Lt. Gen. David A. Deptula was the first Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. He was responsible to the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Air Force for policy formulation, planning, evaluation, oversight and leadership of Air Force intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. As the Air Force's Senior Official of the Intelligence Community he was directly responsible to the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence.
Lt. Gen. Deptula completed ROTC at the University of Virginia as a distinguished graduate in 1974, and remained to complete a master's degree in 1976. Earning his wings in 1977, he has flown more than 3,000 hours (400 in combat) to include multiple operational fighter command assignments. He has taken part in operations, planning and joint warfighting at unit, major command, service headquarters and combatant command levels. He has served on two congressional commissions charged with outlining America's future defense posture – the Commission on Roles and Missions of the Armed Forces and the National Defense Panel. Prior to assuming his last position, he served as Commander of the General George C. Kenney Warfighting Headquarters, and Vice Commander, Pacific Air Forces.
Lt. Gen. Deptula has significant 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 Joint Task Force Commander – in 1998/1999 for Operation Northern Watch during a period of renewed Iraqi aggression where he flew 82 combat missions, and for Operation Deep Freeze, supporting forces in Antarctica. In 2001, the general served as Director of the Combined Air Operations Center for Operation Enduring Freedom, where he orchestrated air operations over Afghanistan during the period of decisive combat. In 2005, he was the Joint Force Air Component Commander for Operation Unified Assistance, the South Asia tsunami relief effort, and in 2006 he was the standing Joint Force Air Component Commander for Pacific Command.
EDUCATION
1974 Bachelor of Science, Astronomy, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
1976 Master of Science, Systems Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
1978 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1981 U.S. Air Force Fighter Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
1983 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1988 Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
1994 Master of Science, National Security Strategy, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. February 1976–January 1977, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Vance Air Force Base, Okla.
2. February 1977–December 1977, Student, F-15 Upgrade Training, Luke AFB, Ariz.
3. January 1978–September 1979, F-15 Flight Lead, 7th Tactical Fighter Squadron, and Wing Training Officer, 49th Tactical Fighter Wing, Holloman AFB, N.M.
4. 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
5. 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.
6. February 1984–April 1984, Student, F-15 Requalification Training, Luke AFB, Ariz.
7. April 1984–July 1987, Chief, Wing Weapons and Tactics Division, and Instructor Pilot, 325th Tactical Training Wing, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
8. July 1987–January 1988, Student, Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
9. January 1988–September 1989, Action Officer, Directorate of Warfighting Concepts Development, Doctrine Division, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
10. 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)
11. February 1992–March 1992, Student, F-15 Requalification Training, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
12. March 1992–July 1993, Chief of Wing Safety, and Team Chief and Lead Pilot for William Tell 1992, 33rd Fighter Wing; later, Deputy Commander, 33rd Logistics Group, Eglin AFB, Fla.
13. August 1993–June 1994, Student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
14. 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.
15. August 1995–September 1995, Student, F-15 Requalification Training, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
16. October 1995–December 1996, Commander, 33rd Operations Group, Eglin AFB, Fla.
17. January 1997–January 1998, Senior Air Force Representative, National Defense Panel, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington, D.C.
18. February 1998–March 1998, Student, F-15 Requalification Training, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
19. April 1998–October 1999, Commander, Combined Task Force for Operation Northern Watch, U.S. European Command, Incirlik AB, Turkey
20. 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.
21. 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)
22. December 2001–October 2003, Director of Plans and Programs, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va.
23. November 2003–August 2005, Director of Air and Space Operations, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
24. September 2005–July 2006, Commander of the General George C. Kenney Warfighting Headquarters (P), and Vice Commander, Pacific Air Forces, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
25. July 2006–August 2010, Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. 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
2. 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
3. January 1997–January 1998, National Defense Panel Staff Member, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington, D.C., as a colonel
4. April 1998–October 1999, Commander, Combined/Joint Task Force Operation Northern Watch, U.S. European Command, Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, as a brigadier general
5. September 2001–November 2001, Director, Combined Air Operations Center, Operation Enduring Freedom, Saudi Arabia, as a major general
6. December 2004–February 2005, Joint Force Air Component Commander, Operation Unified Assistance (South Asia tsunami relief effort), Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, as a major general
7. 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-15A/B/C/D
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with four oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Antarctica Service Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with bronze star
Southwest Asia Service Medal with two bronze stars
Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal with two bronze stars
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Government of Kuwait)
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1999 Aviation Week and Space Technology Aerospace Laurels Award for developing innovative air warfare tactics
2010 Aviation Week and Space Technology Aerospace Laureate Award for extraordinary accomplishment in national defense
2010 Gen. H.H. Arnold Award, the Air Force Association's highest honor to a military member in the field of national security
PUBLICATIONS
"Firing for Effect: Change in the Nature of Warfare," AFA Defense and Airpower Series, 1995
"Parallel Warfare; What is it? Where Did it Come From? Why Is It Important?" Eagle in the Desert: Looking Back On US Involvement in the Persian Gulf War,1996
"Air Exclusion Zones: Instruments of Security Policy in a New Era," RAAF Air Power and Joint Forces Proceedings, 2000
"Effects-based Operations: Change in the Nature of War," Aerospace Education Foundation, 2001
"Embracing Change: US Air Force Transformation," Armed Forces Journal International, October 2001
"Transforming Joint Air-Ground Operations for 21st Century Battlespace," Field Artillery Magazine, July-August 2003
"Direct Attack: Enhancing Counterland Doctrine and Joint Air-Ground Operations," Air & Space Power Journal, Winter 2003
"Transforming Air and Space Power Organization in the Pacific," High Frontier Magazine, 2006
"Toward Restructuring National Security," Strategic Studies Quarterly Vol 1, No. 2, 2007
"Air and Space Power Lead Turning the Future," Orbis, Fall 2008
"Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Taking Strategy to Task," Joint Forces Quarterly 49, 2008
"A House Divided: The Indivisibility of Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance," Air & Space Power Journal, Summer 2008
"Global Distributed ISR Operations: The Changing Face of Warfare," Joint Forces Quarterly 54, 2009
(Current as of February 2026)