Lt Col Michael Yaguchi, USAF (Ret)

Executive Director

Mr. Yaguchi was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force as a medical service specialist in 1978. In 1985, he received a B.S. in Biology (Cell and Molecular) from the University of Washington, Seattle Washington. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force after graduating from Officer Training School in 1986.

Following missile combat crew training at Vandenberg AFB, CA, he was assigned to the 321st Strategic Missile Wing, Grand Forks AFB, ND. His operational missile assignments include combat crew duty, instructor, flight commander, emergency war order training officer, and assistant chief of operations plans. Upon completion of this assignment in 1992, he was transferred to Headquarters U.S. Strategic Command, and served as an ICBM Target Programs Officer, ICBM Employment Officer, Executive Protocol Officer, and Warning Systems Controller.

In 1998, he attended Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL and graduated in 1999 with a Master of Military Operational Art and Science. Following graduation, he attended the Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, VA.

In 1999, he was assigned to the Defense Threat Reduction Agency as a Mission Commander where he led joint service military and civilian on-site inspection teams conducting highly intrusive inspections of former Soviet Union (FSU) air-, sea-, and ground-based nuclear forces under the auspices of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) and Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. He also served as the official U.S. Government representative during FSU on-site inspections of U.S strategic nuclear facilities.

In 2001, he transferred to Headquarters, U.S. Forces, Japan (USFJ) and served on the personal staff of the Commander, USFJ and Fifth Air Force as the Chief of Protocol. He returned to the U.S. in 2004 and assumed duties as the Executive Officer to the Director of the On-Site Inspection Directorate, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Ft. Belvoir, VA.

In February 2006, Mr. Yaguchi retired from the U.S. Air Force. He accepted a position supporting the Joint Staff to help develop a new nuclear arms control treaty with the Russian Federation.  In May 2008, he accepted a federal position in OSD Policy, and assumed his present dutty as Director of Nuclear Policy in April 2009.