Sandra E. Finan was the Deputy Chief Information Officer for Command, Control, Communications and Computers (C4) and Information Infrastructure Capabilities, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Pentagon, Washington D.C.
Career
Maj Gen Finan entered the
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...
in 1982 as an enlisted cryptographic equipment repairperson. She received her Air Force commission in 1985 as a distinguished graduate through
Officer Training School
Officer Training School (OTS) is a United States Air Force and United States Space Force commissioning program located at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.
Overview
Officer Training School is a part of the Jeanne M. Holm Center fo ...
. During her career, Maj Gen Finan has served in a variety of space and missile assignments in missile crew operations; training and evaluations; satellite command and control; and satellite operations. The General has held senior staff assignments as the Air Force Global Strike Command Inspector General, the Air Force Space Command Director of Nuclear Operations, The Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Principal Deputy Administrator for Military Application, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense Deputy Chief Information Officer for Command, Control, Communications, and Computer and Information Infrastructure Capabilities.
Her commands include a space operation squadron and missile wing, as well as the Air force Nuclear Weapons Center. Maj Gen Finan has deployed to the
Combined Air Operations Center
An Air Operations Center (AOC) is a type of command center used by the United States Air Force (USAF). It is the senior agency of the Air Force component commander to provide command and control of air operations.Southwest Asia as the Director of Space Forces in support of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
Maj Gen Finan retired in 2017 out of her last assignment in Washington DC with the Pentagon.
Education
:1978
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
Squadron Officer School
Squadron Officer School (SOS), is a 5.5-week-long Professional Military Education (PME) course for U.S. Air Force and Space Force Captains, Department of the Air Force Civilian (DAFC) equivalents and International Officers. It fulfills the U.S ...
,
Maxwell Air Force Base
Maxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force (USAF) installation under the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, United States. O ...
,
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
:1989
Master of Science
A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast to ...
degree in
systems management
Systems management refers to enterprise-wide administration of distributed systems including (and commonly in practice) computer systems. Systems management is strongly influenced by network management initiatives in telecommunications. The ap ...
,
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
,
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
:1997
Master of Arts
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
Naval Command and Staff College
The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associat ...
,
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, ...
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...
:2004 Master of Strategic Studies degree, Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama
:2006 National Security Fellow,
Syracuse University
Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...
,
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse ( ) is a City (New York), city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, Onondaga County, New York, United States. It is the fifth-most populous city in the state of New York following New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffa ...
Assignments
#November 1982 – January 1985, Air National Guard cryptographic technician and Air Force Reserve military training instructor, Lackland AFB, Texas
#April 1985 – May 1987, protocol officer and executive officer, 2nd Bombardment Wing, Barksdale AFB, La.
#June 1987 – August 1987, student, undergraduate missile training, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
#September 1987 – August 1991, senior evaluator commander and missile combat crew member, 341st Missile Wing, Malmstrom AFB, Mont.
#September 1991 – September 1993, command operations evaluator, 3901st Missile Evaluation Squadron, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
#October 1993 – June 1996, program manager; Chief, Standardization and Evaluation; and Chief, Training Programs, 20th Air Force, F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo.
#July 1996 – June 1997, student, Naval Command and Staff College, Newport, R.I.
#July 1997 – September 1997, student, Joint Professional Military Education Phase II, Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
#October 1997 – August 1999, special assistant to the Commander; executive assistant to the Deputy Commander; and National Military Command System command and control officer, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb.
#September 1999 – August 2000, executive assistant to the Director of Security and Emergency Operations, Department of Energy, Washington, D.C.
#September 2000 – June 2001, operations officer, 21st Space Operation Squadron, Onizuka Air Force Station, Calif.
#July 2001 – June 2003, Commander, 21st Space Operations Squadron, and Installation Commander, Onizuka AFS, Calif.
#July 2003 – May 2004, student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
#June 2004 – July 2006, Vice Commander, 91st Missile Wing, Minot AFB, N.D.
#July 2006 – May 2008, Commander, 341st Missile Wing, Malmstrom AFB, Mont.
#June 2008 – August 2009, Director, Nuclear Operations, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
#September 2009 – December 2010, Inspector General, Headquarters Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB, La.
#January 2011 – January 2013, Principal Assistant Deputy Administrator for Military Application, Office of Defense Programs, National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of Energy, Washington, D.C.
#February 2013 – October 2015, Commander, Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
#October 2015 – present, Deputy Chief Information Officer for Command, Control, Communications and Computers (C4) and Information Infrastructure Capabilities, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Pentagon, Washington D.C.