Lieutenant General Christopher F. Burne, USAF (retired), served as the 17th Judge Advocate General of the Air Force from 2014 to 2018. In that capacity, General Burne was the Legal Adviser to the Secretary of the Air Force, the Chief of Staff, and all officers and agencies of the Department of the Air Force. During his tenure, General Burne was responsible for the direction of 4,500 military and civilian attorneys, enlisted paralegals, and administrative civilians in The Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps worldwide. He oversaw military justice, operational and international law, civil law, and litigation activities, as well as the maintenance of professional and ethical standards within the JAG Corps.
A native of Dunmore, Pennsylvania, General Burne is a graduate of the University of Scranton, the Dickinson School of Law of Penn State University, and the National War College. Following his father’s lead, a highly decorated World War II Eighth Air Force veteran, he received a direct commission as a First Lieutenant in 1983. In his 35 years on active duty, General Burne served in a variety of legal adviser and leadership positions at every level of command, including prosecutor, defense counsel, staff judge advocate, and director of the Air Force Executive Issues Team. He twice deployed to the Persian Gulf region in support of Operations Desert Storm and Southern Watch. He was on duty in the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, during the terrorist attack, then served on the Crisis Action Team directing mobilization and response operations from the Pentagon’s underground control center.
General Burne is a two-time recipient of the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal for exceptionally meritorious service to the United States government. He is admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia and is now President of Charged With Excellence, a limited liability company he founded for leadership consulting and public speaking. He and his wife Robin (Air Force colonel retired) live in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. They have two sons who are both officers in the United States Army.