Deborah Roche Lee James (born November 25, 1958) served as the 23rd
Secretary of the Air Force
A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a wh ...
. She is the second woman, after
Sheila Widnall
Sheila Marie Evans Widnall (born July 13, 1938) is an American aerospace researcher and Institute Professor Emerita at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She served as United States Secretary of the Air Force from 1993 to 1997, makin ...
(1993–1997), to ever hold this position.
James was confirmed as 23rd Secretary of the Air Force on December 13, 2013, and started her tenure on December 20, 2013.Air Force Gets Second Female Secretary ''National Journal,'' December 13, 2013. In her position she was responsible for the affairs of the United States Department of the Air Force, including the organization, training, and equipping 690,000 active-duty, Guard, Reserve, and civilian personnel. She oversaw the Air Force's annual budget ($139 billion in 2015).
During her tenure she confronted issues stemming from the USAF budget sequestration in 2013, continued troubles with the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, Congressional investigation of the USAF for its handling of sexual assaults, and a drug and cheating scandal inside the
Air Force Global Strike Command
Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) is a Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. AFGSC provides combat-ready forces to conduct strategic nuclear deterrence and global stri ...
Long Branch, New Jersey
Long Branch is a beachside city in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the city's population was 30,719,Rumson and graduated from
Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School
The Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (often abbreviated RFH) is a regional, four-year comprehensive public high school and school district in the eastern United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from the suburban ...
in 1976.Note: "Date and place of birth: November 25, 1958; Long Branch, NJ.... Rumson Fair Haven Regional High School, High School Diploma, June 1976." In She earned her
B.A.
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
(May 1979) in Comparative Area Studies from
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university in Durham, North Carolina. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco and electric power industrialist Jame ...
in
Durham, North Carolina
Durham ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Durham County. Small portions of the city limits extend into Orange County and Wake County. With a population of 283,506 in the 2020 Census, Durham is the 4th- ...
, and later earned her master's degree (May 1981) in International Affairs from Columbia University in New York City.
From 1983 to 1993, James worked as a professional staff member on the House Armed Services Committee, where she served as a senior adviser to the Military Personnel and Compensation Subcommittee, the NATO Burden Sharing Panel, and the Chairman's Member Services team.
During the Clinton administration, from 1993 to 1998, James served in the Pentagon as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs. In that position, she was senior advisor to the Secretary of Defense. Prior to her Senate confirmation in 1993, she served as an assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs.Official US Air Force Biography - Deborah Lee James /ref>
James held a variety of positions with Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) and from 2000 to 2001 she was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at
Business Executives for National Security
Business Executives for National Security (BENS) is an American nonpartisan, nonprofit organization. Prominent members include Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, former Cisco chairman John P. Morgridge, and former Infor CEO Charles E. Phillips. The orga ...
. From 1998 to 2000 she was Vice President of International Operations and Marketing at
United Technologies
United Technologies Corporation (UTC) was an American multinational conglomerate headquartered in Farmington, Connecticut. It researched, developed, and manufactured products in numerous areas, including aircraft engines, aerospace system ...
. Prior to being named Secretary of the Air Force, she served as President of SAIC's Technical and Engineering Sector. James has 30 years of senior homeland and national security bureaucratic and administrative experience in the U.S. federal government and the private sector.
She is also a member of th Atlantic Council's Board of Directors.
Secretary of the Air Force
Malmstrom Air Force Base controversy
James was confronted by reports of morale problems in the ranks of the
AFGSC
Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) is a Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. AFGSC provides combat-ready forces to conduct strategic nuclear deterrence and global str ...
within a month of assuming office. The
Air Force Office of Special Investigations
The Department of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) is a U.S. federal law enforcement agency that reports directly to the Secretary of the Air Force. OSI is also a U.S. Air Force field operating agency under the administrativ ...
had been looking into alleged use of synthetic drugs by the airmen of the
341st Missile Wing
The United States Air Force's 341st Missile Wing is an intercontinental ballistic missile unit headquartered at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana. Up until 1 July 2008, it was designated as the 341st Space Wing.
Established as a World War II T ...
at
Malmstrom Air Force Base
Malmstrom Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base and census-designated place (CDP) in Cascade County, Montana, United States, adjacent to the city of Great Falls. It was named in honor of World War II POW Colonel Einar Axel Malmstrom ...
in Montana. During the probe it was learned that cheating on monthly proficiency exams was taking place. Altogether, 92 officers were identified as involved in the cheating scandal.
James responded by saying, "this was a failure of some of our Airmen; it was not a failure of the nuclear mission." Within a year she visited the three Air Force bases that operate intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM's) to identify and resolve problems leading to morale issues at the bases. James cited USAF's inattention to the nuclear mission, to the point of using a simple test score as "a top differentiator, if not the sole differentiator on who gets promoted," as one of the reasons for morale deterioration in the ICBM force.
She helped establish the ''Force Improvement Program (FIP)'', a grass-roots feedback program designed to quickly identify actionable recommendations. FIP identified more than 300 recommendations for improvement. Immediate improvements included funding to upgrade launch control centers, the underground bunkers where airmen and support staff serve 36-hour shifts 'round the clock; more and better options to transport airmen to LCCs, additional manpower, as well as higher pay.
James also oversaw the establishment of the
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal
The Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal is a service medal of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force established on 27 May 2014. The medal recognizes service by personnel in various career fields who have served in units ...
which is awarded for providing effective nuclear deterrence for the nation.
Addressing the 2011–2013 Malmstrom Air Force Base debacle two years later at Aspen Security Forum, James said that, "We never found evidence of cheating beyond that one base, but we did find evidence of systemic problems across the board," which were addressed by increased training, additional incentives, and better development opportunities.
Reducing the size of the Air Force
With a congressional mandate to reduce the size of the Air Force, James decided to make cuts in one or two fiscal years instead of the prevailing five year period. James noted that the downsizing was straining the force. She confirmed that the Air Force was able to achieve force size and shape goals in fiscal year 2014, alleviating the need to conduct involuntary force management programs in fiscal year 2015. She made this announcement during an online town hall meeting.Stephen Losey 'Enough is enough': No involuntary force cuts in 2015 ''Air Force Times,'' December 16, 2014. The Air Force began 2014 fiscal year with 330,700 active-duty airmen; by November 6, 2014 this had dropped to 316,500 - the smallest since Air Force establishment in 1947.
RPA manning issue
Of particular concern was the strain on airmen in support of remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) operations. RPA operations had surged nine times over an eight year period. With increased operations tempo, expiring active duty service commitments and reductions to the force, then current projections saw more RPA pilots departing than the Air Force would be able to replace via the training pipeline. Balancing Air Force ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaisance) capability with finite resources remained a top priority. James instituted a monthly incentive pay program in 2015 which was previously not permitted for RPA pilots. Pay was increased significantly to incentivize RPA pilots to remain in the program beyond their six-year commitment.
Identifying then current issues and threats
In 2015, James stated that half of the Air Force pilots were "not sufficiently ready" for a fight against an opponent with "integrated air defenses and surface-to-air missiles." This despite prior technological investments including fifth generation fighters like the
F-35
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft that is intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions. It is also able to provide ele ...
and F-22.
In addition to terrorism, James identified Russia as "the biggest threat" to U.S. national security.
Personal
Her first marriage to Maryland real estate broker and developer E. Brooke Lee Jr. ended in divorce. They had a son and a daughter.
As of this writing she is married to Frank Beatty.