Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has announced that President Biden will nominate Maj. Gen. Leah G. Lauderback to become the Air Force’s next deputy chief of staff, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), and cyber effects operations.
Lauderback is currently serving as the deputy chief of space operations for intelligence, at the U.S. Space Force’s Office of the Chief of Space Operations.
Previously, she served as the senior military assistant to the under secretary of defense for intelligence, and led as the director of intelligence for the Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, Southwest Asia.
If her nomination is confirmed by the Senate, Lauderback will take over for Lt. Gen. Mary O’Brien, who served in the ISR, cyber effects position since 2019.
In April, O’Brien was tapped to serve as the chief information officer for the J-6 Joint Staff and director for the J-6 command, control, communications, and computers/cyber. She also served as the director of intelligence for United States Cyber Command from 2015 to 2017 while holding the rank of brigadier general.
