Colonel ALISON R. GONZALEZ

Colonel Alison R. Gonzalez is currently serving as the Director of Staff for the Office of the Chief of Human Capital, Headquarters United States Space Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. In this capacity, she provides executive leadership and managerial direction for the Space Force staff in all functional areas of personnel management, including force structure analysis; military personnel programs; civilian personnel; readiness; senior officer matters; quality force issues; family support; and talent management for military and civilian personnel located at 175 locations worldwide in support of the service’s space launch, space surveillance, missile warning, and satellite command and control operations.

Colonel Gonzalez was raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and is a graduate of Howard University. She commanded space experimentation and operations support squadrons. She developed her space and cyber expertise from multiple, unique assignments and details within the U.S. Government. This includes the Intelligence Community, Departments of Defense, State and Commerce. She was a satellite engineer, Operation Flight Commander, Chief of Special Programs, Congressional Liaison, Presidential support, and writer for the Presidential Daily Brief.

Colonel Gonzalez was the inaugural Plans Division Chief in the stand-up of the National Space Defense Center; and is U.S. Space Force’s first Chief of Strategy who led the service as its lead writer in the 2022 National Defense Strategy. Finally, Colonel Gonzalez is an internationally recognized mentor and champion of service members and their families; and represented the U.S. as a fellow of the prestigious Halifax International Security Forum. She is married and has three sons.

EDUCATION
2002 – Bachelor of Science in Biology, Howard University, Washington, District of Columbia
2002 –Bachelor of Science in Physics, Howard University, Washington, District of Columbia
2003 – Officer Space Prerequisite Training, Vandenberg AFB, California, Top Graduate
2003 – Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, Alabama, Outstanding Contributor
2007 – Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Alabama, Top Third
2010 – Master of Arts, Leadership and Management, Webster University, Washington, District of Columbia
2013 – Air Command and Staff College (Correspondence)
2016 – Command and Control Advance Course, Hurlburt Field, Florida 2017 – Air War College (Correspondence)
2023 – Master of Arts, Strategic Studies, U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania

ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 2002 - January 2003, Officer Space Prerequisite Training, Vandenberg AFB, California
2. January 2003 – December 2007, NATO/Skynet Operator, Engineer, Evaluator, Crew Commander, 3rd Space Operations Squadron, Schriever AFB, Colorado
3. December 2007 – February 2009, Deputy Director of Operations, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland
4. November 2008 – February 2009, Military Assistant to the President of the United States, Armed Forces Inaugural Committee, Washington District of Columbia.
5. February 2009 – June 2011, Operations Flight Commander, National Reconnaissance Office, Chantilly, Virginia
6. June 2011 – February 2012, Chief, Special Technical Operations and Special Programs Branch, National Reconnaissance Office, Chantilly, Virginia
7. February 2012 – July 2013, Legislative Liaison, National Reconnaissance Office, Chantilly, Virginia
8. July 2013 – May 2014, Legislative Liaison, Office of the Director of National Intelligence and National Reconnaissance Office, Virginia
9. June 2014 – July 2015 - Requirements Lead, Space Superiority Branch, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colorado
10. July 2015 – March 2017 - Director of Operations, 3rd Space Experimentation Squadron, Schriever AFB, Colorado
11. March 2017 – June 2018 - Chief, Plans Division, National Space Defense Center, National Reconnaissance Office, Schriever AFB, Colorado
12. June 2018 – June 2020, Commander, Operational Support Squadron, National Reconnaissance Office, Las Cruces, New Mexico
13. June 2020 – July 2022, Chief, Strategy Division, Directorate for Strategy, Plans, Programs, Requirements and Analysis, Headquarters United States Space Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia
14. July 2022 – June 2023, Student, United States Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania
15. June 2023 – Present, Director of Staff, Office of the Chief of Human Capital, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Department of the Air Force Brigadier General Wilma Vaught Visionary Leadership Award 2023 Engineer of the Year Award
Director of National Intelligence Meritorious Service Award National Reconnaissance Office Gold Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Joint Service Commendation Medal Air and Space Commendation Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award with oak leaf cluster National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citation
Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award with oak leaf cluster

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTIONS
Second Lieutenant 2 Sep 2002
First Lieutenant 2 Sep 2004
Captain 2 May 2006
Major 1 Oct 2012
Lieutenant Colonel 1 Jul 2017
Colonel 01 Oct 2023

(Current as of May 2025)