David A. Deptula is the Dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Power Studies (https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/), and a senior scholar at the U.S. Air Force Academy's Center for Character and Leadership Development. He transitioned from the

U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...

in 2010 at the rank of Lieutenant General after more than 34 years of service. Deptula was commissioned in 1974 as a distinguished graduate from The University of Virginia Air Force ROTC program, and remained to complete a master's degree in 1976. During his military career he took part in operations, planning, and joint warfighting at unit, major command, service headquarters and combatant command levels, and also served on two congressional commissions outlining America's future defense posture. He was a principal author of the original Air Force White Paper
Global Reach—Global Power
" In the early 1990s he was instrumental in the formation and development of the concept later known as
effects-based operations
" having successfully applied it in building the attack plans for the Operation Desert Storm air campaign. He has been cited as having "... fostered the most significant change in the conduct of aerial warfare since Billy Mitchell...Deptula’s framework influenced the successful air campaigns in Operations Allied Force, Iraqi Freedom, and Enduring Freedom. Today, joint targeting cells and Air Force doctrine reflect Deptula's theory of airpower and the changing nature of warfare." Deptula is one of 12 airmen singled out in
Airpower Pioneers: From Billy Mitchell to Dave Deptula
'. He is also the subject of a more detailed review of his contributions to the development of airpower in
America's Airman: David Deptula and the Airpower Moment
'.

Leadership in combat and contingency operations

Deptula has experience in combat and leadership in several major joint contingency operations. He was the principal attack planner for the Desert Storm coalition air campaign in 1991. He has twice been a Combined/Joint Task Force Commander – in 1998/1999 for the

Operation Northern Watch Operation Northern Watch (ONW), the successor to Operation Provide Comfort, was a Combined Task Force (CTF) charged with enforcing its own no-fly zone above the 36th parallel in Iraq. Its mission began on 1 January 1997. The coalition partners ...

no-fly zone where he flew 82 combat missions as a general officer, and for

Operation Deep Freeze Operation Deep Freeze (OpDFrz or ODF) is codename for a series of United States missions to Antarctica, beginning with "Operation Deep Freeze I" in 1955–56, followed by "Operation Deep Freeze II", "Operation Deep Freeze III", and so on. (There w ...

in Antarctica. In 2001, he served as Director of the Combined Air Operations Center for

Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used synonymously by the U.S. government for both the War in Afghanistan (2001–2014) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response to the September 11 at ...

where he orchestrated air operations over Afghanistan in response to the terrorist attacks of 9/11/2001. In 2005, he was the Joint Force Air Component Commander (JFACC) fo
Operation Unified Assistance
the South Asia tsunami relief effort, and in 2006 he was the standing JFACC for Pacific Command. He has piloted more than 3,000 flying hours (400 in combat) to include multiple fighter aircraft command assignments in the F-15.

Intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and drone leadership

Deptula was the first Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance at Air Force Headquarters, and was involved in shaping and managing military use of

unmanned aerial vehicle An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...

s. Responsible for policy formulation, planning, and leadership of AF ISR and remotely piloted aircraft (RPA)—also known as drones—he initiated and built the Air Force's first ISR Strategy, established the Air Force ISR Agency, and constructed an Air Force ISR flight plan that established processes to optimize ISR decisions to resource that strategy. He published the first USAF RPA/drone flight plan that together with the ISR strategy formed an ISR enterprise intended to transition the military from an era of industrial age warfare to the information age.

