Great Power, Greater Responsibility: Brigadier General Amanda Sue Birch Begins the Next Phase of Her Career

On March 1, Col. Amanda Sue Birch celebrated her promotion to brigadier general. Currently serving as the Mobilization Assistant to the Air Force Director of Civil Engineers, she steps into the next phase of her career prepared to take on any challenge that comes her way. Birch is focused on leveraging the talent and dedication of the reserve forces as preparation for Great Power Competition takes center stage.

When Birch took off on her first plane ride for the Air Force Academy, she truly had no idea where that flight would take her. She quickly fell in love with the core values of the Air Force, the Airmen, and began a rewarding career in both the military and in the technology industry.

Although Birch has always admired those she has served alongside, she often wished for role models and camaraderie with others who shared the specific challenges in her journey. Early in her career, Birch received advice that inspired her to carve out her own place where she would thrive. “You have to wear your own stripes, you have to create your own understanding of how you're wired and how you can contribute, you don't need to follow in the mold of everyone else,” says Birch. Finding a place for yourself when you do not see one is never easy, but Birch is tenacious in her pursuit of success.

After serving eight years on active duty, Birch continued her career as an Air Force reservist. Over the course of her career, Birch has served in a multitude of different capacities, gaining a total force perspective. Birch has worked with a diverse set of talented people during this time around the world, and she says, “serving across these statuses helps me appreciate the different experiences that our Airmen have.”

In this next chapter of her career, Birch hopes to marry the technology of the future with national security. She is uniquely capable to do just that. Birch brings a mix of skills that have developed throughout her experiences in civil engineering. She has experience in research and development engineering, as a civil engineer, and also currently works in quantum computing. For Birch, innovation is part of her DNA. Along with a diverse engineering experience, she has a global mindset and serves as a leader that allows her Airmen to thrive.

Birch is excited to leverage the talent of the civil engineer reservists. She says that civil engineers are great at “adapting and modifying, which is what Great Power Competition is going to require - the ingenuity…the analytical perspective.” Recognizing that despite their great talents, civil engineers do not always get the visibility and gratitude they deserve. Birch says that she looks forward to “being an advocate and champion for those things that sometimes we are too humble to raise.”

In addition to her career achievements, Birch has accomplished great feats in her personal life. In September of 2022, Birch completed a cross country bike ride from Oregon to Virginia, which was a journey of reflection and overcoming adversity. Birch’s favorite moments along this journey were passing through small towns and seeing veteran’s displays, meeting the parents of those who serve, and sharing meals at local American legions and other fraternal organizations. Birch says the journey has brought “a fresh enthusiasm for serving” into this next phase of her career.

To the civil engineers she will serve at this new level, Birch wants them to know that she is incredibly proud of this community of people. She says, “I am so grateful to the hundreds, if not thousands, of people from this community that have helped me become the woman I am. I am so proud of what we do and the humility with which we serve.”