Major General Patrick W. Burden is the Director for Combat Systems at the U.S. Army Futures Command. He was commissioned in the U.S. Army Field Artillery from Alabama A&M University and entered active duty in 1987. His tactical assignments include the 2d Battalion 3d Field Artillery Regiment (3d Armored Division) in Kirchgoen, Germany, serving as a Company Fire Support Officer, Firing Battery Platoon Leader and Assistant S-3 (Operations Officer) – deploying with the battalion to Saudi Arabia in January 1991 and participated in Operations Desert Shield/Storm as the Assistant S-3; and the 210th Field Artillery Brigade at Fort Lewis, WA, serving as the Brigade Counter Fire Officer and later Firing Battery Commander for B Battery, 3d Battalion 11th Field Artillery Regiment.

MG Burden entered the Army Acquisition Corps in 1994 and held acquisition assignments as: Project Officer, U.S. Army Information Systems Software Development Center–Lee; Assistant Project Manager for the Aviation Electronic Combat and Comanche Program Management Offices, Program Executive Office Aviation; Assistant Product Manager for the Information Warfare Program Management Office, Deputy for Systems Acquisition for the Communications and Electronic Command; Program Analyst later Program Manager for the Global Transportation Network Program Management Office, U.S. Transportation Command; Program Analyst for the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology-Pentagon; Product Manager for the Joint Automatic Identification Technology, Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems; Project Manager for the General Fund Enterprise Business System, Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems; Deputy Program Executive Officer for Ammunition; and Program Executive Officer for Enterprise Information Systems. He also served as the Deputy Commanding General at the Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan (CSTC-A) for Headquarters, Resolute Support in Kabul Afghanistan.

MG Burden holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from Alabama A&M University and a Masters Degree in Management Information Systems from Florida Institute of Technology. He is also a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College; the Armed Forces Staff College; the Advanced Program Management Course at the Defense Systems Management College; and the U.S. Army Senior Service College Fellowship Program at the University of Texas-Austin.

MG Burden’s awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, the Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Army Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster, and several other awards and decorations including the Parachutist Badge and Army Staff Badge.