New CIO taking over at Air Force
Lt. Gen. Bradford Shwedo is set to take over as CIO of the Air Force, a spokesperson told FedScoop.
Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis appointed Shwedo to the lieutenant general rank and roles of chief of information dominance and CIO in the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force in April.
Shwedo’s first day in the office will be Friday, the spokesperson said.
Prior to this appointment, Shwedo served as commander of the 25th Air Force at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, which delivers “multisource intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance products, applications, capabilities and resources” and “conduct electronic warfare; strategic command and control; and they integrate cyber ISR teams and expertise into the country’s cyber mission forces,” according to his biography.
He replaces longtime Air Force CIO Lt. Gen. Bill Bender, who announced earlier this year his intent to retire.
In an interview with FedScoop, Bender detailed the evolution of his role and the challenges his eventual replacement would face.
“The role of the CIO has become much more prominent by virtue of the fast-changing, information-everything type of world. And I think that transition had happened already on the outside, in industry, but it was a little bit slower coming along in government,” he told FedScoop. “But in my two-plus years in the job it’s significantly more pronounced, in terms of being a part of a lot of discussions.”
