Department of the United States Air Force LogoBiography
                  United States Air ForceThis is the official portrait of Joseph M. Oder.
            JOSEPH M. ODERJoseph M. Oder, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Executive Director, Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. Mr. Oder advises the AFNWC commander in managing all aspects of the center’s mission to acquire, sustain and modernize our nuclear arsenal to maintain an effective nuclear deterrent that safeguards the United States, assures allies and deters adversaries. The center is responsible for the lifecycle management of nuclear weapons systems supporting two legs of the nation’s nuclear triad, including intercontinental ballistic missiles; air-launched cruise missiles; gravity bombs; and nuclear command-and-control communication systems.
Mr. Oder entered the Air Force in May 1989 after graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy and has more than 25 years of experience in nuclear weapons and counterproliferation with the U.S. Air Force and the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. He was awarded his missile operations badge in July 1990 and is a senior missileer with more than 200 combat alerts in Minuteman II ICBMs. After obtaining a master’s degree in nuclear engineering, he took over as the Program Manager for ICBM Nuclear Survivability and later became the ICBM Systems Program Office executive officer. In 2000, he participated in the two-year Nuclear Technologies Fellowship Program at Sandia National Laboratories, where he focused on the technical aspects of current and retired nuclear weapons. He then served as the Deputy Chief for Counterproliferation at the Air Force Nuclear Weapons and Counterproliferation Agency.
Assigned to the NNSA headquarters in 2004, Mr. Oder began as a program engineer in the Nuclear Bombs Division but was quickly elevated to Deputy Director for the Office of Nuclear Weapons Stockpile. In 2007, he became the acting Director and led the $1 billion-per-year nuclear stockpile program. He retired from active duty in the Air Force in 2009.
Mr. Oder began his civilian government service when NNSA selected him as its permanent Director, a position that became an SES in 2012, where he provided executive leadership, management, and vision for five divisions and an operating budget of $1.4 billion. Prior to his current assignment, Mr. Oder was the Deputy Assistant Deputy Administrator for Major Modernization Programs, ensuring the viability of the nuclear weapon stockpile by planning, executing and evaluating all modernization programs related to nuclear weapons.**EDUCATION**
1989 Bachelor of Science, Engineering Physics, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1996 Master of Science, Engineering Management, West Coast University, Los Angeles, Calif.
1997 Master of Science, Nuclear Engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
2002 AFIT Nuclear Technologies Fellowship, Sandia National Laboratories, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
2004 Master of Science in Military Operational Art and Science, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2004 Air Command and Staff College (Joint), Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2006 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence**CAREER CHRONOLOGY**
1. August 1990 - March 1994, Missile Combat Crewmember, 44th Missile Wing, Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D.
2. March 1994 - May 1996, Command Post Control Officer, 30th Space Wing, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
3. May 1996 - January 1998, Student, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
4. January 1998 - July 1999, Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles Survivability Program Manager, ICBM Systems Program Office, Hill AFB, Utah
5. July 1999 - September 2000, Executive Officer to the Program Director, ICBM Systems Program Office, Hill AFB, Utah
6. September 2000 - September 2002, Intern, AFIT Nuclear Technologies Fellowship, Sandia National Laboratories, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
7. September 2002 - August 2003, Deputy Chief, Counterproliferation, Nuclear Weapons and Counterproliferation Agency, Headquarters Air Force, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
8. August 2003 - June 2004, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
9. June 2004 - December 2005, Nuclear Program Engineer, Bombs Division, National Nuclear Security Administration, Washington, D.C.
10. December 2005 - March 2008, Deputy Director, Office of Nuclear Weapons Stockpile, NNSA, Washington, D.C.
11. March 2008 - August 2009, Acting Director, Office of Nuclear Weapons Stockpile, NNSA, Washington, D.C.
12. August 2009 - retired from active duty and entered government civilian service
13. September 2009 - March 2012, Director, Nuclear Weapons Stockpile Division, NNSA, Washington, D.C.
14. March 2012 - May 2013, Director, Office of Nuclear Weapons Stockpile, NNSA, Washington, D.C.
15. May 2013 - March 2014, Deputy Assistant Deputy Administrator for Major Modernization Programs, NNSA, Washington, D.C.
16. March 2014 - present, Executive Director, Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Kirtland AFB, N.M.**MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS**
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with two oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal
National Defense Service Medal with bronze star
Defense Programs Military Excellence Award
Undersecretary of Energy (NNSA Administrator) Gold Award For Distinguished Service
Undersecretary of Energy (NNSA Administrator) Bronze Award For Excellence
Undersecretary of Energy (NNSA Administrator) Career Appreciation Award
Undersecretary of Energy (NNSA Administrator) Achievement Award
Air Force Award for Civilian Achievement
Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Executive Service
(Current as of March 2019)Department of the Air Force Logo