D. Jason Cothern

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D. Jason Cothern
Brig Gen D. Jason Cothern (2).jpg
Official portrait, 2021
Born (1970-11-12) November 12, 1970 (age 51)
AllegianceUnited States
Service/branchUnited States Air Force (1993–2021)
United States Space Force (2021–present)
Years of service1993–present
RankBrigadier general
Commands heldSpace Based Infrared Systems Ground Squadron
AwardsDefense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Alma materUniversity of Central Florida (BS)
California State University, Long Beach (MBA)
George Washington University (MS)
Air Command and Staff College
Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy

Donald Jason Cothern (born November 12, 1970)[1] is a brigadier general in the United States Space Force currently serving as the deputy commander of the Space Systems Command. He transferred to the Space Force from the United States Air Force in May 2021.[2][3]

Prior to his current assignment, he was the assistant program director for development at the F-35 Lighting II Joint Program Office, where he was responsible for F-35 fighter fifth generation modernization activities.[4][5][6]

Cothern was commissioned in 1993 as an ROTC graduate of the University of Central Florida. He served as the director of the Department of Defense’s Space Test Program and the Air Force's Hosted Payloads Office. As STP director, he also led the Rocket Systems Launch Program, where he was mission director for the DoD's first SpaceX Falcon 9 launch that flew NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) satellite in February 2015.[4][5]

Education[]

Assignments[]

1. September 1993–August 1995, Program Manager, 50th Logistics Support Squadron, Schreiver Air Force Base, Colo.
2. August 1995–July 1996, Executive Officer, 50th Logistics Group, Schreiver AFB, Colo.
3. July 1996–March 1998, Program Manager, Milstar Operations Support Division, Military Satellite Communications Joint Program Office, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
4. March 1998–July 2000, Chief, Military Satellite Communications Programs Planning Branch, Military Satellite Communications Joint Program Office, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
5. July 2000–June 2002, Student, United States Air Force Intern Program, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
6. June 2002–July 2005, Chief, Satellite Command and Control Branch, then Program Manager, Missile Warning Systems, Space Systems Program Office, Signals Intelligence Directorate, National Reconnaissance Office, Chantilly, Va.
7. July 2005–June 2006, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
8. June 2006–June 2008, Deputy Chief, Future Systems Division, Developmental Planning Directorate, Space and Missiles System Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
9. June 2008–July 2009, Chief, Space Systems Acquisition Division, Transformational Satellite Communications System Space Group, MILSATCOM Systems Wing, Space and Missiles System Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
10. July 2009–August 2011, Commander, Space Based Infrared Systems Ground Squadron, then Materiel Leader, SBIRS Ground Systems Branch, SBIRS Ground Division, Infrared Space Systems Directorate, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
11. August 2011–June 2012, Student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
12. June 2012–July 2014, Chief, Requirements Integration Department, Defense Threat Reduction Agency and U.S. Strategic Command, Center for Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction, Fort Belvoir, Va.
13. July 2014–June 2017, Senior Material Leader – Lower, Director, DoD Space Test Program and Chief, Space Demonstrations Division, Advanced Systems and Development Directorate, Space and Missile Systems Center, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
14. June 2017–June 2020, Senior Material Leader – Upper, Assistant Program Director for Development and Production, then Assistant Program Director for Development, F-35 Joint Program Office, Arlington, Va.
15. June 2020– July 2021, Vice Commander, Space and Missile Systems Center, U.S. Space Force, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.[5]
16. July 2021 – August 2021, Commander, Space and Missile Systems Center, U.S. Space Force, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.[3]
17. August 2021 – present, Vice Commander, Space Systems Command, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.

Awards and decorations[]

Cothern is the recipient of the following awards:[5]

USAF Command Space Badge.png Command Space Operations Badge
Master Acquisition and Financial Management Badge.jpg
 Air Force Master Acquisition and Financial Management Badge
Defense Superior Service Medal
Width-44 crimson ribbon with a pair of width-2 white stripes on the edges Legion of Merit
Bronze oak leaf cluster
 Defense Meritorious Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Width-44 crimson ribbon with two width-8 white stripes at distance 4 from the edges.
 Meritorious Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
 Joint Meritorious Unit Award with one bronze oak leaf cluster
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svgBronze oakleaf-3d.svgBronze oakleaf-3d.svg Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with three bronze oak leaf clusters
Bronze star
Width=44 scarlet ribbon with a central width-4 golden yellow stripe, flanked by pairs of width-1 scarlet, white, Old Glory blue, and white stripes
 National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal
Silver oak leaf cluster
 Air Force Longevity Service Award with one silver oak leaf cluster
Air Force Training Ribbon

Dates of promotion[]

Rank Date
US Air Force O1 shoulderboard rotated.svg Second lieutenant July 22, 1993
US Air Force O2 shoulderboard rotated.svg First lieutenant July 22, 1995
US Air Force O3 shoulderboard rotated.svg Captain July 22, 1997
US Air Force O4 shoulderboard rotated.svg Major December 1, 2003
US Air Force O5 shoulderboard rotated.svg Lieutenant colonel June 1, 2008
US Air Force O6 shoulderboard rotated.svg Colonel October 1, 2013
US Air Force O7 shoulderboard rotated.svg Brigadier general July 3, 2019

References[]

  1. ^ "Persons born on 12 November 1970, DEBORAH EILEEN SPAULDING to Dwight Andrew Ellis".
  2. ^ Kitterman, Luke (July 27, 2021). "SMC Commander retires after 36 years of service". DVIDS.
  3. ^ a b Strout, Nathan (July 27, 2021). "Commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center retires". C4ISRNET. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Erwin, Sandra (February 13, 2020). "F-35 program official named No. 2 at Space and Missile Systems Center". SpaceNews. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Brigadier General D. Jason Cothern". United States Space Force. August 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2021. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  6. ^ Kenlan, Alyk Russell (July 13, 2020). "Space Force to Launch Classified NRO Payload from Wallops Flight Facility". Air Force Magazine. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
Military offices
Preceded by Commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center
Acting
2021 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Program Executive Officer for Space Enterprise of the United States Space Force and Director of the Enterprise Corps of the Space and Missile Systems Center
2020–2021 		Succeeded by
Deputy Commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center,
later Space Systems Command
2020–present 		Incumbent
New title Program Executive Officer for Assured Access to Space of the United States Space Force
2021–present
Retrieved from ""