Mr. Darren Buck serves as Deputy Commander and Executive Director of Space Delta 1, headquartered at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. Delta 1 is responsible for developing USSF personnel to prevail in a Contested, Degraded, and Operationally-Limited space environment through basic training, initial skills training, warfighter follow-on courses, advanced training courses, exercises, and events. With the Commander, he leads the Space Training Delta and Delta 1 units located across five states: 1st Delta Support Squadron, 319th and 392d Training Squadrons, 328th Weapons Squadron, and 533d Training Squadron.

Immediately preceding his current assignment, Darren Buck served as Liaison to US Air Force, US Space Force, and US Space Command for the Department of Defense Mission Partner Capabilities Office. In his Liaison role, Mr. Buck engaged, facilitated, and advised Air Force, Space Force, and Space Command leaders, offices, and programs to build, expand, and strengthen connectivity, information sharing, collaboration, and interoperability with US Allies and DoD Mission Partners.

Darren Buck received his commission in 1990 through the Air Force ROTC program of the University of Notre Dame. He remains in the Reserve of the Air Force, assigned to the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration. He has served in space operations and leadership assignments at 50th Space Wing, 45th Space Wing, 595th Space Group, 460th Space Wing, and 310th Space Wing. Further, he has accumulated over 19 months’ command experience in Joint and Interagency space operations and is a fully-qualified Joint Officer (JQO Level III).

As an aerospace and defense industry professional, Darren Buck has served in multiple leadership, technical, and consulting roles since 2000. These have included positions at Air Force Space Command, Missile Defense Agency, Headquarters Air Force, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Federal Aviation Administration's Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee.