Colonel MATTHEW S. CASPERS Colonel Matthew Caspers serves as the Commander and Director for the Munitions Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. He provides strategic and technical guidance to a workforce of more than 900 military, civilian, and contractor personnel leading discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting weapons technologies for the Department of the Air Force. The Munitions Directorate advances applied research for seekers, navigation and control, image processing, munitions integration, warheads, fuzing, explosives, and technology assessment methodologies. Colonel Caspers earned his commission in 2002 as a distinguished graduate from the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He graduated from the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School in June 2008 and has since served in a variety of flight test and program management assignments supporting the development, testing, and fielding of advanced aircraft weapon systems and technologies. Prior to his current assignment, he commanded at the squadron level and served as Deputy Commander, 412th Test Wing at Edwards AFB leading a wing of nearly 8,000 personnel in the test and evaluation of the KC-46, KC-135, KC-10, C-17, C-5, F-35, F22, F-16, B-21, B-1, B-2, B-52, T-7A, and RQ-4. Colonel Caspers was also responsible for base operations support for more than 19,500 active duty, reserve, civil service, and defense industrial base contractors at Edwards AFB and Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California. EDUCATION 2002 Bachelor of Science, Aeronautical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, N.Y. 2003 Aerospace Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala 2007 Master of Science, Aeronautical Engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 2008 Master of Science, Flight Test Engineering, U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, Edwards AFB, Calif 2008 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala 2014 Air Command and Staff College, by distance learning 2016 Air Force National Lab Technical Fellowship, Lawrence Livermore National Lab, Livermore, Calif 2020 Master of Science, Joint Campaign Planning and Strategy, Joint Advanced Warfighting School, Norfolk, Va ASSIGNMENTS July 2002 – September 2004, Aeronautical Systems Engineer, 82d Aerial Targets Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Fla. September 2004 – July 2005, Chief of Engineering, 82d Aerial Targets Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Fla. August 2005 – March 2007, Student, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. June 2007 – June 2008, Student, USAF Test Pilot School, Edwards AFB, Calif. July 2008 – July 2012, various duties (data masked). July 2012 – July 2015, Program Manager, Strike Systems Verification, Special Programs Division, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. July 2015 – July 2016, Fellow, Air Force National Lab Technical Fellowship, Lawrence Livermore National Lab, Livermore, Calif. July 2016 – June 2019, various duties (data masked). July 2019 – June 2020, Student, Joint Advanced Warfighting School, Norfolk, Va. July 2020 – June 2022, Technical Director, Capabilities Integration and Planning, National Security Agency, Fort Meade, Md. July 2022 – June 2024, Deputy Commander, 412th Test Wing, Edwards AFB, Calif. June 2024 – Present, Director, Air Force Research Laboratory Munitions Directorate, Eglin AFB, Fla. SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS July 2020 – June 2022, Technical Director, Capabilities Integration and Planning, National Security Agency, Fort Meade, Md, as a colonel MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit Medal Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster Air Force Commendation Medal Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION Second Lieutenant May 29, 2002 First Lieutenant May 29, 2004 Captain May 29, 2006 Major March 1, 2012 Lieutenant Colonel November 1, 2016 Colonel March 1, 2021 (Current as of June 2024)