General (Retired) Glen VanHerck

Former Commander, United States Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command

General (Retired) Glen VanHerck is Principal at Glen VanHerck Advisors, LLC, and serves as a Strategic Advisor for Red Cell Partners and DEFCON AI. Gen. VanHerck served for nearly 37 years on active duty in the United States Air Force, in multiple assignments spanning fighter, bomber, and training operations including serving as a United States Air Force Weapons School Instructor in the F-15C and the B-2A. He commanded two squadrons, an operations group, and two operational wings. He also commanded the United States Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis AFB, Nevada. Prior to his retirement from active duty, Gen. VanHerck commanded both the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and the United States Northern Command (NORTHCOM). Gen. VanHerck spent his last seven years on active duty serving in joint assignments. Prior to commanding NORAD and NORTHCOM, he served as the Director of the Joint Staff. In this role he advised the Chairman and the Joint Chiefs of Staff in their roles as advisors to the Secretary of Defense and President, served as the Joint Staff Inspector General, and led daily operations for the Joint Staff. He also served as the Vice Director of the Joint Staff and the Vice Director of Strategy, Plans, and Policy (J5). Gen. VanHerck played critical roles in the development of the 2018 National Defense Strategy, the National Military Strategy, the Missile Defense Review, Nuclear Posture Review, stand up of United States Space Command, and responses to COVID, civil unrest, and global instability. At NORAD and NORTHCOM he led the commands and the Dept of Defense in the implementation of the Global Information Dominance Experiments (GIDE) completing four events. Other joint assignments include serving as the Director, Plans and Integration, JFCC-GS, United States Strategic Command. He is a command pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours in the F-15C, F-35A, B-2A, and B-1B and an FAA licensed Airline Transport Pilot. Gen. VanHerck is a graduate of the University of Missouri and holds graduate degrees from the University of Central Missouri and the Naval War College. Gen. VanHerck has been married to his wife Marilyn since May of 1988. They have a beautiful daughter, wonderful son-in-law who serves in the U.S. Navy, and three incredible grandchildren.

Back to Team