Speakers

Mr. Thomas J. Lawhead is the Director, Operational Capability Requirements, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategy, Integration and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Virginia. In this position he leads a team of more than 200 military, civilian, and contractor personnel and is responsible for establishing operational capability-based requirements policy and supporting major command requirements and future Air Force modernization programs. These programs include fighters, bombers, mobility aircraft, space systems, command and control, munitions, missile defense, cyber as well as a range of future cross-domain networked capabilities. Mr. Lawhead is the Air Force focalpoint for requirements policy and engagement with the Joint Requirements Oversight Council.

Prior to his current position, Mr. Lawhead was the Deputy Director of Programs, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans &Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Virginia. He led a staff of military and civilians in the development, integration, evaluation, analysis and formulation of the Air Force’s Future Years Defense Plan, and maintained the integrity and discipline of the Air Force Corporate process.

Mr. Lawhead entered the Air Force in 1983 as a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. He has served in a variety of operations and staff positions throughout his career. He served as an instructor pilot, flight commander, assistant operations officer, operations officer, squadron commander and Group commander for various fighter units, as well as staff positions in the United States Air Forces in Europe Air Operations Squadron and in the programs division of the Air Staff. He has extensive operational experience as an instructor pilot and evaluator in the F-16 Fighting Falcon.