Larry O. Spencer
General, U.S. Air Force
Vice Chief of Staff

Larry O. Spencer was born in Washington, DC. He later moved with his family to Seat Pleasant, MD, a suburb just outside Washington, DC. Spencer attended Central High School in Prince George's County, MD, where he participated in academic and varsity sports programs that helped him develop leadership and personal discipline. Later, he attended Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering Technology in 1979. Spencer was a distinguished graduate of the Air Force's Officer Training School at Lackland Air Force Base, TX, in 1980 and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant upon graduation.

Military Career

Spencer's first three year assignment as an Air Force officer was as a Cost Analyst for the Air Force Reserve Command at Robins Air Force Base, GA, in 1980. During that tour, he served as Chief of the Headquarters Cost Analysis Branch. In 1982, he was transferred to the Pentagon where he served on the Air Staff for four years; first as a Cost Analyst and then a Budget Officer.

In August 1986, Captain Spencer was reassigned to Military Airlift Command Headquarters at Scott AFB, Illinois. During his three years there, he was first a Budget Officer and then an Executive Officer. He attended the Marine Corps Command and Staff College in Quantico, VA, from July 1989 until January 1990. Now a Major, after graduating from that College he was appointed to his first command; Commander of the 4th Comptroller Squadron at Seymour Johnson AFB, NC, for three years. While he was Commander, the 4th Comptroller Squadron was selected as the best comptroller unit in the Air Force, first in 1991 and then again in 1992. This was the first time a comptroller squadron had received best in the Air Force recognition two years in a row.

Spencer was selected to attend the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, DC, in August 1993 and he received a Master of Science degree from the college in June 1994. An assignment to the White House Military Office followed, where he was the first Air Force officer to serve as Assistant Chief of Staff. Lieutenant Colonel Spencer was then selected for group command. He served as Commander of the 72nd Support Group at Tinker AFB, OK, from August 1996 to January 1998, and was promoted to Colonel during that assignment. As a result of his successful tour as a group commander, Spencer was selected for a wing command. He took command of the 75th Air Base Wing at Hill AFB, UT, serving there from February 1998 until July 1999. His next assignment was at Headquarters Air Combat Command at Langley AFB, VA, where he served as the Command's Comptroller from September 1999 until June 2003.

Colonel Spencer was transferred to Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, in June 2003, where he became Director of Mission Support at Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command. In this role, Spencer was responsible for overseeing installation support for the command. This included civil engineering, communications, force protection, base morale, and welfare services. These functions supported daily operations at 10 installations across the United States.

Flag Rank Assignments

Spencer was promoted to Brigadier General on 1 July 2004. In August 2005, he was transferred to the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center at Tinker AFB, where he served as the Center's Vice Commander for one year.

In August 2006, Spencer returned to the Pentagon to serve as Director of Budget Operations and Personnel in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller. In August 2007, he was promoted to Major General. He became the Air Force's Deputy Assistant Secretary for Budget in October of that year. During his tour as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Budget, Spencer received the Eugene M. Zuckert Management Award. The award cited his leadership in developing the President's 2008 budget and his work to secure the 2007 and 2008 supplemental appropriations needed to fund war operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. During this period, Spencer also served on the boards of directors of the Army and Air Force Exchange Service and the Air Force Aid Society.

Spencer was promoted to Lieutenant General in April 2010, prior to moving to the Pentagon's Joint Staff as Director of Force Structure, Resources and Assessment (also known as "J8"). In this position, he was responsible for overseeing the developing of defense weapon systems, conducting studies and analysis of military force structure and requirements, and evaluating military programs and resourcing strategies for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Spencer also served as Chairman of the Joint Capabilities Board and Secretary for the Joint Requirements Oversight Council. In 2010, US Black Engineer and Information Technology Magazine honored Spencer with the Black Engineer of the Year Career Achievement in Government Award.

On 11 May 2012, Spencer was nominated by the President for promotion to General with a recommendation for appointment as Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force. The U.S. Senate confirmed his nomination and appointment as Vice Chief on 24 May 2012. His promotion to the four-star rank of General was effective 27 July 2012, the same day he assumed the duties of Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force. As Vice Chief of Staff, Spencer directs the Air Staff and is the Air Force's representative on the Joint Requirements Oversight Council and several other joint service boards. He also assists the Chief of Staff of the Air Force with the organizing, training, and equipping of 690,000 active-duty, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve, and civilian personnel who make up the U.S. Air Force.

Education

• 1979 Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering Technology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL.
• 1980 Officer Training School (distinguished graduate), Lackland AFB, TX.
• 1983 Squadron Officer School (distinguished graduate), Maxwell AFB, AL.
• 1987 Master of Science in Business Management, Webster College, St. Louis, MO.
• 1990 Marine Corps Command and Staff College, Quantico, VA.
• 1994 Master of Science in Resource Strategy (distinguished graduate), Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, DC.
• 2005 Logistics Technology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC.
• 2005 Black Sea Region Seminar, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
• 2007 Systems Acquisition Management Course, Defense Acquisition University, Fort Belvoir, VA.
• 2011 Pinnacle, Joint, Coalition and Interagency Studies Program, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, DC.

Assignments

• February 1980 - July 1982, Chief, Cost Analysis Branch, Headquarters Air Force Reserve, Robins AFB, GA.
• July 1982 - August 1986, cost and budget officer, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, DC.
• August 1986 - July 1989, budget officer and executive officer, Headquarters Military Airlift Command, Scott AFB, IL.
• July 1989 - June 1990, student, Marine Corps Command and Staff College, Quantico, VA.
• June 1990 - August 1993, commander, 4th Comptroller Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, NC.
• August 1993 - June 1994, student and research fellow, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, DC.
• June 1994 - August 1996, assistant chief of staff, White House Military Office, Washington, DC.
• August 1996 - January 1998, commander, 72nd Support Group, Tinker AFB, OK.
• February 1998 - July 1999, commander, 75th Air Base Wing, Hill AFB, UT.
• September 1999 - June 2003, command comptroller, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, VA.
• June 2003 - August 2005, director of mission support, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH.
• August 2005 - August 2006, vice director, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, Tinker AFB, OK.
• August 2006 - October 2007, director of budget operations and personnel, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller, Pentagon, Washington, DC.
• October 2007 - March 2010, deputy assistant secretary for budget, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller, Pentagon, Washington, DC.
• April 2010 - July 2012, director of force structure, resources and assessments, Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington, DC.
• July 2012 - present, Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, DC.

Medals, Awards and Badges

Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Air Force Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with Two Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
Meritorious Service Medal with Four Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
Air Force Recognition Ribbon with One Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster

Master Acquisition and Financial Management Badge
Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
Headquarters Air Force Badge

Dates of Promotion

Second Lieutenant - 14 February 1980
First Lieutenant - 14 February 1982
Captain - 14 February 1984
Major - 1 December 1988
Lieutenant Colonel - 1 April 1992
Colonel - 1 January 1998
Brigadier General - 1 July 2004
Major General - 29 August 2007
Lieutenant General - 3 April 2010
General - 27 July 2012