He was chosen as a White House Fellow in 1991 where he was a senior staff member in the Office of National Service.

Johns served as the Air Force's Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Programs from October 2006 to November 16, 2009.

He currently serves as the Senior Vice President for Government Business, Flight Safety International at the National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force.

Johns grew up in Washington Township, Bergen County, New Jersey and attended Westwood Regional High School.

He has also received education and training at the Air Command and Staff College; the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB in California; the Defense Systems Management College; the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C.; the National Security Management Course at Syracuse University; and the Program for Senior Executives in National and International Security Management at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.