Lieutenant General Robert Elder (USAF, retired) joined the research faculty at George Mason University following his retirement from the Air Force. As the Commander of 8th Air Force and U.S. Strategic Command’s Global Strike Component he was responsible for nine wings and one direct reporting unit with 270 aircraft and 41,000 active duty, civilian, and reserve personnel. General Elder was the first commander of Air Force Network Operations and led the development of the cyberspace mission for the Air Force. He possesses combat experience as an air operations center commander with 83 combat flying hours and has held senior staff positions in Washington, Europe, and the Middle East. General Elder served as the Commandant of the Air War College, and holds a doctorate in engineering from the University of Detroit.