DR. KELLY D. HAMMETT Dr. Kelly Hammett, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Executive Director, Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. He advises the AFNWC commander in managing all aspects of the center’s mission to acquire, sustain and modernize our nuclear arsenal to maintain an effective nuclear deterrent that safeguards the United States, assures allies and deters adversaries. The center is responsible for the lifecycle management of nuclear weapons systems supporting two legs of the nation’s nuclear triad, including intercontinental ballistic missiles, air-launched cruise missiles, gravity bombs; and nuclear command, control and communication systems. He was commissioned as an Air Force second lieutenant in 1988 through the ROTC program at the University of Oklahoma in Norman. His 20-year active-duty career spanned a variety of positions, mainly focused on the development and acquisition of directed energy weapon systems. His civil-service career started at Kirtland AFB, where he served in various positions, including as the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Director of Directed Energy Directorate, where he led more than 30 science and technology programs valued at over $300 million. Dr. Hammett has held multiple critical acquisition positions over the last 20 years. He was directly responsible for the development and flighting test of more than 10 first-of-their-kind, world-record-setting directed energy technologies. He led more than 30 successful field demonstrations of optical and directed energy technologies for space surveillance, missile defense, force protection, air superiority and global precision attack mission needs. He published more than 14 technical papers in national and international journals and conference proceedings. Prior to this position, he was dual-hatted as the Director and Program Executive Officer for the Space Rapid Capabilities Office, Kirtland AFB. EDUCATION 1988 Bachelor of Science, Aerospace Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman 1991 Master of Science, Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 1993 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. 1997 Doctor of Philosophy, Optimal and Nonlinear Control and Estimation Theory, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 2001 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence 2003 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence CAREER CHRONOLOGY January 1989–August 1991, Research Fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge August 1991–September 1993, Ballistic Missile Engineer, National Air Intelligence Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio September 1993–August 1994, Stability and Control Engineer, Wright Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio August 1994–July 1997, Doctoral Student, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio July 1997–July 2000, Chief, Test Operations and Analysis Branch, Optical Systems Surveillance System Program Office, Data Masked July 2000–May 2003, Chief, Beam Control and Fire Control Branch, Airborne Laser System Program, Kirtland AFB, N.M. May 2003–September 2005, Commander and Chief Engineer, Detachment 15, Air Force Research Laboratory, Maui, Hawaii October 2005–July 2008, Chief, Adjunct Missions Division, Airborne Laser Program, Kirtland AFB, N.M. July 2008–February 2009, Director of Engineering, Airborne Laser Program, Kirtland AFB, N.M. April 2009–retired from active duty and entered government civil service February 2009–January 2012, Chief Engineer, Optics Division, Directed Energy Directorate, AFRL, Kirtland AFB, N.M. January 2012–March 2016, Chief Engineer, Directed Energy Directorate, AFRL, Kirtland AFB, N.M. March 2016–June 2022, Director, Directed Energy Directorate, AFRL, Kirtland AFB, N.M. June 2022–June 2026, Director and Program Executive Officer, Space Rapid Capabilities Office, Kirtland AFB, N.M. June 2026-present, Executive Director, Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Kirtland AFB, N.M. MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS 1988 Outstanding Senior and Distinguished Graduate, University of Oklahoma 1993 Squadron Outstanding Graduate and Chief of Staff Flight, Squadron Officer School 1994 Air Force Office of Scientific Research Star Team Member, Air Force Research Laboratory 2001 Technical Management Team Award, Air Force Materiel Command 2004 Directed Energy Special Recognition Award, Air Force Research Laboratory 2011 Scientific and Technical Team of the Year, Air Force Research Laboratory PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS Tau Beta Pi Sigma Gamma Tau Fellow, Directed Energy Professional Society (Current as of June 2026)