COL Joseph Capobianco

COL Joseph Capobianco is the Chief of Staff, Army Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO). In this role, he applies his experience transitioning rapid capabilities to theater to enable the RCO to close current capability gaps through interim solutions while informing long-term Army acquisition programs.

A native of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, COL Capobianco entered the Army in 1988 after commissioning from Norwich University. Branched Aviation, he attended Army flight school followed by ten years of operational assignments with the 82nd Airborne Division’s Aviation Brigade and 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR).

COL Capobianco’s operational assignments and deployments include FT Bragg, NC with 1st Battalion (Attack) 82nd Aviation Brigade participating in Operation Just Cause in Panama followed by Operations Desert Shield and Storm in Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Completing the Aviation Officers Advanced Course, he served in Panama with Company D-160th SOAR working in Central and South America conducting Foreign Internal Defense (FID) and Counter Drug/Narcotic operations under Special Operations Command South (SOCSouth). Follow on assignments included Company Command and BN S-1 at FT Campbell, KY with the 160th.

Selected for Advanced Civil Schooling and US Navy Experimental Test Pilot School (USN TPS), then MAJ Capobianco transitioned from an Aviation to an Acquisition (ACQ) Corps Officer. His ACQ assignments include Assistant Product Manager (APM) at the Technology Applications Program Office (TAPO) working with mission modified SOAR aircraft, Government Flight Representative (GFR) for the Blue Grass Army Depot (BGAD), Experimental Test Pilot (XP) with the Aviation Applied Technology Division (AATD), R&D Officer and XP for Flight Concepts Division, and Chief of Operational Test for US Army Special Operations Command’s (USASOC) Test and Evaluation Division (TED).

Selected for O-5 Product Manager (PdM) on the DA Centralized Selection List (CSL), then LTC Capobianco led and managed Soldier Sensors and Lasers in Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier executing over $1B annually across eight products. After PdM, COL Capobianco lead the Accelerated Capabilities Division at ARCIC/TRADOC to transition rapid capabilities to theater, with an emphasis on enabling material success.

Selected for O-6 CSL, COL Capobianco led and managed PEO Special Operations Forces (SOF) Warrior at USSOCOM. This PEO had over 350 programs and projects, across 10 Program Management Offices (PMO) in four different states, with annual base funding in excess of $1B. As the PEO, he exercised Milestone Decision Authority (MDA) for all efforts, providing capability to Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine, and Joint SOF.

A recent graduate of the Eisenhower School, National Defense University (NDU), he received a Master’s of Science (MS) Degree in National Resource Management. His other schooling includes Norwich University, BS in Electrical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, MS Aerospace Engineering, Murray State University, MS Management, USN TPS Class 118, Defense Language Institute (DLI) Spanish, and the DAU Executive Program Manager’s Course.

COL Capobianco’s awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal, and Army Achievement Medal. He has the Master Aviators, Senior Parachutist, and Air Assault Badges along with Foreign Jump Wings.