Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders

    HomeAbout UsBiographiesDisplay      Gen. Duke Z. RichardsonEFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
                
                Second Lieutenant                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                September 28, 1989First Lieutenant                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 September 28, 1991Captain                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          September 28, 1993Major                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            July 01, 1999Lieutenant Colonel                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               March 01, 2003Colonel                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          January 01, 2007Brigadier General                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                August 02, 2013Major General                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    July 03, 2017Lieutenant General                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               June 20, 2019General                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          June 13, 2022Engage OnFacebook PostsYour browser is incompatible with this widget.
                        
                        View on Twitter
        
        Gen. Duke Z. RichardsonGeneral DUKE Z. RICHARDSONGen. Duke Z. Richardson is Commander, Air Force Materiel Command, headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. He is responsible for installation and mission support, discovery and development, test and evaluation, life cycle management services, and sustainment of virtually every major Air Force weapon system. The command employs 89,000 people and manages $72 billion of budget authority annually.
Gen. Richardson enlisted in the Air Force in 1983 as an avionics technician, and later received his commission via Officer Training School. In addition to four Program Executive Officer leadership tours, Gen. Richardson has held a breadth of materiel-related assignments within Program Offices, the Air Force Research Laboratory, Headquarters Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Headquarters Air Force, U.S. Special Operations Command, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Prior to his current assignment, he was the Military Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, at the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia.**EDUCATION**
1989 Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe
1993 Master of Science, Electrical Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque
1997 Master of Arts, Organizational Management, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
1997 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2001 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2002 Advanced Program Management Course, Fort Belvoir, Va.
2006 Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2006 Senior Acquisition Course, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2009 U.S. Air Force Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Darden School, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va.
2012 Executive Program Manager’s Course, Fort Belvoir, Va.
2016 Advanced Senior Leader Development Program, Warrenton, Va.
2021 Leadership at the Peak, Colorado Springs, Colo.**ASSIGNMENTS**
1. March 1983–September 1989, Avionics Technician, later, Airmen’s Education and Commissioning Program Student, Williams Air Force Base, Ariz.
2. September 1989–May 1993, Space Electronics Engineer, Air Force Research Laboratory (formerly Phillips Laboratory and Weapons Laboratory), Kirtland AFB, N.M.
3. May 1993–July 1995, Course Director and Instructor, Department of Mathematical Sciences, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.
4. August 1995–July 1997, Air Force Intern, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology, Arlington, Va.
5. July 1997–June 1999, F-15 Suite 4 Program Manager, F-15 System Program Office, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
6. July 1999–July 2000, Designated Acquisition Commander Staff Officer, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
7. August 2000–June 2001, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
8. June 2001–June 2002, Life Support Systems Program Element Monitor, Directorate of Global Power Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Va.
9. June 2002–June 2004, F-22 Branch Chief and Lead Program Element Monitor, Directorate of Global Power Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Va.
10. July 2004–July 2005, Executive Officer to the Military Deputy, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Va.
11. August 2005–June 2006, Student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
12. June 2006–July 2007, Deputy Director of Global Power Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Va.
13. July 2007–April 2009, Commander, 823rd Aeronautical Systems Group, 303rd Aeronautical Systems Wing, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
14. May 2009–May 2011, Program Executive Officer for Fixed Wing, Headquarters U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.
15. May 2011–August 2012, Air Force Program Executive Officer for Fighters and Bombers, Aeronautical Systems Center (later, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center), Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
16. August 2012–September 2013, Vice Commander, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
17. September 2013–September 2014, Director, Logistics and Sustainment, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
18. September 2014–June 2017, Air Force Program Executive Officer for Tankers, Tanker Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
19. March 2017–August 2018, Air Force Program Executive Officer for Presidential Airlift Recapitalization, PAR Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
20. September 2018–June 2019, Air Force Program Executive Officer for Presidential & Executive Airlift, PE Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
21. June 2019–June 2022, Military Deputy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
22. June 2022–present, Commander, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio**MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS**
Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal**OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS**
1991 Weapons Laboratory Young Scientist/Engineer of the Year
1995 Outstanding Academy Educator, Department of Mathematical Sciences
1997 Distinguished Graduate, Squadron Officer School
2001 Distinguished Graduate, Air Command and Staff College
2006 Distinguished Graduate, Industrial College of the Armed Forces**EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION**
Second Lieutenant Sept. 28, 1989
First Lieutenant Sept. 28, 1991
Captain Sept. 28, 1993
Major July 1, 1999
Lieutenant Colonel March 1, 2003
Colonel Jan. 1, 2007
Brigadier General Aug. 2, 2013
Major General July 3, 2017
Lieutenant General June 20, 2019
General June 13, 2022
(Current as of June 2022)
  Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil