Brig. Gen. Steven D. Vautrain is the Deputy Director, Strategy, Concepts, and Assessments, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. He assists with developing and synchronizing Air Force Strategy and Strategic Planning efforts and assessing alignment of planning products with strategic guidance.
General Vautrain was commissioned through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. He has served as an instructor pilot in the T-37, C-130E, C-130H, MC-130E and C-17 as well as holding various operational and staff positions at the squadron, group, wing, numbered air force, major-command and combatant-command levels. He has commanded a C-17 Operations Group and a C-5 wing. He has been deployed to the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq as the mobility planner for the Air Component Coordination Element, represented the Chief of the Air Force Reserve at Headquarters Air Mobility Command, and served as the Chief of the Forward element of the U.S. Central Command Deployment and Distribution Operations Center in Kabul, Afghanistan.
EDUCATION
1983 Bachelor of Science, Computer Science, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Fla.
1989 Squadron Officer School, by correspondence/residence
2001 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2005 Air War College, by correspondence
2009 Master’s degree in military history, Norwich University, Norwich, Vt.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 1983 - July 1984, Student, undergraduate pilot training, 14th Flying Training Wing, Columbus AFB, Miss.
2. July 1984 - November 1986, Tactics Officer, 61st Tactical Airlift Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
3. November 1986 - September 1988, Assistant Flight Commander, 85th Flying Training Squadron, Laughlin AFB, Texas
4. September 1988 - February 1991, Chief, T-37 academics, 47th Student Squadron, Laughlin AFB, Texas
5. February 1991 - February 1993, Chief of Training, 345th Airlift Squadron, Yokota Air Base, Japan
6. February 1993 - March 1994, C-130 Flight Training Unit instructor pilot, 62nd Airlift Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
7. March 1994 - May 1995, Executive Officer, 62nd Airlift Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
8. May 1995 - November 1997, MC-130 Instructor Pilot, 711th Special Operations Squadron, Duke Field, Fla.
9. November 1997 - February 1999, Chief, Contingency Operations, 919th Special Operations Wing, Duke Field, Fla.
10. February 1999 - February 2001, Chief, Airlift Operations, Fourth Air Force, March Air Reserve Base, Calif.
11. February 2001 - December 2002, Chief, Wing Safety, 446th Airlift Wing, McChord AFB, Wash.
12. December 2002 - October 2003, Operations Officer, 97th Airlift Squadron, McChord AFB, Wash.
13. October 2003 - January 2006, Deputy Commander, 446th Operations Group, McChord AFB, Wash.
14. January 2006 - October 2006, Commander, 446th Operations Group, McChord AFB, Wash.
15. October 2006 - April 2009, Reserve Adviser to the Commander, Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
16. April 2009 - August 2011, Chief, Deployment and Distribution Operations Center, United States Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
17. August 2011 – September 2014, Commander, 439th Airlift Wing, Westover ARB, Mass.
18. September 2014 - present, Deputy Director, Strategy, Concepts, and Assessments, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. April 2009 - October 2009, Chief, CENTCOM Deployment and Distribution Operations Center - Forward, Kabul, Afghanistan.
2. April 2009 - August 2011, Chief, USTRANSCOM Deployment and Distribution Operations Center, Scott AFB, Ill.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 5,300
Aircraft Flown: T-37, T-38, C-130, MC-130, C-17, C-5
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Unit Ward
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with V Device and five oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal with seven oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Armed Forces Expeditionary Forces Medal
Kosovo Campaign Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with two "M" Devices
NATO Medal
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
Air Commando Association
Air Force Association
Air Force Sergeants Association
Airlift/Tanker Association
Reserve Officers Association
Society of Military Historians
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 7, 1983
First Lieutenant May 7, 1985
Captain May 7, 1987
Major May 7, 1997
Lieutenant Colonel Sept. 12, 2002
Colonel Feb. 24, 2006
Brigadier General Dec. 20, 2013
(Current as of October 2015)