Martin was born in Fort Myer, Va., and graduated from Landon High School, Bethesda, Md. in 1966. He earned a B.Sc. degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1970 and a master’s degree in business management from Central Michigan University in 1977. He entered the Air Force in June 1970 with a commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy. In addition to flying 161 combat missions in Southeast Asia, he commanded the 67th Tactical Fighter Squadron, the 479th Tactical Training Wing, and the 33rd and 1st Fighter Wings. He also served as Vice Director of the Joint Staff’s Force Structure and Resources Directorate, Director of Operational Requirements for the U.S. Air Force, and Principal Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition.

Martin was then assigned as the Commander of the U.S. Air Forces Europe and the Commander of NATO’s Allied Air Forces North. In that capacity he commanded and presented forces used in Operations Joint Force and Joint Guardian in the Balkans, as well as Operations Northern Watch, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom in Southwest and Central Asia. His final assignment was the Commander of the Air Force Materiel Command where he commanded 80,000 personnel responsible for the Air Force Research Laboratories, Acquisition support, Air Force Test and Evaluation, and Air Force Life Cycle and Sustainment processes.