- AFRL has welcomed Brig. Gen. Douglas Wickert as its new commander
- Wickert succeeded Brig. Gen. Jason Bartolomei during a change of command ceremony
- The 2026 Air and Space Summit will explore AI, commercial space relay and more
Brig. Gen. Douglas Wickert assumed command of the Air Force Research Laboratory during a ceremony held Wednesday at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.
The leadership transition at AFRL marks the next chapter for the service’s science and technology organization as it continues to advance research and innovation priorities. As the defense community focuses on emerging technologies and future mission requirements, government and industry leaders will gather at the 2026 Air and Space Summit on July 30 to discuss artificial intelligence and machine learning, interoperable optical networks, commercial space relay and other key topics. Save your seat now!
Lt. Gen. Linda Hurry, commander of Air Force Materiel Command, or AFMC, presided over the event, where Wickert officially assumed leadership of AFRL from Brig. Gen. Jason Bartolomei.
Bartolomei, who assumed leadership of AFRL in 2024, retired after 29 years of military service. Under his leadership, AFRL expanded collaboration with industry, academia and government partners while advancing science and technology initiatives.
Who Is Brig. Gen. Douglas Wickert?
Wickert is a command pilot with more than 2,000 flight hours in over 40 aircraft. He is a U.S. Air Force Academy and U.S. Naval Test Pilot School graduate with advanced engineering degrees from MIT and a doctorate from the Air Force Institute of Technology.
He most recently served as director of air, space and cyberspace operations at AFMC, where he managed resources, policy and infrastructure supporting cyber, operational and test capabilities across the command. Before this position, he was commander of the 412th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
Wickert brings to AFRL his acquisition, test and evaluation, operational flying, and leadership experience.
During remarks at the ceremony, Wickert emphasized the role of science and technology in supporting future warfighting capabilities and preserving national security.
“The best way to predict the future is to invent it. The best way to win the future is to invent it. If we are to preserve the peace of the world in this pivotal decade, our science and technology enterprise must answer that same call again,” Wickert said. “It is our turn to discover, it is our turn to develop, it is our turn to deliver, and together our turn to win the future.”
What Is AFRL?
AFRL serves as the Department of the Air Force’s key scientific research and development center that leads the discovery, development and delivery of technologies for air, space and multidomain operations. The laboratory’s workforce supports seven mission areas across more than 40 locations worldwide.
Under Bartolomei’s leadership, AFRL announced an organizational restructuring to align its research enterprise with mission priorities and accelerate the delivery of warfighting capabilities.
