Colonel Joseph J. Roth serves as Director, Innovation and Prototyping Directorate and Commander, Space Systems Center, Detachment 1, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. Roth leads a combined team of 740+ military, government civilians, and contractors at four geographically separated units and manages a $3.8B portfolio to rapidly transition and deliver war winning space concepts, technologies, and capabilities to the United States Space Force and mission partners across the National Security Space community. The Directorate conducts test and experimentation, prototyping, demonstrations, and operations of innovative space systems and technology for the Space Systems Center. The Directorate also executes the Space Test Program on behalf of the Department of Defense.
Roth has served in a variety of operations, acquisition, staff, and command assignments at many levels across the Air Force and Department of Defense. He has served as Minuteman III ICBM Combat Crew Commander, Instructor, and Evaluator; an Acquisition Program Manager at the Aeronautical Systems Center and the National Reconnaissance Office; a Branch Chief on the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Headquarters Air Force; an Executive Officer at Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, an Executive Assistant on the Joint Chiefs of Staff J-5, and commander of the 333d Recruiting Squadron at Patrick AFB, Florida.
Prior to his current assignment he was the Chief, Space Electro-Optics Division, Directed Energy Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico. Roth is a 1997 graduate of the University of Cincinnati and earned his commission through Air Force ROTC.
EDUCATION
1997 Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering Technology, University of Cincinnati, Ohio
2002 Squadron Officer School, In-residence, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2003 Master’s Degree in Business Administration, Regis University, Denver, Colorado
2007 Air Command and Staff College, In-correspondence
2010 Distinguished Graduate, Marine Corps Command and Staff College, Seminar
2010 Master’s Degree in National Security Studies – Defense Decision Making and Planning, In-residence IDE, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California
2013 Air War College, In-correspondence
2013 Joint Forces Staff College, In-residence, Norfolk, Virginia
2016 The Program Manager’s Course, Defense Acquisition University, Fort Belvoir, VA
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 1997 – January 1998, Special Asst to the Commander, 400th Missile Squadron, F.E. Warren AFB, WY
2. January 1998 – October 1998, Student, Undergraduate Space and Missile Training & Initial Qualification Training, Minuteman III ICBM, Vandenberg AFB, CA
3. October 1998 – October 2001, Minuteman III ICBM Combat Crew Commander, Instructor, and Evaluator, 90th Operations Group and 321st Missile Squadron, F.E. Warren AFB, WY
4. October 2001 – August 2003, Deputy Program Manager, Common Low-Observable Verification System, Air Combat System Program Office, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
5. August 2003 – June 2004, Deputy Branch Chief, Military Resource Management Branch, Program Management Directorate, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
6. June 2004 – December 2005, Executive Officer to the Chief of Staff, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
7. January 2006 – August 2009, Chief Satellite Operations Branch, Chief Satellite Integration & Test Branch, and Flight Software Engineering Manager, Reconnaissance System Program Office, IMINT Directorate, National Reconnaissance Office, Chantilly, VA
8. September 2009 – December 2010, Intermediate Developmental Education Student, School of National Security Affairs, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA
9. January 2011 – July 2011, Political-Military Planner, Deputy Directorate for Partnership Strategy, Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate (J5), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
10. July 2011 – November 2012, Executive Assistant to the Deputy Director for Partnership Strategy, Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate (J5), the Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
11. December 2012 – January 2014, Chief Coalition Affairs Branch, Deputy Directorate for Partnership Strategy, Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate (J5) Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
12. January 2014 – June 2016, Chief Test and Evaluation Policy & Space Programs Branch, Air Force Directorate of Test and Evaluation, Air Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
13. June 2016 – June 2018, Commander, 333rd Recruiting Squadron, Patrick AFB, FL
14. June 2018 – June 2020, Division Chief, Space Electro-Optics Division, Directed Energy Directorate, Air Force Research Lab, Kirtland AFB, NM
15. July 2020 – Present, Director Innovation and Prototyping & Commander Detachment 1, Development Corps, Space Systems Center, Kirtland, AFB, NM.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 2011 – January 2014, Political-Military Planner, Branch Chief, and Executive Assistant to the Deputy Director for Partnership Strategy, Joint Staff (J5), the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
2. December 2014 – December 2015, Strategic Advisor to the Commander Resolute Support, Commander’s Action Group, Headquarters Resolute Support, Kabul, Afghanistan
AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster Joint Service Achievement Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
Combat Readiness Medal National Defense Service Medal Afghanistan Campaign Medal Global War on Terrorism Medal Humanitarian Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
NATO Medal
OTHER AWARDS
2002 Chief of Staff Trophy, Squadron Officer School 2013 MacArthur Award, Joint Forces Staff College
2016 Top Squadron (#1/27), Air Force Recruiting Service 2017 Commander’s Trophy, Air Force Recruiting Service
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant, 14 June 1997
First Lieutenant, 13 July 1999
Captain, 13 July 2001
Major, 01 April 2007
Lieutenant Colonel, 1 August 2012
Colonel, 01 December 2018
(Current as of Nov 2021)