BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY : AFRICAN AMERICAN " MAJOR GENERAL ROOSEVELT MERCER Jr " IS THE DIRECTOR OF PLANS AND POLICY, UNITED STATES STRATEGIC COMMAND : GOES INTO THE " HALL OF BLACK GENIUS "

             BLACK   SOCIAL   HISTORY                                                                                                                  

Roosevelt Mercer, Jr

Roosevelt Mercer Jr.
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Air Force
Years of service	1975–present
Rank	Major General
Commands held	81st Training Wing 30th Space Wing
Awards	Defense Superior Service Medal(2) Legion of Merit(2) Defense Meritorious Service Medal Meritorious Service Medal(5) Air Force Commendation Medal

Maj. Gen. Roosevelt Mercer Jr. is the Director of Plans and Policy, United States Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base,Nebraska. He is directly responsible to the Commander, USSTRATCOM, for the development and implementation of national security policy and guidance, military strategy and guidance, space and weapons employment concepts and policy, and joint doctrine as they apply to the command and the execution of its missions. He is also responsible for the development of the nation's strategic war plan, strategic support plans for theater combatant commanders, and contingency planning for the Global Strike mission.

General Mercer is a 1975 graduate of the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington, and a distinguished graduate of its ROTC program. The general has commanded an ICBM operations squadron and operations group in North Dakota, as well as a spacelift logistics group in Florida. In addition, he commanded a space wing in California responsible for both satellite and ballistic missile test launch operations, followed by a training wing in Air Education and Training Command. The general also served as Vice Director of Plans, U.S. Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.; Deputy Director of Operations, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB; and as the Commandant, Joint Forces Staff College, National Defense University, Norfolk, Virginia.

Prior to assuming his current position, General Mercer was the Director of Combat and Information Operations, Global Operations Directorate, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB.

Education[

• 1975 Bachelor of Arts degree in urban planning, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, Wash.
• 1982 Distinguished graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
• 1985 Master of Science degree in counseling, University of Oklahoma, Norman
• 1986 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
• 1995 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
• 1997 Senior Executives in National Security Course, Syracuse University, N.Y.
• 2001 Capstone, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
• 2002 Senior Executives in National and International Security Course, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Boston, Mass.
• 2007 Leadership in Crisis: Preparation and Performance Course, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.

Assignments

• 1. October 1975 - January 1976, student, Titan II missile combat crew training, Sheppard AFB, Texas
• 2. February 1976 - March 1976, student, Titan II initial qualification training, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
• 3. April 1976 - January 1980, combat missile crew member, 381st Strategic Missile Wing, McConnell AFB, Kan.
• 4. February 1980 - September 1981, instructor, 4315th Combat Crew Training Squadron, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
• 5. October 1981 - May 1983, Assistant Chief of Protocol, 1st Strategic Aerospace Division, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
• 6. June 1983 - July 1985, Chief of Missile Career Development, Directorate of Assignments, Headquarters Strategic Air Command, Offutt AFB, Neb.
• 7. July 1985 - June 1986, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
• 8. June 1986 - December 1987, Chief of Congressional Affairs, Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
• 9. January 1988 - July 1989, executive officer, Directorate of Personnel Plans, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
• 10. July 1989 - July 1991, Commander, 447th Strategic Missile Squadron, Grand Forks AFB, N.D.
• 11. July 1991 - February 1992, Deputy Group Commander, 321st Maintenance Group, Grand Forks AFB, N.D.
• 12. February 1992 - June 1994, Chief, Nuclear Division, Directorate of Plans and Policy, Headquarters United States European Command, Stuttgart, Germany
• 13. June 1994 - June 1995, student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
• 14. June 1995 - July 1996, Commander, 45th Logistics Group, Patrick AFB, Fla.
• 15. July 1996 - January 1998, Commander, 91st Operations Group, Minot AFB, N.D.
• 16. January 1998 - May 1998, Vice Commander, 91st Space Wing, Minot AFB, N.D.
• 17. June 1998 - June 1999, Commander, 30th Space Wing, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
• 18. July 1999 - April 2000, Vice Director of Plans, Directorate of Plans, Headquarters U.S. Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
• 19. May 2000 - August 2000, Deputy Director of Operations, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
• 20. September 2000 - May 2002, Commander, 81st Training Wing, Keesler AFB, Miss.
• 21. May 2002 - January 2003, Commandant, Joint Forces Staff College, National Defense University, Norfolk, Va.
• 22. January 2003 - June 2005, Director of Plans and Programs, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
• 23. June 2005 - June 2006, Director of Combat and Information Operations, Global Operations Directorate, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb.
• 24. June 2006–present, Director of Plans and Policy, USSTRATCOM, Offutt AFB, Neb.

Badges

Master Missile Operations Badge Master Space Badge Weapon systems: Titan II and Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles; Delta, Atlas, Titan II and Titan IV launch vehicles; Eastern Range and Western Range optics, radar, telemetry and command destruct systems

Other achievements

Roy Wilkins Renown Service Award, NAACP Jaycees' Outstanding Young Man of America Tribute before the U.S. Senate, Congressional Record, Vol. 148, 2002

Effective dates of promotion

Second Lieutenant June 4, 1975
First Lieutenant October 2, 1977
Captain October 2, 1979
Major May 1, 1985
Lieutenant Colonel June 1, 1989
Colonel January 1, 1993
Brigadier General October 1, 2000
Major General January 1, 2005