Sarah E. Zabel (born July 9, 1965, in Los Angeles, California) is a retired United States Air Force general and former vice director of the US Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) where she managed a federal agency of 16,000 military, civilian and contract personnel. Her principal mission was to plan, develop, deliver and operate command and control capabilities and a global enterprise infrastructure in direct support of the president, the secretary of defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the combatant commanders, the Department of Defense components and other mission partners across the full spectrum of operations.
Afterwards she became the director of the Information Technology Acquisition Process Development, Office of the US Air Force dedicated to Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. In this role, she devises and implements strategies to responsively deliver IT capabilities across the departments of the Air Force.
At the end of 2018, she retired.
Education
Sarah E. Zabel earned her commission from the U.S Air Force Academy in 1987, graduating with a bachelor's degree in computer science. She then graduated of a Master of Science in computer science at the University of Texas at San Antonio in 1996, a Master of Military Operational Art and Science at the Air Command and Staff College in Maxwell AFB (Alabama) in 2001, and another Master of Strategic Studies at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania in 2007.
Distinction
Major awards and decorations
Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit Medal with oak leaf cluster
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with oak leaf cluster
National Defense Service Medal
Achievements
1987 Outstanding Cadet in Computer Science, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado
2000 Outstanding Academy Educator, Department of Computer Science, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado 2007 Commandant's Award for Distinction in Research, U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania 2015 Certified Information Systems Security Professional