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    HomeAbout UsBiographiesDisplay      Brig. Gen. Thomas ShermanSecond Lieutenant                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                May 31, 1995First Lieutenant                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 May 31, 1997Captain                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          May 31, 1999Major                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            August 01, 2005Lieutenant Colonel                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               March 01, 2009Colonel                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          October 01, 2014Brigadier General                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                August 20, 2021Major General                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    December 05, 2023Engage On
        
        Brig. Gen. Thomas ShermanMajor General THOMAS P. SHERMANMaj. Gen. Thomas P. Sherman is the Director of Security Forces, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Virginia. He is the focal point for ensuring Air Base Defense, the physical security of Air Force nuclear assets and planning, and programming for more than 43,000 active-duty and Reserve component security forces at locations worldwide. He provides policy and oversight for protecting Air Force resources from terrorism, criminal acts, sabotage and acts of war and ensures security forces are trained, equipped and ready to support contingency and exercise plans.
Maj. Gen. Sherman entered the Air Force in 1995 after graduating from the United States Air Force Academy with military distinction. He is a career security forces officer and seven-time commander who has also held a variety of leadership, staff, and command positions with assignments at the squadron, group, wing, center and joint levels: most notably, the 88th Air Base Wing and Installation Commander at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio and the Principal Military Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense. Furthermore, Maj. Gen. Sherman possesses a unique experience in deployed combat, contingency response, and humanitarian environments around the globe. Additionally, he is a qualified jumpmaster and senior parachutist and earned the Republic of Germany Silver, Belgian Military, Belgian Katanga, and Bulgarian Parachutist badges. Finally, he possesses a secondary qualification as an Air Force Political-Military Affairs Strategist.
Prior to assuming his current position, Maj. Gen. Sherman was Deputy Director, Capability Development, Air Force Futures, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia.**EDUCATION**
1995 Bachelor of Science, Political Science, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2001 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2002 Secretary of the Air Force Language and Area Studies Immersion Course, Florence, Italy
2004 Master of Arts, Criminal Justice, California State University San Bernardino (AFIT), Calif.
2007 United States Army Jumpmaster School
2009 Master of Arts, National Security Affairs, Naval Post Graduate School (IDE), Calif.
2014 Distinguished Graduate, Master of Science, National Security Strategy, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2015 National and International Security Leadership Seminar, Capitol Hill Workshop, Washington, D.C.**ASSIGNMENTS**
1. August 1995–July 1997, Assistant Operations Officer, Air Base Defense Flight Commander, 62nd Security Police Squadron, McChord Air Force Base, Wash.
2. July 1997–January 1998, Operations Officer, 62nd Security Forces Squadron, McChord AFB, Wash.
3. January 1998–January 1999, Flight Leader, Mobile Reserve Commander, 8th Security Forces Squadron, Kunsan Air Base, South Korea (January–April 1998, Chief of Security Forces, 3rd Air Expeditionary Group, Kwang Ju AB, South Korea)
4. January 1999–June 2001, Flight Commander, GSU Liaison Officer, 31st SFS, Aviano AB, Italy
5. July 2001–October 2001, Chief of Security Forces, Flight Commander, 763rd Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, Al Dhafra AB, United Arab Emirates
6. October 2001–August 2002: Commander, 380th Expeditionary SFS, Al Dhafra AB, United Arab Emirates
7. September 2002–April 2004, AFIT Student, California State University at San Bernardino, Calif.
8. April 2004–May 2006: Deputy Chief, Requirements Branch, Headquarters Air Force Security Forces Center, Lackland AFB, Texas (March–September 2005, Commander, 447th Expeditionary SFS, Sather AB, Baghdad International Airport, Baghdad, Iraq)
9. May 2006–July 2008, Commander, 786th Security Forces Squadron, Sembach Annex, Germany
10. September 2008–December 2009, IDE Student, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.
11. January 2010–May 2012, Chief, National Military Command Center Systems Operations Branch (J-39) and Chief, NMCC Security and Configuration Branch (J-36), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
12. May 2012–May 2013, Commander, 455th Expeditionary SFS, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan
13. July 2013–July 2014, SDE Student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
14. July 2014–July 2016, Commander, 37th Training Group, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas
15. July 2016–July 2017, Chief, Protection Services Division, Air Force Installation Mission Support Center, JBSA-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas
16. August 2017–June 2018, Commander, Detachment 1, Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center, Peterson AFB, Colo.
17. June 2018–June 2020, Commander, 88th Air Base Wing, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
18. June 2020–May 2022, Principal Military Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
19. May 2022–January 2023, Deputy Director, Capability Development, Air Force Futures, Headquarters Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
20. January 2023–present, Director of Security Forces, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering, and Force Protection, Headquarters Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.**SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS**
1. January 2010–May 2012, Chief, National Military Command Center Systems Operations Branch (J-39) and Chief, NMCC Security and Configuration Branch (J-36), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a lieutenant colonel
2. June 2020–May 2022, Principal Military Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a colonel**MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS**
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air and Space Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters**OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS**
2007 Air Force Outstanding Small Security Forces (Squadron Commander)
2007, 2008 USAFE Outstanding Small Security Forces Squadron (Squadron Commander) 2007, 2008 USAFE Outstanding Intelligence Flight (Squadron Commander)
2012 AFCENT Outstanding Large Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron (Squadron Commander) 2019 AFMC Gen. and Mrs. Jerome F. O'Malley Award
(Current as of January 2024)
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