Brig. Gen. Douglas P. Wickert is Commander of the 412th Test Wing at Edwards AFB, Calif. He leads a wing of nearly 8,000 personnel in the developmental test and evaluation of the KC-46, KC-135, KC-10, C-17, C-5, F-35, F-22, F-16, B-21, B-1, B-2, B-52, eT-7A, RQ-4 and emerging technologies. Additionally, Brig. Gen. Wickert is the Installation Commander responsible for base operations support for more than 19,500 active duty, reserve, civil service, and defense industrial base contractors at the second largest base in the U.S. Air Force, and Operating Location Plant 42 in Palmdale, California.
Brig. Gen. Wickert was commissioned in 1995 as a distinguished graduate from the U.S. Air Force Academy. He is a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and holds advanced engineering degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT). He has commanded at multiple levels and served in a variety of technology development and program management assignments. Prior to his current assignment, Brig. Gen. Wickert was Permanent Professor and Head, Department of Aeronautics, and the Chair of the Engineering Division at the U.S. Air Force Academy.
EDUCATION
1995 Bachelor of Science, Astronautical Engineering and Mathematics, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Spring, Colo.
1997 Master of Science, Aeronautics and Astronautics, MIT, Cambridge, Mass
2000 Squadron Officer school, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2004 U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, Patuxent River NAS, Md.
2008 Air Command and Staff College, AFIT, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
2009 Doctor of Aeronautical Engineering, AFIT, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
2016 Master of National Resource Strategy, Eisenhower School, National Defense University, Fort McNair, Washington D.C.
2016 Senior Acquisition Course, Defense Acquisition University, National Defense University, Fort McNair, Washington D.C.
2018 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1995 – June 1997, Student, MIT, Cambridge, Mass.
2. June 1997 – November 1998, Student, Joint Specialize Undergraduate Pilot Training, Vance Air Force Base, Okla.
3. December 1998 – August 1999, Student, F-16, Luke AFB, Ariz.
4. September 1999 – November 2001, F-16 Pilot, Hill AFB, Utah
5. November 2001 – May 2003, F-16 Instructor Pilot, Osan Air Base, South Korea
6. June 2003 – June 2004, Student, U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, Patuxent River NAS, Md.
7. June 2004 – July 2006, Instructor/Evaluator Test Pilot, Eglin AFB, Fla.
8. August 2006 – September 2009, Doctoral Candidate, A.F. Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
9. September 2009 – December 2009, Service Chief Fellow, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Va.
10. January 2010 – July 2012, F-35 Special Programs Test and Integration Lead, Arlington, Va.
11. July 2012 – August 2015, Squadron Commander (data masked)
12. August 2015 – June 2016, Student, Eisenhower School, National Defense Univ., Fort McNair Washington D.C.
13. July 2016 – July 2018, Operations Group Commander (data masked)
14. August 2018 – June 2019, Division Chief, Policy, Programs and Resources, Pentagon, Washington D.C.
15. July 2019 – August 2023, Permanent Professor and Head, Department of Aeronautics, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.
16. August 2023 – present, Commander, 412th Test Wing, Edwards AFB, Calif.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: more than 2,000 hours
Aircraft flown: F-16, F-35, F-117 and 40+ other aircraft
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Combat Readiness Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 1, 1995
First Lieutenant June 1, 1997
Captain June 1, 1999
Major July 1, 2005
Lieutenant Colonel May 1, 2010
Colonel May 1, 2016
Brigadier General October 30, 2024
(Current as of October 2024)
Brig. Gen. Douglas P. Wickert is the Commander of the 412th Test Wing, Edwards Air Force Base, California.