John Ferdinand "JT" Thompson is a retired lieutenant general in the United States Air Force who last served as the commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center from May 2017 to July 2021. He entered the United States Air Force in 1984 as a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy.
Prior to assuming his current position, Thompson was commander of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. He has served in a variety of scientific, acquisition and logistics-oriented capacities, including staff assignments at Air Force Systems Command, Air Force Materiel Command, and in the office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition.
With the transition of the Space and Missile Systems Center to the new Space Systems Command and announcement of its new commander, Thompson held his retirement ceremony on July 27, 2021, with an official retirement date of August 1, 2021. He is the longest serving three-star commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center, serving for over 4 years in the post.
Thompson now serves as a member of the board of directors of the Utah State University's Space Dynamics Laboratory.
1984 Bachelor of Science, US Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.<br> 1988 Master of Science, Industrial Engineering, St. Mary's University, San Antonio, Texas<br> 1989 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.<br> 1995 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.<br> 1996 Advanced Program Management Course, Defense Systems Management College, Fort Belvoir, Va.<br> 2001 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.<br> 2006 National Security Management Course, Syracuse University, NY
1. January 1985âÂÂAugust 1987, Occupational Analyst, Air Force Occupational Measurement Center, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas<br> 2. August 1987âÂÂAugust 1988, Student, Air Force Institute of Technology, St. Mary's University, San Antonio, Texas<br> 3. August 1988âÂÂAugust 1989, Manager, International Cooperative Research and Development, Deputy Chief of Staff for Technology, Headquarters Air Force Systems Command, Andrews AFB, Md.<br> 4. August 1989âÂÂDecember 1990, Special Assistant, Deputy Chief of Staff for Technology, Headquarters Air Force Systems Command, Andrews AFB, Md.<br> 5. December 1990âÂÂJuly 1991, Action Officer, Commander's Staff Group, Headquarters Air Force Systems Command, Andrews AFB, Md.<br> 6. July 1991âÂÂJuly 1992, Action Officer, Command Integration, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command (Provisional), Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio<br> 7. July 1992âÂÂAugust 1994, Chief, Tri-Service Standoff Attack Missile Subsystems Development, TSSAM System Program Office, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio<br> 8. August 1994âÂÂJune 1995, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.<br> 9. June 1995âÂÂAugust 1996, Chief, Acquisition Management and Policy Branch, Program Integration Division, Directorate of Global Power Programs, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition), Washington, D.C.<br> 10. August 1996âÂÂNovember 1996, Student, Advanced Program Management Course, Defense Systems Management College, Fort Belvoir, Va.<br> 11. November 1996âÂÂJanuary 1998, Lead Joint Strike Fighter Program Element Monitor, Air Superiority Division, Directorate of Global Power Programs, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition), Washington, D.C.<br> 12. January 1998âÂÂJanuary 1999, Executive Officer, Directorate of Global Power Programs, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition), Washington, D.C.<br> 13. January 1999âÂÂJanuary 2000, Deputy Chief, Industrial Operations Division, Commodities Directorate, Ogden Air Logistics Center, Hill AFB, Utah<br> 14. January 2000âÂÂJuly 2000, Chief, Commodities Division, Commodities Directorate, Ogden ALC, Hill AFB, Utah<br> 15. July 2000âÂÂJuly 2001, Student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.<br> 16. July 2001âÂÂMay 2003, Chief, Air Vehicle Division, C-17 System Program Office, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio<br> 17. June 2003âÂÂFebruary 2005, Director of Propulsion, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, Tinker AFB, Okla.<br> 18. February 2005âÂÂAugust 2006, Commander, 327th Aircraft Sustainment Wing, Oklahoma City ALC, Tinker AFB, Okla.<br> 19. August 2006âÂÂNovember 2006, Deputy Director, Strategic Plans and Programs (A8), Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio<br> 20. November 2006âÂÂMarch 2009, Chief of staff, Headquarters AFMC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio<br> 21. March 2009âÂÂMarch 2010, Commander, 303rd Aeronautical Systems Wing, and Air Force Program Executive Officer for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Aeronautical Systems Center, AFMC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio<br> 22. March 2010âÂÂSeptember 2011, Air Force Program Executive Officer for Strategic Systems, Kirtland AFB, N.M.<br> 23. September 2011âÂÂJuly 2012, Deputy Program Executive Officer for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program, Arlington, Va.<br> 24. July 2012âÂÂJanuary 2013, Tanker Program Executive Officer and KC-46 Program Director, Tanker Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio<br> 25. January 2013âÂÂSeptember 2014, Air Force Program Executive Officer for Tankers, Tanker Directorate, AFLCMC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio<br> 26. October 2014âÂÂMay 2017, Commander, AFLCMC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio<br> 27. May 2017âÂÂJuly 2021, Commander, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.<br>
Thompson is the recipient of the following awards: