Prior to his retirement, as Commander of the AF Materiel Command, in Jan 2009, General Carlson was responsible for all US Air Force (“AF”) science & technology research efforts, AF acquisition personnel, AF flight developmental testing and worldwide sustainment of all AF aircraft, communications, computer and weapons systems, including supply chain management and depot & contractor support. He managed an annual operating budget in excess of $7 billion, and his command annually executed $50 billion of additional AF funding. General Carlson served as Vice Commander for a new one-of-a-kind Air Force composite fighter and bomber wing, where he directed the activation of a 3500-person, 74-aircraft organization and oversaw its manning, staffing and directed new construction, finance and training for this diverse combat-ready organization. He then returned to the Pentagon to serve as principal military advisor to the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and then Deputy Secretary of Defense, Dr. John Deutch. He was responsible for coordination of critical national security matters with the Joint Staff, Secretary of Defense and White House Staff. He later served as principle Joint Staff advisor to the Secretary of Defense on the 2001 Quadrennial Defense Review and authored financial options for the first wartime Congressional Supplemental ($38 billion in less than 24 hours) in wake of 9/11 attacks on the United States. Prior to assuming his last AF position, General Carlson left the Pentagon to serve as commander of the AF’s Eighth Air Force where he commanded all AF nuclear and conventional bomber forces and the AF’s intelligence gathering and processing capability. While in command he successfully created the Air Force’s Information Operations management organization. Following his retirement from active duty, General Carlson was asked by the Obama Administration to serve as the seventeenth director of the National Reconnaissance Office. He served from July 2009 through July 2012 providing direction and leadership on the development, construction, launch, and operation the United States’ reconnaissance satellite constellation. He served as a member of the Boards of Directors at Lockheed Martin Corporation from July 2015 to May 2025 and The Benchmark Corporation from July 2017 to October 2021. He currently serves as chairman of Utah State’s Space Dynamics Laboratory Board of Directors. Carlson’s military awards and decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Air Force Distinguished Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Air Force ROTC Distinguished Alumni Award, the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Award, the DoD Medal for Distinguished Public Service, the James V. Hartinger Award for Distinguished Service in the Field of Military Space, and the Order of the Sword, Air Force Materiel Command.