Lieutenant General Scott Howell retired from the United States Air Force in August 2021 after a 34- year career during which he held a variety of leadership positions, including most recently as commander of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), Fort Bragg, North Carolina, from July 2018 to June 2021.

In his role at JSOC, Lt Gen Howell oversaw military operations across multiple theaters, and was responsible for the readiness and mission execution of highly-specialized military forces of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. Before JSOC he served as the Vice Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command with a focus on organizing, training, and equipping more than 70,000 U.S. Special Operations personnel operating in more than 85 countries. In this role he led acquisition, budgeting, programming, and fiscal processes for USSOCOM with the military services, Joint Staff, and Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Previously, Lt Gen Howell commanded all Coalition special operations forces in Afghanistan as Commanding General, NATO Special Operations Component Command / U.S. Special Operations Joint Task Force – Afghanistan. Lt. Gen Howell has commanded a squadron, group, joint special operations air component, special operations wing, and a special operations joint task force. His senior staff positions include service in the HQ Air Force Staff, Air Force Special Operations Command, U.S. Special Operations Command, and as the Deputy Director of Special Operations at the Joint Staff. Howell is a 1987 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and earned Master’s Degrees from the Air Command & Staff College and the National War College.

He is a career helicopter pilot with assignments in rescue and special operations, and has deployed extensively.