Devin Pepper

Devin Pepper
Devin Pepper
	Official portrait, 2021
Born	November 29, 1969 (age 54)
Allegiance	United States
Branch	United States Air Force United States Space Force;
Years of service	1986–2021 (Air Force) 2021–present (Space Force);
Rank	Buckley Garrison 460th Space Wing; 21st Operations Group; Air Force Element Operations Squadron, RAF Menwith Hill;
Awards	Defense Superior Service Medal (2) Legion of Merit (2);
Alma mater	University of Maryland, College Park (BS) George Washington University (MA); Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University (MBA);
Signature

Devin Ruben Pepper (born November 29, 1969) is a

21st Operations Group.^[1]^[2]^[3] He is the first African American general officer in the Space Force and the first one to have enlisted before commissioning as an officer.^[4]^[5]

Education

1995 Bachelor of Science, Psychology, University of Maryland University College, College Park

2001 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.

2002 Air Force Strategic Policy Intern, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.

2002 Masters of Arts, Organizational Behavior and Leadership, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C.

2003 Masters of Business Administration, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla.

2003 United States Air Force Weapons Instructor Course, Space Superiority Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.

2007 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence

2010 Space 300, National Security Space Institute, Colorado Springs, Colo.

2013 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence

2015 Masters of National Security Strategy, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.

2018 Middle East and South Asia Course, Alan L. Freed Associates, Capitol Hill Club, Washington, D.C.

2021 Senior Leader Orientation Course, Air Force General Officer Management Office, Washington, D.C.[1]

Assignments

Buckley Air Force Base

, 2020

1. May 1996–August 1996, Student, Officer Training School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2. August 1996–April 1997, Student, Undergraduate Space and Missile Training and Initial Qualification Training, Minuteman III Rapid Execution and Combat Targeting, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
3. April 1997–February 1998, Deputy Missile Combat Crew Commander, 740th Missile Squadron, Minot AFB, N.D.
4. February 1998–January 1999, Deputy Missile Combat Crew Commander Evaluator, 91st Operations Group, Minot AFB, N.D.
5. February 1999–November 1999, Missile Combat Crew Commander, 740th Missile Squadron, Minot AFB, N.D.
6. November 1999–July 2001, Missile Combat Crew Commander Instructor, Section Chief and Senior Crew Operations Instructor, 91st Operations Support Squadron, Minot AFB, N.D.
7. August 2001–June 2002, Executive Officer to the Wing Commander, 91st Space Wing, Minot AFB, N.D.
8. June 2002–June 2003, Air Force Strategic Policy Intern with duties in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Equal Opportunity; and Office of the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
9. January 2004–February 2005, Chief, Offensive Counter-Information, 7th Information Warfare Flight, Osan Air Base, South Korea
10. February 2005–September 2007, Program Manager, Advanced Strike Requirements Branch, Advanced Programs Division, Directorate of Requirements, Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va. (March – July 2007, Space Weapons Officer, G-3 Fires and Effects Coordination Cell, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), Camp Fallujah, Iraq)
11. September 2007–August 2009, Executive Officer to the Commander, Eighth Air Force, Barksdale AFB, La.
12. September 2009–June 2011, Deputy Chief, later Chief, Weapons, Tactics and Electronic Warfare Branch, Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB, La.
13. June 2011–June 2013, Commander, Air Force Element Operations Squadron, Royal Air Force Menwith Hill, United Kingdom
14. June 2013–July 2014, Deputy Commander, 21st Operations Group, 21st Space Wing, Peterson AFB, Colo.
15. August 2014–June 2015, Student, National War College, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
16. July 2015–June 2016, Chief, Global Intelligence Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Future Capabilities Branch (J841), U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb.
17. June 2016–May 2017, Chief, Space and Missile Defense Division (J31), Headquarters United States Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb.
18. May 2017–May 2019, Commander, 21st Operations Group, 21st Space Wing, Peterson AFB, Colo.
19. May 2019–July 2020, Commander, 460th Space Wing, Buckley AFB, Colo.
20. July 2020–January 2021, Commander, Buckley Garrison, Buckley AFB, Colo.
21. January 2021–April 2021, performing the duties of the Deputy Director of the Strategy, Plans and Policy Directorate (DJ5), Headquarters United States Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
22. April 2021–October 2022, Deputy Director of the Strategy, Plans and Policy Directorate (DJ5), Headquarters United States Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
23. October 2022–present, Deputy Commanding General Operations, Headquarters Space Operations Command, Peterson SFB, Colo.^[1]

