Maj. Gen. Patrick C. Higby is the Director, DevOps and Lethality, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. In this role, he devises and implements strategies to responsively combat cybersecurity threats while rapidly delivering cyber/digital/IT capabilities to the point of need.
Prior to this assignment, General Higby was the Director, Cyberspace Strategy and Policy, Office of Information Dominance and Chief Information Officer, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force. As the Cyberspace Operations and Support Career Field Functional Manager, General Higby was responsible for the development of 43,000 officers, enlisted and civilian personnel. He balanced costs and risks for Air Force cybersecurity, as well as led the Air Force in developing cyberspace strategies, policies and enterprise architectures across business, information, weapon system and defense intelligence mission areas.
General Higby was born in the Air Force hospital in Wiesbaden, Germany, and came on active duty in April 1989 as a graduate of the Reserve Officer Training Corps. He previously served in the engineering, intelligence, space, communications and cyber career fields, at base, major command and joint agency levels. He had the opportunity to command at the squadron, group and, twice, at the wing/installation level.
EDUCATION
1988 Bachelor of Electrical Engineering, Minor in German, Distinguished Graduate, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Ga.
1994 Squadron Officer School, Distinguished Graduate, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1996 Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, Colorado Technical University, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1997 Advanced Communications Officer Training, Distinguished Graduate, Keesler AFB, Miss.
1999 Air Command and Staff College, by seminar
2000 College of Naval Command and Staff, Distinguished Graduate and Highest Distinction, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
2000 Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
2003 Air War College (non-resident seminar program), the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
2005 Air War College, Distinguished Graduate and Highest Distinction, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2005 Master of Strategic Studies, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. April 1989 – January 1990, Squadron Section Executive Officer, 6940th Electronic Security Wing, Fort Meade, Md.
2. January 1990 – August 1994, Project Officer for Special Signals Intelligence Collection, Musketeer Program, National Security Agency, Fort Meade, Md.
3. January 1990 – August 1994, Flight Commander, 29th Intelligence Squadron, Fort Meade, Md.
4. August 1994 – March 1995, Milstar Comm System Engineer, 4th Space Operations Squadron, Falcon AFB, Colo.
5. March 1995 – June 1996, Chief, Milstar Comm Analysis Flight, 4th Space Operations Squadron, Falcon AFB, Colo.
6. June 1996 – March 1997, C4 Architecture & Integration Officer, Directorate of Communications and Information, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
7. March 1997 – April 1997, Director’s Action Group, Directorate of Communications and Information, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
8. April 1997 – June 1998, Exec Officer, Directorate of Communications & Information, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
9. June 1998 – July 1999, Flight Commander, Info Systems Flight, 15th Communications Squadron, Hickam AFB, Hawaii.
10. August 1999 – June 2000, Student, College of Naval Command and Staff, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
11. June 2000 – July 2002, Commander, 786th Communications Squadron, Ramstein AB, Germany
12. August 2002 – July 2004, Space Systems Action Officer, Directorate of Communications and Information, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.
13. July 2004 – June 2005, Student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
14. July 2005 – April 2007, Network Systems Division Chief, Directorate of Communications and Information, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va.
15. April 2007 – April 2009, Commander, 78th Mission Support Group, Robins AFB, Ga.
16. April 2009 – June 2011, Commander, 75th Air Base Wing, Hill AFB, Utah.
17. July 2011 – July 2013, Deputy Commander, White House Communications Agency, Washington, D.C.
18. August 2013 – June 2015, Commander, 81st Training Wing, Keesler AFB, Miss.
19. July 2015 – September 2018, Director, Cyberspace Strategy and Policy, Office of Information Dominance and Chief Information Officer, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, D.C.
20. September 2018 – present, Director, DevOps and Lethality, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, Washington D.C.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Presidential Service Badge
Excellence in Competition Medal and Top Gun Award
Bundeswehr Schützenschnur in Gold
Installation Excellence Award x2
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant April 17, 1989
First Lieutenant Feb. 13, 1991
Captain Feb. 13, 1993
Major July 1, 1999
Lieutenant Colonel March 1, 2002
Colonel Jan. 1, 2007
Brigadier General Aug. 2, 2013
Major General May 24, 2017
(Current as of November 2018)