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COLONEL GERARD D. WITTMAN
Colonel Wittman was born September 15, 1950 in Princeton, Indiana. He entered the Air Force in 1972 as a graduate of the University of Louisville Reserve Officer Training Corps program. The colonel, a Master Meteorologist, began his career as a weather forecaster for pilot training (T-37 and T-38), fighter (F-4), and tactical airlift (C-130) operations. As an Air Staff acquisition manager, he obtained essential funding for critical space launch, satellite command and control, and spacecraft programs. During his second Pentagon tour, he directed a joint Air Force-Navy initiative to enhance interservice cooperation in military weather operations. He has commanded a weather detachment and squadron and has also served in a number of operational and staff positions.
Colonel Wittman is married to the former Carolyn Kenny of Great Falls, Montana. They have four children: Lori, Meredeth, Rachel and Michael.
EDUCATION
1972 Bachelor of science degree in physics, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky1973 Basic Meteorology Course, University of Texas at Austin, Texas
1978 Master of science degree in meteorology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
1980 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
1982 Air Command and Staff College, seminar
1985 National Security Management Course, correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS:
1. June 1972 - May 1973, basic meteorology student, University of Texas at Austin.2. June 1973 - January 1976, weather forecaster, 78th Flying Training Wing, Webb Air Force Base, Texas.
3. February 1976 - May 1977, weather forecaster, 3d Tactical Fighter Wing and 374th Tactical Airlift Wing, and command briefing officer, 13th Air Force, Clark Air Base, Philippines.
4. June 1977 - December 1978, advanced degree student; Thesis Title: Parameterization of the Solar and Infrared Radiative Properties of Clouds, University of Utah.
5. January 1979 - July 1982, computer systems analyst for Air Force Solar Observing Optical Network (SOON); then commander, Detachment 4, 3d Weather Wing, the Holloman Solar Observatory, Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico.
6. July 1982 - July 1985, assistant chief, special projects division, Headquarters Air Weather Service (AWS), Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.
7. July 1985 - August 1988, Air Force Space Panel Executive Officer; acquisition manager, Weather Systems and Nuclear Detonation (NUDET) Detection System (NDS); and assistant acquisition manager, Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) and Navstar Global Positioning System (GPS); Space Launch and Control Division, Headquarters United States Air Force, and Space Systems Division, Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Washington D.C.
8. August 1988 - August 1991, operations officer then commander, 28th Weather Squadron, Royal Air Force Base Mildenhall, England.
9. August 1991 - April 1995, executive officer for the Air Force Director of Weather, then chief, weather plans division, Headquarters United States Air Force, Washington D.C.
10. April 1995 - September 1996, assistant chief, current operations division, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado.
11. September 1996 - Present, deputy chief, force enhancement division, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado.
MISSILE/SPACE INFORMATION
Badges: Senior Space BadgeOTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
Air Force Williams Award, 1977Air Force Moorman Award, 1979
Air Force Merewether Award, 1979
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clustersAir Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:
Second Lieutenant May 13, 1972First Lieutenant June 20, 1974
Captain June 20, 1976
Major March 1, 1984
Lieutenant Colonel December 1, 1988
Colonel August 1, 1994
(Current as of September 1996)