Awards and decorations

Pepper is the recipient of the following awards:^[1]

	Command Space Operations Badge
	Senior Command and Control Badge
	Master Missile Operations Badge
	United States Space Command Badge

	Defense Superior Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
	Legion of Merit with one bronze oak leaf cluster
	Defense Meritorious Service Medal
	Meritorious Service Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters
	Air Force Commendation Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters
	Navy Commendation Medal
	Joint Service Achievement Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
	Air Force Achievement Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with three bronze oak leaf clusters
	Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with three bronze oak leaf cluster
	Combat Readiness Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
	Good Conduct Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
	National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star
	Iraq Campaign Medal with one bronze service star
	Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
	Korea Defense Service Medal
	"N" device and two bronze oak leaf clusters
	Air Force Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon
	Air Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon
	Air Force Longevity Service Award with one silver and one bronze service star
	Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon
	Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon with one bronze service star
	Air Force Training Ribbon with one bronze oak leaf cluster

Colonel Dick Scobee Leadership Award (OTS)
Distinguished Graduate (Minuteman III IQT)
Air Force Space Command Instructor and Evaluator of the Year Award
Air Force Space Command Crewmember Excellence Award
United States Air Force Verne Orr Award

Dates of promotion


Rank	Branch	Date^[1]
Second Lieutenant	Air Force	August 9, 1996
First Lieutenant		August 9, 1998
Captain		August 9, 2000
Major		August 1, 2006
Lieutenant Colonel		December 1, 2010
Colonel		April 1, 2017
Colonel	Space Force	~September 30, 2020
Brigadier General	Space Force	September 2, 2022

Writing

"A Dangerous Frontier: U.S. Space Command Adapts to Increasingly Complex Battleground". Indo-Pacific Defense Forum. March 22, 2022.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Brigadier General Devin R. Pepper". United States Space Force. October 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
^ Snowdon, Quincy; Writer, Staff (January 23, 2020). "Buckley AFB generates almost $1.3 billion for Aurora in 2019, colonel says".
^ "Fallen veterans honored by hundreds at wreath-laying event". www.afspc.af.mil.
^ "The deputy director of #USSPACECOM's Strategy, Plans and Policy Directorate received his first star yesterday at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Brig. Gen. Devin Pepper is the first prior-enlisted and first African American general officer in the United States Space Force. He enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1989 and commissioned through the Officer Training School in 1996. Before coming to Peterson Space Force Base, Pepper was Buckley Space Force Base's garrison commander". Facebook. August 17, 2021.
^ "PN44 - 4 nominees for Space Force, 117th Congress (2021-2022)". www.congress.gov. March 25, 2021.

Military offices
Preceded by Troy L. Endicott	Commander of the 21st Operations Group 2017–2019	Succeeded by Matthew S. Cantore
Preceded by Troy L. Endicott	Commander of the 460th Space Wing 2019–2020	Command inactivated
New office	Commander of Buckley Garrison 2020–2021	Succeeded by Brian C. Chellgren Acting
Preceded by Richard Zellmann	Deputy Director of Strategy, Plans, and Policy of the United States Space Command 2021–2022	Succeeded by Traci Kueker-Murphy
Preceded by Douglas Schiess	Deputy Commanding General (Operations) of Space Operations Command 2022–present	Incumbent
Preceded by Douglas Schiess	Vice Commander of Space Operations Command 2023–present	Incumbent

[bio-1] "Brigadier General Devin R. Pepper". United States Space Force. October 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2024.

[2] Snowdon, Quincy; Writer, Staff (January 23, 2020). "Buckley AFB generates almost $1.3 billion for Aurora in 2019, colonel says".

[3] "Fallen veterans honored by hundreds at wreath-laying event". www.afspc.af.mil.

[auto-4] "The deputy director of #USSPACECOM's Strategy, Plans and Policy Directorate received his first star yesterday at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Brig. Gen. Devin Pepper is the first prior-enlisted and first African American general officer in the United States Space Force. He enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1989 and commissioned through the Officer Training School in 1996. Before coming to Peterson Space Force Base, Pepper was Buckley Space Force Base's garrison commander". Facebook. August 17, 2021.

[5] "PN44 - 4 nominees for Space Force, 117th Congress (2021-2022)". www.congress.gov. March 25, 2021.

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