Colonel(s) Burton is the Director of Procurement for the United States Special Operations Command. His role is to rapidly deploy contracting expertise resulting in superior technologies, equipment, and services for Special Operations Forces. 

Colonel(s) Burton entered the Air Force in 2003 through the Reserve Officer Training Corps at The Citadel, Charleston, S.C. He is a joint qualified officer and has served as a two-time squadron commander, and a contracting officer for the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex and Special Operations Command Europe. His career also includes a broadening assignment as a Program Element Monitor in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics’ Global Power Programs Directorate.  In this role, Colonel(s) Burton directed acquisition planning, programming, budgeting, and execution for the $13 billion F-15C, F-15E, and F-15EX investment portfolios.  In 2007, Colonel(s) Burton deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan as a Contingency Contracting Officer in support of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM.

Prior to his current assignment, Colonel(s) Burton was a military student assigned to the Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy at the National Defense University in Washington D.C.  

EDUCATION

2003 Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, The Citadel, Charleston, South Carolina

2004 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, Alabama

2008 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Alabama

2011 Master of Science, Procurement and Acquisitions Management, Webster University, St. Louis, Missouri

2013 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence

2015 Joint Forces Staff College, JPME Phase II, Norfolk, Virginia 

2023 Distinguished Graduate, Master of Science, National Resource Strategy, Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.

2023 Senior Acquisition Course, Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.

 

ASSIGNMENTS

1. June 2003 – June 2006, Air Combat Command Aircrew Training Contracts Manager, ACC Contracting Squadron, Langley AFB, Virginia

2. June 2006 – June 2008, Automatic Test Equipment Contracts Manager, 742nd Automatic Test Sustainment Group, Robins AFB, Georgia

3. June 2008 – August 2009, Contracting Officer and Branch Chief, 542nd Combat Sustainment Group (Electronic Warfare), Robins AFB, Georgia

4. August 2009 – June 2010, Education with Industry, Northrop Grumman, Electronic Systems, Air Force Institute of Technology, Linthicum, Maryland

5. June 2010 – July 2011, Executive Officer, Program Executive Officer for Combat and Mission Support, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Washington, D.C.

6. July 2011 – June 2014, Commander, 14th Contracting Squadron, Columbus AFB, Mississippi

7. June 2014 – September 2015, Air Force Strategic Policy Fellow (Intermediate Developmental Education), Washington D.C.

8. September 2015 – August 2017, Chief, Contract Plans, Special Operations Command Europe, Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany

9. August 2017 – July 2019, Commander, 700th Contracting Squadron, Kapaun Air Station, Kaiserslautern, Germany

10. July 2019 – May 2020, F-15 Program Element Monitor, Global Power Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, the Pentagon, Washington D.C.

11. May 2020 – July 2021, Deputy Chief, Global Dominance Division, Global Power Programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, the Pentagon, Washington D.C.

12. July 2021 – July 2022, Military Assistant to the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, the Pentagon, Washington D.C.

13. July 2022 – June 2023, Student, Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, National Defense University, Washington D.C.

14. June 2023 - present, Director of Procurement, HQ USSOCOM, MacDill AFB, Florida

 

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS

1. September 2015 – August 2017, Chief, Contract Plans, J-4 Logistics Division, Special Operations Command Europe, Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany, as a major

 

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Defense Meritorious Service Medal

Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters

Joint Service Commendation Medal

Air Force Commendation Medal

Air Force Achievement Medal

Air Force Outstanding Unit Award

National Defense Service Medal

Afghanistan Campaign Medal

Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION

Second Lieutenant May 9, 2003

First Lieutenant May 28, 2005

Captain May 28, 2007

Major October 1, 2013

Lieutenant Colonel May 1, 2018