Military career

Deptula began his USAF career as a pilot earning his wings in 1977. Upon graduation, he was assigned an F-15C air superiority fighter, and went on to serve in fighter squadrons in a variety of roles to include duty as an F-15 aerial demonstration pilot. He attended the USAF Fighter Weapons School, and became a squadron, and then wing weapons officer. His first staff assignment was in USAF Legislative Liaison. The remainder of his career he spent alternating between operational assignments commanding fighter units and in joint operations, with staff assignments at Headquarters USAF, Major Air Force Commands, and with the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Notable assignments included: Policy and issues analyst, Secretary of the Air Force Policy Group; Principal offensive air campaign planner for Operation Desert Shield, and Director, Iraq Target Planning Group, Operation Desert Storm; Commander, Combined/Joint Task Force for Operation Northern Watch (ONW), U.S. European Command; Director, 2001 Air Force Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR); Director, Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC), Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) 2001; Commander of the General George C. Kenney Warfighting Headquarters, and Vice Commander, Pacific Air Forces; Joint Force Air Component Commander (JFACC)—Operation Unified Assistance—the South Asia tsunami relief effort; and Deputy Chief of Staff (DCS) for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), Headquarters USAF. An editorial on the impact of his military career appeared in the Air Force Times on August 2, 2010, and a more complete accounting of his military career can be found in
Airpower Pioneers: From Billy Mitchell to Dave Deptula
''

Post-military career

Deptula's post-military retirement life involves research, education, and advocacy on matters relating to national security. He has served as a senior scholar at the U.S. Air Force Academ
Center for Character and Leadership Development
on the Defense Science Board task force on innovation for the future; participated in the crafting of "A New Defense Strategy for a New Era" as a member of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation Defense Advisory Committee; as a senior adviser to the Gemunder Center for Defense & Strategy; and as an adviser to the NATO Joint Air Power Competence Center future vector project. He has been a speaker at events hosted by the USAF; the Air Force Association; the Council On Foreign Relations; the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Affairs; the Center for a New American Security; the Center for Strategic and International Studies; Congressional Staff; the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs; The National Security Roundtable; the Bipartisan Policy Center; the U.S. Peace Institute; several universities; international security events, and testified multiple times to Congress as a defense expert. As the inaugural holder of the position of dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies initiated in 2013, Lt Gen Deptula, (Ret.) built the institute into what has been cited as the “world’s leading aerospace power think tank.” Its impact has expanded with a growing number of video forums with senior aerospace defense leadership known as th
Aerospace Nation seriesresearch and policy papers
and it
Aerospace Advantage podcast series
moving into top U.S. rankings for aerospace content. Deptula established both a Space Power Advantage Center of Excellence in 2021 and a Center for Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and Autonomy Studies in 2022 inside the Mitchell Institute to focus on emerging technologies, concepts, and capabilities. In addition to his primary occupation as the dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, Deptula is a board member at a variety of institutions; an independent consultant; and is a commentator around the world on military issues; strategy; and ISR. He has appeared in numerous publications, on national and international television and radio, and authored articles in public, and professional magazines, journals, and books (see publications list below). Defense News magazine named Deptula one of the 100 most influential people in U.S. defense for 2014.

Education

*1974

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

degree in astronomy,

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...

*1976

Master of Science A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast to ...

degree in systems engineering, University of Virginia *1978 Squadron Officer School *1981 U.S. Air Force Fighter Weapons School *1983

Air Command and Staff College The Air Command and Staff College (ACSC) is located at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama and is the United States Air Force's intermediate-level Professional Military Education (PME) school. It is a subordinate command of the Air Uni ...

*1988 Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Virginia *1994 Master of Science degree in national security strategy,

National War College The National War College (NWC) of the United States is a school in the National Defense University. It is housed in Roosevelt Hall on Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C., the third-oldest Army post still active. History The National War Colle ...

, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington D.C.

