Brig. Gen. Ricky Mills is the Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs, Department of the Air Force, Arlington, Virginia. In this position, he provides oversight and guidance for U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force international policy and programs supporting national security objectives through a broad security cooperation portfolio. This portfolio includes political-military affairs, security assistance programs, technology and information disclosure, education and training, exercises, cooperative research and development, senior leader engagements and Department of the Air Force Foreign Liaison Office initiatives.
Brig. Gen. Mills assists in managing approximately 3,600 foreign military sales cases valued at nearly $275 billion and close to 400 cooperative research, development, test and evaluation agreements valued at over $90 billion. Additionally, he chairs the Foreign Area Officer developmental team, managing more than 400 U.S. Air Force FAOs serving in over 100 countries, as well as close to 300 military exchange Airmen and Guardians in 40 partner nations.
Brig. Gen. Mills entered the Air Force in 1995 as a graduate of the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Texas A&M University. He is a career Intelligence Officer with extensive operational and combat experience. He also served on various staff assignments at the major command and combatant command levels. Brig. Gen. Mills’ staff assignments include the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Headquarters Air Force, and Air Combat Command. Brig. Gen. Mills has 1,497 combat hours including over 200 combat sorties on various aircraft to include the RC-135, P-3, RC-26, U-28 and C-208.
Prior to his current position, Brig. Gen. Mills served as the Director of Intelligence, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.
EDUCATION
1994 Bachelor of Business Administration, Management, Texas A&M University, College Station
1995 Intelligence Officer Course, Distinguished Graduate, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas
2000 Squadron Officer School, Distinguished Graduate, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2003 Master of Arts, Organizational Management, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
2007 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2009 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2013 Master of Strategic Studies, U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.
2017 Executive Leadership Seminar, University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School, Chapel Hill
2023 Leadership Development Program, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1995–March 1996, Student, Intelligence Officer Training, 315th Training Squadron, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas
2. March 1996–February 1998, Watch Officer, 301st Intelligence Squadron, Misawa Air Base, Japan
3. April 1998–April 1999, Chief of Intelligence, 35th Fighter Squadron, Kunsan AB, Republic of Korea
4. April 1999–April 2001, Executive Officer to Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters Allied Air Forces Southern Europe, Naples, Italy
5. June 2001–June 2002, Chief, Theater Missile Operations, 607th Combat Operations Squadron, Osan AB, Republic of Korea
6. June 2002–June 2003, Air Force Intern, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
7. September 2003–September 2005, Assistant Director of Operations, 488th Intelligence Squadron, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom
8. October 2005–August 2007, Chief, Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Operations Branch, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va.
9. August 2007–June 2009, Director of Operations, Data Masked
10. June 2009–July 2011, Commander, 390th Intelligence Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan
11. August 2011–June 2012, Executive Officer to Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, HAF, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
12. July 2012–June 2013, Student, U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa.
13. July 2013–June 2015, Deputy Chief, Strategy Division and Chief, Strategy Division, U.S. Pacific Command Joint Intelligence Operations Center, Camp Smith, Hawaii
14. June 2015–July 2017, Commander, 707th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group, Fort George G. Meade, Md.
15. July 2017–August 2019, Commander, 17th Training Wing, Goodfellow AFB, Texas
16. August 2019–June 2021, Commandant, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
17. June 2021–June 2024, Director of Intelligence, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb.
18. June 2024–present, Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs, Department of the Air Force, Arlington, Va.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2013–June 2015, Deputy Chief, Strategy Division and Chief, Strategy Division, U.S. Pacific Command Joint Intelligence Operations Center, Camp Smith, Hawaii, as a lieutenant colonel and colonel
2. June 2021–June 2024, Director of Intelligence, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., as a colonel and brigadier general
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with silver oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with silver oak leaf cluster and three oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with bronze star
Iraq Campaign Medal with bronze star
(Current as of July 2024)