DR. KELLY D. HAMMETT

Dr. Kelly D. Hammett, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is Director, Space Rapid Capabilities Office, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. Dr. Hammett leads the Air Force's center of expertise for directed energy technology, developing and transitioning research technologies into military systems. The directorate provides pervasive, world-class directed energy and imaging research technol-ogies for users across the Air Force and the Department of Defense. He is responsible for more than 960 military and civilian scientists, engineers, contractors, and support people and an annual budget exceeding $267 million. He manages numerous state-of-the-art research laboratories and testing structures at Kirtland AFB, and several unique facilities, which include the Starfire Optical Range at Kirtland AFB; a testing site at the U.S. Army's White Sands Missile Range, N.M; and the Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing Site in Hawaii.

Dr. Hammett entered the Air Force as a second lieutenant in 1988, receiving his commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at the University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK. His 20 year active duty career spanned a variety of positions mainly focused on directed energy weapon system technology development and acquisition, and culminated while serving as the Director of Engineering for the $7 billion Airborne Laser Program, with his retirement at the grade of Lieutenant Colonel. He began his civilian career at Kirtland AFB, N.M., where he served as Chief Engineer for the Directed Energy Directorate’s Optics Division. In this position, he was the division’s authority for system engineering practices, provided technical oversight across a $100 million per year portfolio of optical sites/systems, and oversaw comprehensive modernization and upgrade programs for the Starfire Optical Range and the Maui Space Surveillance System. Dr. Hammett went on to serve as the Directed Energy Directorate’s Chief Engineer, where he led all engineering and program management activities for the directorate, providing key technical oversight of 30+ science and technology programs valued at over $300 million. He was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 2016.

Dr. Hammett has published more than 14 technical papers in national and international journals and conference proceedings, and has been directly responsible for the development and flight test of more than ten first-of-their-kind, world record-setting directed energy technologies. He is a member of the Acquisition Corps, having held multiple Critical Acquisition Positions over the last 12 years. He is also a level three Space Professional, and has commanded an operational space surveillance detachment. Throughout his career he has led more than 30 successful field demonstrations of optical and directed energy technologies for space surveillance, missile defense, force protection, air superiority, and global precision attack mission needs.

EDUCATION
1988 Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Okla.
1991 Master of Science degree in Aeronautics/Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.
1997 Doctor of Philosophy in Optimal and Nonlinear Control and Estimation Theory, Air Force Institute of Technology, Dayton, Ohio
 
CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. January 1989 – August 1991, Master's Student/Research Fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.
2.August 1991- September 1993, Ballistic Missile Engineer, National Air Intelligence Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
3.September 1993- August 1994, Stability and Control Engineer, Wright Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
4.August 1994 – July 1997, Doctoral Student, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
5.July 1997 – July 2000, Chief, Test Operations and Analysis Branch, Optical Systems Surveillance System Program Office, Data Masked
6.July 2000 – May 2003, Chief, Beam Control/Fire Control Branch, Airborne Laser System Program, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
7.May 2003 - September 2005, Commander/Chief Engineer, Detachment 15, Air Force Research Laboratory, Maui, Hawaii
8.October 2005 - July 2008, Chief, Adjunct Missions Division, Airborne Laser Program, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
9.July 2008 - February 2009, Director of Engineering, Airborne Laser Program, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
10.February 2009 - January 2012, Chief Engineer, Optics Division, Directed Energy Directorate, AFRL, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
11.January 2012 - March 2016, Chief Engineer, Directed Energy Directorate, AFRL, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
12.March 2016 - present, Director, Space Rapid Capabilities Office, Kirtland AFB, N.M.

AWARDS AND HONORS
1988  Outstanding Senior, College of Engineering and Distinguished Graduate, Air Force Reserve Officer Training Program, University of Oklahoma
1993  Squadron Outstanding Graduate/Chief of Staff Flight, Squadron Officer School
1994  AFOSR Star Team Member
2001  Air Force Materiel Command Technical Management Team Award
2004  Air Force Research Laboratory Directed Energy Special Recognition Award
2009  Air Force Meritorious Service Medal w/Oak leaf cluster
2010  Air Force Research Laboratory Directed Energy Directorate Scientific/Technical Team of the Year
2012 - 2015 Annual Performance Awards
 
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
Tau Beta Pi
Sigma Gamma Tau
Fellow, Directed Energy Professional Society
 

(Current as of March 2016)