MAJOR GENERAL EDWARD L. VAUGHAN, IV
Maj. Gen. Edward L. Vaughan, IV is the Executive Director of the Joint Rapid Acquisition Cell, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. He leads the team dedicated to expediting Combatant Command Quick Action Requirements. Also, he serves as the Executive Secretary for all Warfighter Senior Integration Groups, and as the senior Department of Defense official responsible for recommending the use of Rapid Acquisition Authorities for Joint Urgent and Emergent Operational Needs. Additionally, he leads Defense Assisted Acquisition initiatives for interagency support.
Maj. Gen. Vaughan commissioned in 1992 as top graduate from Air National Guard officer training after graduating Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and completing Reserve Officer Training Corps. He commanded a joint operations detachment in Antarctica, an expeditionary support squadron in Iraq, and a flying wing. As National Guard Director of Space Operations, he oversaw functions for 1,200 members across 17 units, for presentation to Combatant Commands for joint space operations. Previously, as Deputy J5 at US European Command, he led Ukraine Security Force Assistance and co-chaired the Arctic Security Forces Roundtable.
He is a command fighter pilot and polar airlifter with more than 2,700 flying hours in F-16, C-130, and A-10, over 200 combat hours in Operations IRAQI FREEDOM, ENDURING FREEDOM, and SOUTHERN WATCH, and 100+ polar ski landings, including at South Pole Station. Aside from extensive humanitarian and disaster assistance experience, he was also a private sector engineer, manager, and entrepreneur. He was the first Reserve officer inducted in the U.S. Air Force Safety Hall of Fame for creating the Disruptive Solutions Process. Prior to his current position, Maj. Gen. Vaughan was the Director of Special Programs, Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
EDUCATION
1991 Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, N.Y.
1992 Barren Land Arctic Survival Course, Sondrestrom Air Base and Dye-II Outpost, Greenland
1997 Distinguished Graduate, Squadron Officers School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2002 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2003 Joint Air Commanders Course, Air Warfare Center, Nellis AFB, Nev.
2009 Master in Strategic Studies, with Distinction, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2010 Joint Air Operations Planning Course, LeMay Center for Doctrine, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2012 Joint Faculty Development Course, Air War College, Ala.; Joint Forces Staff College, Va.
2015 National Security Studies Program, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
2017 Director of Mobility Forces Course, USAF Expeditionary Ops School, Hurlburt AFB, Fla.
2017 Joint Task Force Commander Training Course, U.S. Northern Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
2019 Joint Force Air Component Commander certification as deputy commanding general, Royal Canadian Air Force, 1 Canadian Air Division, Winnipeg, Manitoba
2019 Senior Leader Orientation Course, JB Andrews, Md. and JB San Antonio, Texas
2020 Capstone General and Flag Officer Course, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2021 Leading Strategically Experience, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2023 Space Executive Course, National Security Space Institute, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2024 Advanced Senior Leader Development Seminar, The Airlie House, Warrenton, Va.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. April 1992 - February 1993, Distinguished Graduate and Ira J. Husik Trophy, Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training, Mather Air Force Base, Calif.
2. February 1993 - April 1993, Distinguished Graduate, C-130 Replacement Training Unit, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
3. May 1993 - August 1995, LC/C-130 Navigator, 139th Airlift Squadron, Stratton Air National Guard Base, N.Y.
4. August 1995 - August 1996, Military Training Trophy and Fighter-Attack-Reconnaissance (FAR) certification, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Columbus AFB, Miss.
5. August 1996 - December 1996, Distinguished Graduate, C-130 Replacement Training Unit, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
6. December 1996 - March 1998, LC/C-130 Tactical Airlift and Ski-plane Pilot, 139th Airlift Squadron; Flying Executive Officer, Airdrop Pilot, Supervisor of Flying, 109th Operations Group, Stratton Air National Guard Base, Scotia, N.Y.
7. April 1998 - July 1998, Student, T-38 Requalification and Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals, Columbus AFB, Miss.
8. August 1998 - July 1999, Academic Award, F-16 Replacement Training Unit, Luke AFB, Ariz.
9. July 1999 - December 2000, F-16 Fighter Pilot, Squadron Scheduler, Bomb Range Control Officer, Squadron Training Officer, 138th Fighter Squadron, Hancock Field, Syracuse, N.Y.
10. December 2000 - March 2002, F-16 Instructor Fighter Pilot, Standardization and Evaluation Liaison Officer, 163d Fighter Squadron; Wing Plans Officer, 122d Fighter Wing, Fort Wayne International Airport, Ind.
