Brig. Gen. Mark A. Baird is the Deputy Director of the Space Force Planning Task Force, Air Force Space Command Forward Element, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. He supports the Director in leading the Secretary of the Air Force chartered Task Force of subject matter experts in conducting the detailed planning activities associated with the standup of the United States Space Force, working across the Air Force, other military branch services, the Joint Staff and the Office of the Secretary of Defense. The general interfaces with Congressional Staff, the Intelligence Community and the Executive Office of the President. Prior to his current assignment, Brig. Gen. Baird was the Deputy Director of the National Reconnaissance Office, Chantilly, Virginia.
Brig. Gen. Baird entered active duty in 1989 as a distinguished graduate of the Air Force ROTC program at Florida State University. During his career, he has served in a variety of acquisition positions including Contingency Contracting Officer, Procuring Contracting Officer, Program Manager, Headquarters Staff Officer, Squadron Commander, Senior Materiel Leader and Contracting Agency Commander. Brig. Gen. Baird spent a year in industry, studying space propulsion at Pratt & Whitney. He was also selected for the Air Force Legislative Fellowship and the Secretary of Defense Corporate Fellowship.
EDUCATION
1989 Bachelor of Science, Business Management and Finance, Florida State University, Tallahassee
1990 Master of Science, Operations Management, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
1995 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2001 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2001 Legislative Fellowship, Washington, D.C.
2002 Graduate Certificate in Legislative Studies, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
2005 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2007 Executive Seminar, Darden School of Business, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
2007 Secretary of Defense Corporate Fellowship, London
2012 Leadership Development Program, Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, N.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. December 1991 – October 1992, Contract Management Officer/Contingency Contracting Officer, 314th Contracting Squadron, 314th Tactical Airlift Wing, Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark.
2. October 1992 – May 1994, Chief, Construction Flight, 39th Contracting Squadron, 39th Airlift Wing, Incirlik Air Base, Turkey
3. May 1994 – August 1994, Director, Business Programs, 39th Contracting Squadron, 39th Airlift Wing, Incirlik AB, Turkey
4. August 1994 – July 1995, Student, Education with Industry, Pratt & Whitney, Government Engines & Space Propulsion, Air Force Institute of Technology, West Palm Beach, Fla.
5. July 1995 – July 1996, Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Business Strategy Manager, Space & Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
6. July 1996 – July 1997, Chief, Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Contract Execution, Space & Missiles Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
7. July 1997 – December 1998, Space Based Laser Business Manager, Advanced Systems Directorate, Space & Missiles Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
8. December 1998 – July 1999, Chief, Space Based Laser Business/Contracts, Advanced Systems Directorate, Space & Missiles Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
9. July 1999 – August 2000, Business Director, Space, Deputy Assistant Secretary (Contracting), Asst. Sec. of the Air Force (Acquisition), the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
10. August 2000 – October 2001, Executive Officer, Deputy Asst. Sec. (Contracting), Asst. Sec. of the Air Force (Acquisition), the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
11. October 2001 – October 2002, Air Force Legislative Fellowship, Office of U.S. Senator Bob Smith, U.S. Senate, Washington, D. C.
12. October 2002 – October 2004, Commander, 16th Contracting Squadron, 16th Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
13. October 2004 – August 2006, Deputy Chief, Space Force Enhancement Division, Directorate of Space Acquisition, Office of the Under Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
14. August 2006 – May 2007, Secretary of Defense Corporate Fellow, Deutsche Bank AG, London
15. May 2007 – August 2009, Director, Strategic Business Effects, Task Force for Business and Stability Operations in Iraq, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
16. August 2009 – June 2010, Director, Enabling Systems, Space and Intelligence Capabilities Office, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology, & Logistics), the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
17. June 2010 – July 2011, Senior Materiel Leader, Low Earth Orbit Spacecraft Acquisition Group, National Reconnaissance Office, Chantilly, Va.
18. July 2011 – July 2012, Chief, Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Acquisition Division, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
19. July 2012 – September 2014, Director, Space Superiority Systems Directorate, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
20. September 2014 – August 2015, Commander Air Force Installation Contracting Agency, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio
21. August 2015 – April 2016, Special Assistant to the Commander for Ground Based Strategic Deterrent, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio
22. April 2016 – June 2017, Vice Commander, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
23. June 2017 – June 2018, Director, Space Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, Washington, D.C.
24. June 2018 – December 2018, Deputy Director, National Reconnaissance Office, Chantilly, Va.
25. December 2018 – present, Deputy Director, Space Force Planning Task Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal with four oak leaf clusters
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1997 Contracting Level III, Acquisition Professional Development Program
2006 Program Management, Level III, APDP
(Current as of July 2019)