Lt. Gen. Donald E. "Gene" Kirkland was the Commander, Air Force Sustainment Center, Air Force Materiel Command, headquartered at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. As the AFSC Commander, he led 40,000 total force United States and United Kingdom Airmen across three air logistics complexes, three air base wings, and two supply chain wings, operating from a global network of 26 locations.
The AFSC is responsible for $26 billion in assets generating $16 billion in annual revenue. The command provides global logistics and sustainment planning, operations, and command and control including agile software development and sustainment, supply chain management and execution, weapons systems maintenance, modification, repair and overhaul, as well as critical sustainment for the Air Force and Navy nuclear enterprise. The AFSC also provides mission essential support to joint and interagency operations, allies, coalition partners, and foreign military sales partners.
Lt. Gen. Kirkland entered the Air Force in 1988 through Officer Training School. He is a career aircraft and munitions maintenance officer, and has served on the logistics staff at U.S. Central Command and the Joint Staff. He also served as Executive Officer to the Chief of Staff of the Air Force and Commander of the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex.
EDUCATION
1987 Bachelor of Science, Physics, University of Florida, Gainesville
1990 Master of Science, Administration, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant
1994 Squadron Officer School, Distinguished Graduate, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1999 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2000 College of Naval Command and Staff, Distinguished Graduate, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
2000 Master of Arts, National Security and Strategic Studies, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
2002 Department of Defense Executive Leadership Development Program, Arlington, Va.
2004 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2006 Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2006 Master of Science, National Resource Strategy, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2011 National Security Studies Program, The Elliott School of International Affairs, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
2018 Driving Government Performance, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1988-September 1990, various munitions officer positions, 5th Munitions Maintenance Squadron, Minot Air Force Base, N.D.
2. October 1990-March 1991, Officer in Charge, Munitions Branch, 51st Equipment Maintenance Squadron, Osan Air Base, South Korea
3. April 1991-October 1991, Assistant Officer in Charge, 19th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, 51st Aircraft Generation Squadron, Osan AB, South Korea
4. October 1991-October 1993, Officer in Charge, Munitions Flight, and later, Maintenance Supervisor, 96th Maintenance Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas
5. October 1993-May 1994, Chief, Quality Assurance, 7th Logistics Group, Dyess AFB, Texas
6. June 1994-July 1994, Student, Logistics Plans Officer Course, Lackland AFB, Texas
7. August 1994-May 1997, Deputy Chief, and later, Chief, Logistics Plans Flight, 3rd Logistics Support Squadron, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
8. June 1997-July 1999, Joint Munitions Staff Officer, Directorate of Logistics, U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.
9. August 1999 June 2000, Student, College of Naval Command and Staff, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
10. June 2000-May 2002, Commander, 28th Munitions Squadron, Ellsworth AFB, S.D.
11. May 2002-July 2005, Staff Officer, and later, Chief, Readiness Branch, Directorate of Logistics, the Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
12. August 2005-June 2006, Student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
13. June 2006-June 2007, Deputy Commander, 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Group, Al Udeid AB, Qatar
14. July 2007 October 2007, Chief, Munitions Division, Directorate of Logistics, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va.
15. November 2007-July 2009, Commander, 5th Maintenance Group, Minot AFB, N.D.
16. August 2009-December 2009, Special Assistant to 9th Air Force Commander, Langley AFB, Va.
17. January 2010-June 2011, Commander, 633rd Air Base Wing, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
18. July 2011-August 2012, Executive Officer to the Chief of Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
19. September 2012-March 2015, Commander, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex, Tinker AFB, Okla.
20. April 2015-August 2017, Director of Logistics, Civil Engineering and Force Protection, Headquarters Air Force Material Command, Wright- Patterson AFB, Ohio
21. August 2017-July 2018, Director of Logistics, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
22. August 2018-October 2021, Commander, Air Force Sustainment Center, Tinker AFB, Okla.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1997-July 1999, Joint Munitions Staff Officer, Directorate of Logistics, U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Fla., as a captain
2. May 2002-May 2004, Staff Officer, and later, Chief, Readiness Branch, Directorate of Logistics, the Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a lieutenant colonel
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Feb. 23, 1988
First Lieutenant Feb. 23, 1990
Captain Feb. 23, 1992
Major July 1, 1999
Lieutenant Colonel March 1, 2002
Colonel Aug. 1, 2007
Brigadier General May 2, 2013
Major General March 7, 2017
Lieutenant General Aug. 7, 2018
(Current as of November 2025)