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    HomeAbout UsBiographiesDisplay      090423-F-JZ031-373.JPGEngage On
        
        090423-F-JZ031-373.JPGMARK "TAP" TAPPERMark "Tap" Tapper, a Defense Intelligence Senior Leader, is Special Adviser to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. He is responsible for all matters related to Air Force ISR transformation including planning and direction, organizational development, and strategic communication of ISR capabilities, organization and personnel. He provides guidance on the development and promulgation of policies and programs to implement and achieve long-range Air Force ISR strategy, plans, doctrine, force development and integration of future capabilities while guiding end-to-end ISR capability management. 
Mr. Tapper entered the Air Force in 1980 as a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. He has more than 3,500 hours in the F-16A/B/C/D and F-111D/F. While on active duty he held a variety of assignments within U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Pacific Air Forces, Air Education and Training Command, and Air Combat Command. He has previously been assigned to the Pentagon as the Director of Strategy and Long Range Planning for the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs, and the Weapons Division Chief in the Directorate of Operational Requirements, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations. 
Mr. Tapper commanded a fighter squadron, an air operations group and the Pacific Air and Space Operations Center. For Combined Support Force 536, the 2004 - 2005 Asian tsunami humanitarian relief operation, he served as Deputy Combined Force Air Component Commander and Deputy Commander Air Force Forces. He was the inaugural Pacific Air Forces Air Expeditionary Task Force Commander for Operation Deep Freeze, the Department of Defense support to the National Science Foundation in Antarctica, and the Chief of Staff for the Pacific Command Joint Task-Force Support Forces, Antarctica. Mr. Tapper also led the effort to organize and stand up the first Air Force warfighting headquarters, the General George C. Kenney Headquarters (13th Air Force) at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, and served there as the Chief of Staff. **EDUCATION** 
1980 Bachelor of Science degree in operations research, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. 
1987 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 
1993 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 
1994 Master of Science degree in aeronautical science, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University 
1998 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 
2002 Master of Science degree in national security strategy, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. **CAREER CHRONOLOGY** 
1. 1980 - 1981, student, undergraduate pilot training, Laughlin AFB, Texas 
2. 1981 - 1982, student, fighter lead-in training, Holloman AFB, N.M., and F-111 Replacement Training Unit, Cannon AFB, N.M. 
3. 1982 - 1984, F-111F aircraft commander, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England 
4. 1984 - 1988, F-111D instructor pilot and standardization and evaluation flight examiner, Cannon AFB, N.M. 
5. 1988 - 1990, F-16 instructor pilot and flight commander, Homestead AFB, N.M. 
6. 1990 - 1991, F-16 instructor pilot and flight commander, Kunsan Air Base, South Korea 
7. 1992 - 1994, Chief, Rated Management Branch, Director of Operations, Pacific Air Forces, Hickam AFB, Hawaii 
8. 1994 - 1997, Chief, Standardization and Evaluation, 388th Fighter Wing, and operations officer, 4th Fighter Squadron, Hill AFB, Utah 
9. 1998 - 2000, Commander, 310th Fighter Squadron, Luke AFB, Ariz. 
10. 2000 - 2001, Deputy then Chief, Weapons Division, Directorate of Operational Requirements, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. 
11. 2001 - 2002, student, National War College, Fort Lesley J McNair, Washington, D.C. 
12. 2002 - 2004, Chief of Safety, 12th Air Force, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz. 
13. 2004 - 2006, Commander, 502nd Air Operations Group; Director, Pacific Air Operations Center; and Chief of Staff, George C. Kenney Headquarters (13th Air Force), Hickam AFB, Hawaii 
14. 2006 - 2007, Director of Strategy and Long Range Planning, Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. 
15. 2007 - 2008, Management and Technology Consultant, Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, Va. 
16. 2008 - present, Special Adviser to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. **AWARDS AND HONORS** 
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster 
Meritorious Service Medal with silver and bronze oak leaf clusters 
Air Medal 
Aerial Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters 
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster 
Outstanding Unit Award with "V" device and two oak leaf clusters 
Combat Readiness Medal with three oak leaf clusters 
Humanitarian Service Medal 
(Current as of April 2009)
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