11. March 2002 - February 2005, Chief of Wing Safety, Instructor Fighter Pilot, 122d Fighter Wing, Fort Wayne IAP, Ind.
12. February 2005 - July 2008, Chief, Aviation Safety Division and Deputy Director, Safety, National Guard Bureau, Arlington, Va.
13. July 2008 - October 2009, Student, Air War College; Deputy Director, U.S. Air Force Blue Horizons, Center for Strategy and Technology, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
14. October 2009 - September 2011, Commander, Forward and Garrison, Detachment 1, 13th Air Expeditionary Group, JTF-Support Forces Antarctica, McMurdo Station, Antarctica; dual-hatted, Chief, Joint Operations and Plans, Joint Task Force - Support Forces Antarctica, U.S. Pacific Command, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
15. October 2009 - September 2011, Chief, Joint Operations and Plans; Joint Task Force-Support Forces Antarctica, United States Indo-Pacific Command, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
16. September 2011 - October 2013, Air National Guard Advisor to the Commander and President and Air War College Faculty, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
17. November 2013 - October 2015, National Director of Safety, Air National Guard, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
18. October 2015 - June 2017, Wing Commander, 156th Airlift Wing; Base Commander, Muñiz ANGB, Carolina, Puerto Rico
19. June 2017 - July 2018, Director for Integration, Office of Personnel and Readiness, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
20. August 2018 - August 2019, Deputy Director, Readiness and Training; Lead, Air Force Physiological Episodes Action Team, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
21. August 2019 - August 2021, Deputy Commander, Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Region, and Deputy Joint Forces Air Component Commander, 1 Canadian Air Division, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
22. August 2021 - June 2023, Deputy Director, Security Cooperation, Global Partnering, and Space Capabilities, ECJ5, U.S. European Command, Stuttgart, Germany
23. June 2023 - March 2024, Director of Space Operations, National Guard Bureau, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
24. March 2024 - May 2024, Director, Special Programs, Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (A&S), the Pentagon, Washington, DC
25. May 2024 - Present, Executive Director, Joint Rapid Acquisition Cell, OUSD(A&S), Washington, D.C.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. October 2009 - September 2011, Chief, Joint Operations and Plans; Joint Task Force-Support Forces Antarctica, United States Indo-Pacific Command, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii as a lieutenant colonel
2. June 2017 - July 2018, Director for Integration, Office of Personnel and Readiness, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Pentagon, Arlington, Va. as a colonel
3. August 2019 - August 2021, Deputy Commander, Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Region, and Deputy Joint Forces Air Component Commander, 1 Canadian Air Division, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada as a brigadier general
4. August 2021 - June 2023, Deputy Director, Security Cooperation, Global Partnering, and Space Capabilities, ECJ5, U.S. European Command, Stuttgart, Germany as a brigadier general
5. June 2023 - March 2024, Director of Space Operations, National Guard Bureau, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. as a major general
6. March 2024 - May 2024, Director, Special Programs, Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (A&S), the Pentagon, Washington, DC as a major general
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot and former navigator
Flight hours: more than 2,700 (more than 200 combat hours)
Aircraft flown: F-16, C-130, A-10, WC-130, LC-130, AT-38, T-38, T-37, T-43 and T-3A
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air and Space Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award with “V” device and three oak leaf clusters
Antarctica Service Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal with bronze service star
Humanitarian Service Medal with bronze service star
(Canadian) Meritorious Service Medal with MSM post-nominal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2004 Co-creator, Project Black Mountain, leading joint, multi-domain tactical datalinks in CENTCOM AOR
2006 Created the Wingman Project, which later evolved into the USAF Wingman Toolkit
2007 Chief of Staff of the Air Force Individual Safety Trophy for Wingman Project (U.S. Air Force level)
2008 Inductee to the Air Force Safety Hall of Fame (U.S. Air Force level)
2009 Paper presentation on “Case for Embedding Ethical Algorithms in Autonomous Combat Machines,” plenary session of AsMA International Science Conference, Los Angeles, Calif.
2011 Patent, Co-inventor, “U.S. Air Force method and apparatus for mitigating aircrew fatigue”
2012 Executive Producer, “Welcome to 2035 ... Age of Surprise,” U.S. Air Force Innovation Video
2018 Co-founder, USAF and Joint Physiological Episodes Action Team, NASA and U.S. Navy
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant April 9, 1992
First Lieutenant April 15, 1994
Captain April 15, 1996
Major April 13, 2001
Lieutenant Colonel May 4, 2005
Colonel May 24, 2012
Brigadier General Aug. 1, 2018
Major General June 15, 2023
(Current as of October 2025)
