort George G. Meade, Md.
17. June 2014–May 2015, Deputy to the Deputy Chief of Staff, Intelligence, Headquarters International Security Assistance Force, and Deputy Director, Intelligence, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan
18. July 2015–May 2017, Director of Intelligence, J2, U.S. Cyber Command, Fort George G. Meade, Md.
19. May 2017–August 2019, Commander, Twenty-Fifth Air Force, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas
20. September 2019–November 2019, Special Assistant to the Air Force Chief of Staff, HAF, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
21. November 2019–August 2022, Deputy Chief of Staff, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Cyber Effects Operations, HAF, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
22. August 2022–present, Director of Command, Control, Communications and Computer (C4)/Cyber, and Chief Information Officer, J6, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2005–June 2008, Project Officer then Chief, Future Capabilities Division, Intelligence Directorate, J2, Joint Staff, Arlington, Va., as a lieutenant colonel and colonel
2. June 2008–July 2010, Commander, 691st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group, Royal Air Force Menwith Hill, United Kingdom, as a colonel
3. June 2014–May 2015, Deputy to the Deputy Chief of Staff, Intelligence, Headquarters International Security Assistance Force, and Deputy Director, Intelligence, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, as a brigadier general
4. July 2015–May 2017, Director of Intelligence, J2, U.S. Cyber Command, Fort George G. Meade, Md., as a brigadier general
5. August 2022–present, Director of Command, Control, Communications and Computer (C4)/Cyber, and Chief Information Officer, J6, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a lieutenant general

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Defense Superior Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal
National Defense Service Medal with device
Kosovo Campaign Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Korean Defense Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 31, 1989
First Lieutenant May 31, 1991
Captain May 31, 1993
Major July 1, 1999
Lieutenant Colonel March 1, 2002
Colonel Aug. 1, 2007
Brigadier General May 2, 2014
Major General Aug. 2, 2017
Lieutenant General Nov. 8, 2019