Brig. Gen. Stephen P. Snelson is the Commander, U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. The Expeditionary Center is the Air Force's preeminent authority for expeditionary operations and supports Air Mobility Command’s worldwide mission of providing Rapid Global Mobility to America’s armed forces. With more than 14,000 Airmen, the Expeditionary Center is comprised of the Air Force Expeditionary Operations School, five AMC wings and two stand-alone groups. These units span the globe in 42 locations across 24 countries, providing global air mobility support, installation support and contingency response as well as building partnership capacity.
Brig. Gen. Snelson commissioned in 1997 as a Distinguished Graduate of the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York. He has held command positions at the squadron and wing levels. In his role as commander of the 89th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, he was responsible for providing airlift for the President, the Vice President and other senior officials. He has held multiple major command and combatant command staff assignments. He is a command pilot with more than 3,300 flying hours including combat missions in support of operations Allied Force, Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn.
Prior to his current assignment, Brig. Gen. Snelson served as the Vice Director of Strategy, Plans and Policy at U.S. Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base, where he managed the internal processes of the directorate and the planning and execution of Tier 1 Joint and Multinational Exercises, developing military relationships with foreign partners in coordination with U.S. interagency departments.
EDUCATION
1997 Bachelor of Science, Aerospace Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y.
2003 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2008 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2009 Master of Aeronautical Science, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona, Fla.
2009 Intermediate Service School, CSAF POLAD Fellowship, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
2010 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2014 Master of Strategic Science, Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.
2018 Air Force Leadership Development Program, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2020 Air Force Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Kenan-Flagler School of Business, Chapel Hill, N.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. October 1997–0ctober 1998, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas
2. October 1998–February 2002, C-17 Instructor Pilot, 15th Airlift Squadron, Charleston AFB, S.C.
3. February 2002–January 2005, Evaluator Pilot, Flight Commander, Chief of Special Operations, Special Operations Planner, 16th
AS, Charleston AFB, S.C.
4. January 2005–November 2005, Operations Planner, C-17 Program Integration Office, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
5. November 2005–July 2006, Evaluator Pilot, Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, 535th Airlift Squadron, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
6. July 2006–July 2007, Action Officer, Commander Pacific Air Forces Action Group, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
7. July 2007–May 2008, Aide-de-Camp, COMPACAF, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
8. May 2008–May 2009, Foreign Policy Fellow, Office of the Political Advisor to the CSAF, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
9. May 2009–June 2011, Political-Military Planner, Strategic Plans and Policy, the Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
10. June 2011–June 2013, Commander, 305th Operations Support Squadron, Joint Base McGuire-Dix, Lakehurst, N.J.
11. June 2013–June 2014, Student, Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.
12. June 2014–July 2016, Executive Officer to the Commander, Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
13. July 2016–June 2018, Vice Commander, 62nd Airlift Wing, JB Lewis-McChord, Wash.
14. June 2018–May 2020, Commander, 6th Air Refueling Wing (formerly 6th AMW), MacDill AFB, Fla.
15. June 2020–May 2021, Commander, 89th Airlift Wing, JB Andrews, Md.
16. July 2021–April 2022, Director, U.S. Central Command Deployment and Distribution Operations Center, Southwest Asia
17. April 2022–June 2023, Deputy Director of Operations, U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.
18. July 2023–July 2024, Vice Director of Strategy, Plans and Policy, U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.
19. July 2024–present, Commander, U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center, JB MDL, N.J.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 2009–June 2011, Political-Military Planner, Strategic Plans and Policy, the Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a lieutenant colonel
2. July 2021–April 2022, Director, U.S. Central Command Deployment and Distribution Operations Center, Northeast Africa, across the Middle East, to Central and South Asia, as a brigadier general
3. April 2022–June 2023, Deputy Director of Operations, U.S. Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. as a brigadier general
4. July 2023–July 2024, Vice Director of Strategy, Plans and Policy, U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Fla. as a brigadier general
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 3,300
Aircraft flown: C-17, KC-135, C-32, KC-10, T-1 and T-37
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Defense Superior Service Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Army Commendation Medal
Joint Service Achievement Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 12, 1997
First Lieutenant June 12, 1999
Captain June 12, 2001
Major April 1, 2007
Lieutenant Colonel Dec. 1, 2010
Colonel May 1, 2016
Brigadier General July 3, 2022
(Current as of October 2024)