Lieutenant General Joseph ‘Gus” Guastella retired from the United States Air Force in August 2021 after a 35-year career, serving most recently as the Headquarters Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations from Aug 2020 to June 2022. In that role, he lead the development and implementation of policy directly supporting global operations, force management, training and readiness across air, space and cyber fields. He represented the Air Force at Joint Staff-led Tank and Ops Deputy sessions. Prior to that assignment, Lt Gen Guastella was the Air Component Commander, CFACC, in the CENTCOM AOR from August 2018-July 2020
Lt Gen Guastella commanded the 455 AEW in Bagram Afghanistan from July 2012- July 2013. His staff assignments as a general officer include Deputy Director of Strategic Plans and Programs, A8, Headquarters USAF; Deputy Director of Requirements, J8, Joint Staff, Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations and Intelligence, NATO SHAPE; and Director of Integrated Air, Space, Cyberspace and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance USAF Space Command.
Lt Gen Guastella is a command pilot with more than 4,000 flight hours in the F-16 and A-10. He has served multiple combat tours and instructed at the U.S. Air Force Fighter Weapons School.
Guastella is a 1987 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and earned Master’s Degrees from the Air Command & Staff College and the National War College.
In addition to serving as a Senior Fellow for CAPSTONE and the Mitchell Institute, Guastella also serves on the following boards:
-Advisory Board, Capella Space, Federal
-Advisory Board, Netcentrics