Speakers

Maj. Philip “Phil” R. Duddles serves as Space Systems Command’s (SSC) Space Enterprise Consortium (SpEC) Program Manager within The Innovation and Prototyping Delta (SSC/SZI), Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.

The major leads a team for the Department of Defense's
only space consortium Other Transaction Authority (OTA), managing cost, schedule, performance, and risk on up to $13.4B in programs consisting of 101 space prototype development projects. In this role he serves as the prime liaison between industry and the DoD on innovation and prototype requirements across 15 joint mission areas to inform future defense architecture and to reduce acquisition risk of future programs of record.

Maj. Duddles received his Air Force commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps at University of South Florida in 2010. He has deployed to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, in support of operations ENDURING FREEDOM, SPARTAN SHIELD, and INHERENT RESOLVE. His staff assignments include Headquarters Combined Forces Command/United Nations Command/United States Forces Korea and Headquarters Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central). Prior to his current role, Maj. Duddles led the SSC team that managed and developed the strategic plans for multi mission Long Duration Propulsive ESPA rings (LDPE-1/2/3a), ensuring mission success for 15 hosted and separable prototyping payloads.

EDUCATION
2010 Bachelor of Arts, Business Administration, Clearwater Christian College, Clearwater, Florida
2015 Master of Business Administration, Liberty University, Lynchburg, Virginia
2015 Squadron Officer School, In-residence, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2021 Leadership Development Course, Virtual, Maxwell AFB, Alabama

ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2010 - December 2010, Missile Combat Crew Initial Qualification Training, Vandenberg AFB, California
2. December 2010 – January 2015, Missile Combat Crew, 90th Missile Wing, FE Warren AFB, Wyoming
3. January 2015 – December 2016, Project Manager, Remote Sensing Directorate, Space and Missiles Systems Command, Los Angeles AFB, California
4. December 2016 – January 2019, Program Manager, Launch Directorate, Space and Missiles Systems Command, Los Angeles AFB, California
5. January 2019 – February 2021, Air Forces Branch Chief, Operations Directorate (J3), United States Forces Korea, USAG Yongsan, Republic of Korea
6. February 2021 – February 2023, Space Prototype Principal Investigator, Development Core, Space Systems Command, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico
7. April 2022 – October 2022, Special Projects Officer, Commander’s Action Group, Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central Command), Al Udeid AB, Qatar
8. February 2023 – Present, Program Manager, Space Enterprise Consortium, Innovation and Prototyping Delta, Space Systems Command, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal (2)
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Combat Readiness Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Korean Defense Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with ‘N’ Device
Air and Space Longevity Service Award
Air and Space Training Ribbon

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant, May 14, 2010
First Lieutenant, May 23, 2012
Captain, May 23, 2014
Major, Mar 31, 2021

(Current as of April 2023)

Minh “MJ Jones” is an Executive Acquisition Consultant for SAVI LLC with 20 years of proven industry and government experience on high-visibility and complex NRO and Space Force satellite systems.  MJ is versatile in working all program phases from early acquisition strategy development to operations and sustainment.  Areas of expertise include: project/program management, satellite systems engineering, space operations and maintenance, early program acquisition, DevOps and Agile software development, space-to-ground integration, product and payload initialization and calibration.

Marcus Weisgerber is the global business editor for Defense One, where he writes about the intersection of business and national security. He has been covering defense and national security issues for more than 16 years, previously as Pentagon correspondent for Defense News and chief editor of Inside the Air Force. He has reported from Afghanistan, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia, and often travels with the defense secretary and other senior military officials. Marcus’ work has been cited by the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and many other U.S. and international publications. He has provided expert analysis on BBC, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, NPR, SiriusXM and other television and radio networks. In 2018, he won a Neal Award for his coverage of the Pentagon and defense industry. Marcus served as vice president of the Pentagon Press Association from 2015 to 2022. An avid hockey fan, Marcus earned a bachelor's degree in English/Journalism from the University of New Hampshire.