Assignments

*February 1976 – January 1977, student, undergraduate pilot training, Vance AFB, Oklahoma *February 1977 – December 1977, student, F-15 upgrade training, Luke AFB, Arizona *January 1978 – September 1979, F-15 flight lead, 7th Tactical Fighter Squadron, and wing training officer, 49th Tactical Fighter Wing, Holloman AFB, New Mexico *September 1979 – January 1983, F-15 flight commander, weapons and tactics officer, mission commander, instructor pilot and Pacific Air Forces F-15 aerial demonstration pilot, 67th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Japan *January 1983 – February 1984, staff officer, Air Staff Training Program, Weapons Systems Division, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force for Legislative Liaison, Washington, D.C. *February 1984 – April 1984, student, F-15 requalification training, Luke AFB, Arizona *April 1984 – July 1987, chief, Wing Weapons and Tactics Division, and instructor pilot, 325th Tactical Training Wing, Tyndall AFB, Florida *July 1987 – January 1988, student, Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Virginia *January 1988 – September 1989, action officer, Directorate of Warfighting Concepts Development, Doctrine Division, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. *September 1989 – January 1992, policy and issues analyst, and Secretary of the Air Force Policy Group member, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, D.C. (August 1990 – March 1991, principal offensive air campaign planner for the Director of Campaign Plans, Operation Desert Shield, and Director, Iraq Target Planning Group, Operation Desert Storm, Joint Force Air Component Command, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) *February 1992 – March 1992, student, F-15 requalification training, Tyndall AFB, Florida *March 1992 – July 1993, Chief of Wing Safety, and Team Chief and lead pilot for William Tell 1992, 33rd Fighter Wing; later, deputy commander of 33rd Logistics Group, Eglin AFB, Florida *August 1993 – June 1994, student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. *May 1994 – August 1995, team leader, Joint Warfighting and Deep Attack Issues, and professional staff member, Commission on Roles and Missions of the Armed Forces, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington, D.C. *August 1995 – September 1995, student, F-15 requalification training, Tyndall AFB, Florida *October 1995 – December 1996, commander, 33rd Operations Group, Eglin AFB, Florida *January 1997 – January 1998, senior Air Force representative, National Defense Panel, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington, D.C. *February 1998 – March 1998, student, F-15 requalification training, Tyndall AFB, Florida *April 1998 – October 1999, commander, Combined Task Force for Operation Northern Watch, U.S. European Command, Incirlik Air Base, Turkey *October 1999 – February 2000, Director for Expeditionary Aerospace Force Implementation, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. *February 2000 – December 2001, director, Air Force Quadrennial Defense Review, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. (September 2001 – November 2001, Director, Combined Air Operations Center, Operation Enduring Freedom) *December 2001 – October 2003, director of plans and programs, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Virginia *November 2003 – August 2005, Director of Air and Space Operations, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Hickam AFB, Hawaii *September 2005 – July 2006, Commander of the General George C. Kenney Warfighting Headquarters (P), and Vice Commander, Pacific Air Forces, Hickam AFB, Hawaii *July 2006 – October 2010, Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.

Joint assignments

*August 1990 – March 1991, principal air campaign planner, Operation Desert Shield, and Director, Iraq Target Planning Group, Operation Desert Storm, Joint Force Air Component Command, Saudi Arabia, as a lieutenant colonel *May 1994 – August 1995, team leader-Joint Warfighting Issues, and professional staff member, Commission on Roles and Missions of the Armed Forces, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington, D.C., as a colonel *January 1997 – January 1998, National Defense Panel staff member, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington, D.C., as a colonel *April 1998 – October 1999, commander, Combined/Joint Task Force Operation Northern Watch, U.S. European Command, Incirlik AB, Turkey, as a brigadier general *September 2001 – November 2001, director, Combined Air Operations Center, Operation Enduring Freedom, Saudi Arabia, as a major general *December 2004 – February 2005, Joint Force Air Component Commander, Operation Unified Assistance (South Asia tsunami relief effort), Hickam AFB, Hawaii, as a major general *October 2005 – July 2006, commander, Joint Task Force Operation Deep Freeze, and standing Joint Force Air Component Commander for Pacific Command, Hickam AFB, Hawaii, as a lieutenant general

Flight information

*Rating: Command pilot *Flight hours: More than 3,000, including more than 400 combat hours *Aircraft flown: T-37, T-38 and

F-15 The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an American twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter aircraft designed by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing). Following reviews of proposals, the United States Air Force selected McDonnell Douglas's ...

A/B/C/D

Awards and decorations

Effective dates of promotion

Publications

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * *

External links

Biography at af.mil
(US Air Force). {{DEFAULTSORT:Deptula, David United States Air Force personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) United States Air Force generals University of Virginia alumni Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Place of birth missing (living people) Military personnel from Dayton, Ohio University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science alumni