Mr. Howard Strahan Jr. is the Deputy Director, SOF AT&L Science and Technology Directorate for the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. He is responsible for supporting the Director in the execution of Command Research and Development activities and has over 30 years of Federal Service.

Mr. Strahan’s career began in 1989 designing Signal Intelligence (SIGINT), Communication Jamming Trainers, and Communication Security (COMSEC) platforms for the United States Air Force Air Intelligence Agency. He then worked in Europe conducting open source science and technology reporting for the United States Army Material Command, Science and Technology Center – Europe. He was the technical director of the Consolidated SIGINT Support Activity (CSSA) and was the program manager for the Airborne and Ground Support Depot for the Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC). Mr. Strahan was then promoted to the Chief Engineer for the 77 Aeronautical Systems Group, 77 Aeronautical Systems Wing, providing technical oversight and having operational suitability, safety, and effectiveness (OSS&E) responsibility for the development and sustainment of all USAF Aircrew Protection Equipment, Aeromedical Evacuation Equipment, and Chemical/Biological Defense Equipment. In 2008, Mr. Strahan moved to MacDill AFB, Florida, USSOCOM SOAL –T (now known as SOF AT&L-ST) where he executed BA2 and BA3 funds in support of Bio-Medical, Optics, and Weapons research which soon led to his role as Strategic Engagement Lead for SOF AT&L-ST where he provided outside agency outreach and discovery in support of the Applied Research and Advanced Technology Development funding to USSOCOM capability gaps, and has also provided technical leadership to the programs executing in these critical areas.

Mr. Strahan has a Master’s of Business Administration in Aerospace Defense degree from the University of Tennessee, a Mechanical Engineering Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University, possesses a Level III acquisition certified in Systems Planning, Research, Development and Engineering, and a current member of the Air Force Acquisition Corps.