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    HomeAbout UsBiographiesDisplay      MAJOR GENERAL SARAH E. ZABELEngage On
        
        MAJOR GENERAL SARAH E. ZABELMAJOR GENERAL SARAH E. ZABELMaj. Gen. Sarah E. Zabel is the Director of Information Technology Acquisition Process Development, in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. In this role, she leads action by Air Force organizations across the full spectrum of acquisition activities, from requirements specification through funding, program management, contracting and test, to system and network operations, in order to responsively deliver software capabilities to warfighters at their point of need.
General Zabel earned her commission from the U.S Air Force Academy in 1987. She has served within the communications and cyber field as a communications squadron commander, a computer security evaluator, a computer and network programmer, an Air Force Academy instructor, and an Air Staff officer. General Zabel also served as a staff officer on the Joint Staff and at two combatant commands. She has commanded at the squadron, group and wing levels. Prior to this assignment, General Zabel was the Vice Director of the Defense Information Systems Agency, where she helped lead a global organization of 16,000 military, civilian, and contract personnel who plan, develop, deliver, and operate joint, interoperable, command and control capabilities and a global enterprise infrastructure in direct support of the President, Secretary of Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Combatant Commanders, Department of Defense components, and other mission partners across the full spectrum of operations.**EDUCATION**
1987 Distinguished Graduate, Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, United States Air Force Academy
1993 Distinguished Graduate, Squadron Officers School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1996 Master of Science in Computer Science, the University of Texas at San Antonio
2001 Distinguished Graduate, Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2007 Master of Strategic Studies, U.S. Army War College, Carlisle, Pa.
2011 National Security Studies Management Course, the Maxwell School, Syracuse University, Syracuse N.Y.
2011 International Women’s Forum Leadership Foundation Fellow, Washington, D.C.
2012 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Darden School of Business, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
2013 Senior Joint Information Operations Application Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2015 Cyberspace Operations Executive Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.**ASSIGNMENTS**
1. May 1987 - December 1987, Student, Basic Communications-Computer Training Course, Keesler AFB, Miss.
2. December 1987 - January 1990, Computer Security Analyst, 6943rd Electronic Security Squadron, Fort George G. Meade, Md.
3. January 1990 - December 1992, Chief, Mission Engineering Software Development, 6920th Electronic Security Squadron, Misawa Air Base, Japan
4. January 1993 - February 1993, Student, Squadron Officer’s School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
5. February 1993 - June 1996, Chief, Automated Data Processing Support, Space and Advanced Programs Division, Headquarters Air Intelligence Agency, Kelly AFB, Texas
6. June 1996 - October 1997, Chief, Information Systems Branch, Office of Analysis and Simulation, Headquarters, United States European Command, Stuttgart, Germany
7. October 1997 - July 1998, Aide-de-Camp to the Deputy Commander in Chief, United States European Command, Stuttgart, Germany
8. July 1998 - August 2000, Instructor of Computer Science, United States Air Force Academy, Colo.
9. August 2000 - June 2001, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
10. June 2001 - June 2003, Commander, 43rd Communications Squadron, Pope Air Force Base, N.C.
11. July 2003 - July 2004, Chief, C4 Operations, Plans and Engineering, Central Command Air Forces Forward, Al Udeid AB, Qatar
12. July 2004 - January 2005, Action Officer, Joint Staff Operations Directorate (J-3), Deputy Directorate for Global Operations, Strategic Operations Division, Communications and Procedures Branch, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
13. January 2005 - July 2006, Deputy Executive Assistant to the Director for Operations, J-3, The Joint Staff, Arlington, Va.
14. July 2006 - June 2007, Student, U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.
15. July 2007 - July 2008, Communications and Information Panel Chair, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
16. July 2008 - July 2010, Commander, 9th Mission Support Group, Beale AFB, Calif.
17. July 2010 - June 2011, Deputy Director, Cyberspace Operations, Office of Information Dominance and Chief Information Officer, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
18. June 2011 - January 2013, Commander, 75th Air Base Wing, Hill AFB, Utah
19. March 2013 - July 2014, Director, Command, Control, Communications and Cyber Systems, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
20. July 2014 – August 2015, Director, Cyberspace Strategy and Policy, Office of Information Dominance and Chief Information Officer, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
21. August 2015 – August 2017, Vice Director, Defense Information Systems Agency, Fort George G. Meade, Md.
22. August 2017 – present, Director, Information Technology Acquisition Process Development, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington D.C.**SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS**
1. July 2003 - July 2004, Chief, C4 Operations, Plans and Engineering, Central Command Air Forces Forward, Al Udeid AB, Qatar, as a lieutenant colonel
2. July 2004 - January 2005, Action Officer, Joint Staff Operations Directorate (J-3), deputy directorate for Global Operations, Strategic Operations Division, Communications and Procedures Branch, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a lieutenant colonel
3. January 2005 - July 2006, Deputy Executive Assistant to the Director for Operations, J-3, The Joint Staff, Arlington, Va., as a lieutenant colonel
4. March 2013 - July 2014, Director, Command, Control, Communications and Cyber Systems, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill., as a brigadier general
5. August 2015 – August 2017, Vice Director, Defense Information Systems Agency, Fort George G. Meade, Md., as a major general**MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS**
Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit Medal with oak leaf cluster
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with oak leaf cluster
National Defense Service Medal**OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS**
1987 Outstanding Cadet in Computer Science, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.
2000 Outstanding Academy Educator, Department of Computer Science, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.
2007 Commandant’s Award for Distinction in Research, U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.
2015 Certified Information Systems Security Professional**PUBLICATIONS**
“The Military Strategy of Global Jihad,” Strategic Studies Institute, 2007**EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION**
Second Lieutenant May 27, 1987
First Lieutenant May 27, 1989
Captain May 27, 1991
Major Nov. 1, 1998
Lieutenant Colonel Feb. 1, 2003
Colonel Sept. 1, 2007
Brigadier General June 4, 2013
Major General Nov 2, 2015
(Current as of September 2018)
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