Michael J. Basla

Michael J. Basla served in the United States Air Force and retired at the rank of Lt. General.

A native of Syracuse, he served on active duty for nearly 36 years. His career spanned the last half of the Cold War and many years of the Global War on Terrorism. He was assigned in Germany when the Berlin Wall fell, and was stationed at the Pentagon on 9/11.

He began his career as a Communications Officer and broadened his expertise into command and control, computer systems, and space and cyberspace operations. Mr. Basla served in five operational communications units and has extensive joint experience, including a tour as Director for C4 Systems, Joint Task Force Southwest Asia in Saudi Arabia in support of the United Nations security resolution against Iraq. He served twice on the Joint Staff and held key positions. Mr. Basla also served as Vice Commander of Air Force Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado, where he assisted the Commander in organizing, equipping, training, and maintaining mission-ready nuclear, space, and cyberspace forces and capabilities for North Aerospace Defense Command, U.S. Strategic Command, and other functional and geographical combatant commands.

His last assignment was Chief, Information Dominance as the Air Force Senior Cyberspace Officer, and Chief Information Officer, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. In that capacity, he led four directorates
supporting 77,000 cyber operations and support personnel across the globe, with a portfolio valued at $17 billion.

His major awards and decorations include The Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, and Legion of Merit with one Oak Leaf Cluster. In 2021, he was inducted into the Air Force Cyberspace and Support Hall of Fame.

Since his retirement in 2014, Mr. Basla has been active in many outside endeavors. He has served on the AFCEA International Executive Board of Directors and its Cyber Committee, the national Armed Services YMCA Board of Directors, and as Honorary Chairman of Volunteers for Ukraine, an organization dedicated to providing humanitarian assistance and medical support for the victims of the war and the people of Ukraine.

Currently, he is President of the Cazenovia Memorial Association and Cazenovia Lions Club. He also has partnered with the Wounded Warrior Project and co-hosts an annual appreciation day for wounded warriors, veterans, first responders, and their families at the farm known as “The Maples” and the Madison County Distillery that he and his family  own in Cazenovia.

Mr. Basla resides in Cazenovia with Rebecca, his wife of 10 years. Mr. Basla’s first wife, Barbara, is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Together, they had four children: Sara, Beth, Marissa, and Adam.