Jesse Citizen

In August 2007, Mr. Jesse Citizen became the Director of the Modeling and Simulation Coordination Office (M&SCO), where he leverages his broad understanding of DoD missions, professional military operations, and modeling and simulation (M&S). Prior to assuming his role as the M&SCO Director, Mr. Citizen was an Air Force officer completing over 33 years of service. His last military position was Chief, Modeling and Simulation Policy Division, in the U.S. Air Force Headquarters, Washington DC, where he was responsible for developing all modeling and simulation policy for the Air Force and providing oversight for all Air Force centrally-managed M&S programs.

Originally from Beaumont, Texas, Mr. Citizen enlisted in the US Air Force in 1973, and commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force in 1979 after graduating from Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, Texas. He has an extensive civilian and professional military education, and an operational and technical background. He completed three Masters Degrees, the Marine Command and Staff College, Air Command and Staff College, attendance at the prestigious Air War College, and recently completed course work toward a doctoral of business administration. Mr. Citizen has held a wide variety of operational positions including Air Battle Manager within the North American Air Defense system Tactical Air Control System and over 1700 hours onboard the NATO Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS).

His international experience includes Chief of the Air Command and Control Interoperability Section at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), now Allied Command Operations, where he oversaw the development of political-military policy and operational requirements for NATO Air Command and Control System. In addition, Mr. Citizen served as the military assistant to the Air Force Chief Information Officer, readiness evaluator and military assistant to the DOD Inspector General, and Chief, Tactical Control Systems Integrations, Plans and Programs Directorate, Headquarters Air Force.

Mr. Citizen works closely with the Department’s coalition partners in the areas of existing and emerging M&S science and technology. Mr. Citizen, among the past chairpersons of the NATO Modelling and Simulation Group (NMSG), continues to support the NMSG. The NMSG mission is to promote cooperation among Alliance bodies, NATO Member Nations and PfP Nations to maximize the effective utilization of M&S. Since, 2009, he also serves as Chair, Technical Panel 2, The Technical Cooperation Program (TTCP).

This background in Defense, combined with Mr. Citizen’s role as a consultant supporting M&S activities in Department’s military training program, provides him a deep appreciation for the direct benefits of M&S toward achieving the Department’s missions, operations, and supporting Warfighters to our global partners.