General Coffin has over 25 years of experience in the Space Domain including joint operations, SAP activities, laser clearing, collision avoidance activities, intelligence, space control, missile warning, SATCOM, force design, development, DOTMLPF integration, test and evaluation, international and commercial partnerships, space surveillance sensor maintenance, upgrades and operations supporting the full range of DOD space activities.
General Coffin is the Managing Director of MITRE’s Space Warfighting Division. Previously he served as a Senior Advisor for Space Domain Awareness (SDA) supporting US Space Force, Space Systems Command, Space Domain Awareness Division on contract with Odyssey. Prior to this General Coffin worked for Leidos Defense & Intelligence Group as their space domain expert doing Business Development and Program Management. He also served as an independent space and missile defense consultant. After retiring from the US Army in 2017 Tim assisted in a comprehensive Capability Gap Assessment of the United Arab Emirates military capabilities to include drafting national strategic documents and developing a 10-year plan to guide UAE military space capabilities.
From 2014 to 2016 General Coffin was the Commanding General of White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), responsible for testing and developing future capacities including space, missile, hypersonic, nuclear, electromagnetic, and high energy laser systems including integrating test activities across all services, the IC, interagency, international and commercial partners. Prior to taking command of WSMR he was the Deputy Commanding General for the Joint Functional Component Command for Space (JFCC SPACE), United States Strategic Command, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California where he led daily space operations, transformation activities and helped shape joint requirements. Prior to this, Tim served as the Deputy Commanding General for Operations Space and Missile Defense Command where he led the operational elements of the command including the 1st Space Brigade, SATCOM operations, the Army Astronauts, 100th Ground Based Missile Defense Brigade, deployed TPY-2 Radars, and Fort Greely and Kwajalien support. During this time, he petitioned the Missile Defense Agency to transfer GBR-K to enable support to space operations and worked with Lincoln Labs on upgrades to increase capabilities and reliability of the remaining suite of radars and optical sensors in his portfolio.
Tim also served as the J3 Director of Operations and J7 Director of Training and Exercises for JFCC Space during events like the Iridium Cosmos collision and the initial increases in Chinese activities which prompted changes in mission focus and requirements. During this time, he was responsible for the Laser Clearing House and the US Space Vault (USV). He served as the joint sponsor for NIX development as a safeguard against the potential failure of SPADOC and anticipated delays in JMS replacement. He deployed to lead the USSTRATCOM Strategic Forward Integration Team (including Space and Cyber effects) to Afghanistan in support of OEF.
General Coffin Commanded the Army’s 1st Space Brigade, the 1st Space Battalion, served in the CAG at USSPACECOM, was an intelligence watch commander in Cheyenne Mountain for USSPACECOM, served in the Pentagon on the Joint Staff and later on the Army Staff working Space issues with USAF, NSSA, NSSO, NRO, DARPA and other agencies.
General Coffin is a Harvard Kennedy School of Government graduate, a MIT Seminar XXI fellow, a graduate of the Army War College – Advanced Strategic Arts Program, (ASAP), a graduate of the School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS), graduate of the Command and General Staff College, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) intern program (ASTRO equivalent), the Distinguished Military Graduate from Wheaton College, Wheaton Ill., the Distinguished Graduate from his Officer Basic Course, the Honor Graduate of the Quartermaster Officer Advanced Course.
Coffin’s awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Joint Staff Identification Badge, Army Staff Badge, Master Space Badge, and U.S. and German Parachutist Badges.