Maj. Gen. Lyle K. Drew is the Commander, Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. The Air War College consists of the Air Force's premier officer professional military education institutions, including the Air War College, Air Command and Staff College, Squadron Officer School, the Center for Strategy and Technology, and the International Officer School. Collectively, these schools provide post-graduate intermediate and senior developmental programs focused on lethality and the advancement of the art and science of airpower and joint warfighting.
Maj. Gen. Drew was commissioned in 1994 from Purdue University’s Reserve Officer Training Corps program. He has held a variety of positions in aircraft maintenance, acquisition program management, and professional military education throughout his career, and has commanded at the squadron, group, and wing levels as well as served in key staff positions at the Major Command, Headquarters Air Force, and Joint Staff levels.
Prior to his current assignment, the general served as the Acting Director and Deputy Director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. In this role, he led the Department of Defense’s Combat Support Agency for the countering weapons of mass destruction (CWMD) mission, developing CWMD capabilities and providing strategic, operational, and tactical expertise to prevent the proliferation and reduce the effects of WMDs.
EDUCATION
1994 Bachelor of Science, Agricultural Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind.
1998 Master of Business Administration, Western New England College, Springfield, Mass.
1999 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2006 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2009 Intermediate Developmental Education, Air Force Legislative Fellow, Washington, D.C
2012 Air War College, by correspondence, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2013 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.
2019 Capitol Hill Workshop, Alan L. Freed Associates, Washington, D.C.
2022 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Kenan-Flager Business School, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
2023 Capstone, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2024 ACQ 404 Systems Acquisitions Management Course, Defense Acquisition University
2024 Advanced Senior Leader Development Seminar, Airlie Center, Warrenton, Va.
2025 Joint Flag Officer Warfighting Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS1. March 1995–July 1997, Program Manager, Military Airspace Management Systems, Communications and Airspace Systems Program Office, Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass.
2. July 1997–June 1998, Executive Officer, Global Air Traffic Operations, Mobility C2 Systems Program Office, Hanscom AFB, Mass.
3. June 1998–May 1999, OIC, Maintenance Operations Center, 412th Logistics Support Squadron, Edwards AFB, Calif.
4. January 2000–January 2001, F-16 Logistics Test Flight Commander, 412th Test Squadron, Edwards AFB, Calif.
5. January 2001–May 2002, Flight Commander, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
6. May 2002–December 2002, Executive Officer, Squadron Officer College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
7. December 2002–January 2004, Aide-de-Camp to the Commander, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
8. February 2004–April 2004, Propulsion Flight Commander, 355th Component Maintenance Squadron, Davis- Monthan AFB, Ariz.
9. April 2004–December 2004, Maintenance Operations Officer, 355th Component Maintenance Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
10. December 2004–May 2006, Maintenance Operations Officer, 355th Equipment Maintenance Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
11. June 2006–July 2008, Commander, 51st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Osan Air Base, South Korea
12. July 2008–December 2009, Intermediate Developmental Education, Defense Legislative Fellowship, Washington, D.C.
13. January 2010–June 2010, Deputy Legislative Assistant to the Chairman, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
14. June 2010–July 2011, Deputy Commander, 332nd Expeditionary Maintenance Group, Joint Base Balad, Iraq
15. August 2011–July 2012, Senior Total Force Enterprise Strategist, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Va.
16. August 2012–June 2013, Student, Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
17. June 2013–July 2015, Politico-Military Planner, Deputy Director for Global Policy and Partnerships, J5, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
18. July 2015–July 2017, Commander, 49th Maintenance Group, Holloman AFB, N.M.
19. July 2017–July 2019, Commander, 78th Air Base Wing, Robins AFB, Ga.
20. July 2019–July 2021, Director of Staff, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
21. July 2021–July 2023, Commander, 82nd Training Wing, Sheppard AFB, Texas
22. July 2023–July 2024, Director of Logistics, Civil Engineering, Force Protection, and Nuclear Integration, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command,
Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
23. July 2024–January 2025, Deputy Director, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Fort Belvoir, Va.
24. January 2025–July 2026, Acting Director, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Fort Belvoir, Va.
25. July 2026–present, Commander, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 2010–June 2010, Deputy Legislative Assistant to the Chairman, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a lieutenant colonel
2. June 2013–July 2015, Politico-Military Planner, Deputy Director for Global Policy and Partnerships, J5, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a lieutenant
colonel and colonel
3. July 24–July 26, Deputy Director and Acting Director, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Fort Belvoir, Va., as a major general
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Joint Service Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant January 20, 1995
First Lieutenant January 20, 1997
Captain, January 20, 1999
Major, May 01, 2005
Lieutenant Colonel, March 01, 2009
Colonel, June 01, 2015
Brigadier General September 02, 2021
Major General July 31, 2024
(Current as of July 2026)