Colonel David Hornyak is the Director of Safety, Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas. He leads flight, occupational and explosive mishap prevention programs for nearly 60,000 command personnel charged to recruit, train and educate more than 293,000 people annually via Air Force Recruiting Service and Air University, as well as 2nd and 19th Air Forces. His safety oversight includes the command’s 23 wings, 10 bases and five geographically separated groups, as well as more than 1,400 trainer, fighter and mobility aircraft.
Colonel Hornyak graduated from the University of Central Florida in 1989. After earning a commission through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program as a Distinguished Graduate, he entered Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training at Mather Air Force Base, Calif., earning his wings in 1990. As a B-52 instructor, he earned the Top Academic Award and graduated as a Distinguished Graduate from the U.S. Air Force Weapons School.
Colonel Hornyak’s previous staff tours include serving as a member of the Pentagon think-tank “Checkmate,” where he led the formulation of theater and national level strategies, including Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, and as the vice commander of the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, where he facilitated and enabled the continued development of the nuclear enterprise. He entered the International Affairs world as the senior advisor to the Iraqi Defense Minister, where he assisted in the development and upgrade of the Iraqi military through the Office of Security Cooperation-Iraq and U.S. Embassy senior officials. He continued in that specialty as a division chief and then the deputy director of Regional Affairs in the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs office in the Pentagon, where he focused security cooperation efforts throughout the world. He has been an operations support squadron commander twice, both deployed in combat operations supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and in the Pacific supporting the Continuous Bomber Presence mission and the continuing build-up of Andersen AFB, Guam. He also led at the wing level as the acting 377th Air Base Wing commander for nearly four months during a gap as the wing transitioned to a new commander. His most recent duty was as the Air Force Security Assistance Training Squadron Commander, responsible for all U.S. Air Force-sponsored international training throughout the globe. This encompassed engagement with more than 150 countries, training more than 15,000 students at home and abroad and executing more than $900 million in training annually.
EDUCATION
1989 Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Management, University of Central Florida, Fla.
1997 Squadron Officer School, Residence, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1999 Master of Science in Administrative Management, Central Michigan University, Mich.
2003 Air Command and Staff College, Residence, Maxwell AFB
2003 Master of Science in Military Operational Art and Science, Air University, Ala.
2006 Air War College, Non-residence, Maxwell AFB
2010 Air War College, Residence, Maxwell AFB
2010 Master of Science in Strategic Studies, Air University, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. March 1990 - July 1991, Student, Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training, Mather AFB, Calif.
2. July 1991 - February 1992, Student, B-52 Initial Qualification Training, 329th Combat Crew Training Squadron, Castle AFB, Calif.
3. February 1992 - September 1995, Radar Navigator, 23rd Bomb Squadron, Minot AFB, N.D.
4. September 1995 - August 1998, Assistant Flight Commander, Training Flight, 20th Bomb Squadron, Barksdale AFB, La.
5. August 1998 - March 2000, Chief, Squadron Weapons and Tactics, 11th Bomb Squadron, Barksdale AFB
6. March 2000 - August 2002, Chief, European Command Strategy Branch, Headquarters, U.S. Air Force Operations Directorate (Checkmate), Pentagon
7. August 2002 - July 2003, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
8. July 2003 - March 2004, Assistant Director of Operations, 96th Bomb Squadron, Barksdale AFB
9. March 2004 - July 2006, Assistant Director of Operations, 2nd Operations Support Squadron, Barksdale AFB
10. July 2006 - June 2007, Director of Operations, 36th Operations Support Squadron, Andersen AFB, Guam
11. June 2007 - July 2009, Commander, 36th Operations Support Squadron, Andersen AFB
12. July 2009 - June 2010, Student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB
13. June 2010 - March 2011, Vice Commander, Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
14. March 2011 - May 2013, Vice Commander, 377th Air Base Wing, Kirtland AFB
15. May 2013 - June 2014, Senior Advisor to the Iraqi Defense Minister, Office of Security Cooperation, U.S. Embassy, Baghdad, Iraq
16. June 2014 - March 2016, Chief, Africa/Americas Division, Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs, Pentagon
17. March 2016 - June 2017, Deputy Director, Regional Affairs, Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs, Pentagon
18. June 2017 - September 2019, Commander, Air Force Security Assistance Training Squadron, JBSA-Randolph, Texas
19. September 2019 - Present, Director of Safety, Air Education and Training Command, JBSA-Randolph
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Master Navigator
Flying Hours: More than 3,000 (173 combat hours)
Aircraft Flown: B-52G/H, T-43A
CERTIFICATIONS
Air Education and Training Command Services Acquisition Program Management
International Affairs Certification Level III
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters Aerial Achievement Medal
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Joint Meritorious Unit Award with Gold Border and one oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award
Combat Readiness Award with three oak leaf clusters Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with gold star Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Humanitarian Service Medal with gold star
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with “N” Device and three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border and four oak leaf clusters
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Nov. 27, 1989
First Lieutenant Nov. 26, 1991
Captain Nov. 26, 1993
Major March 1, 2001
Lieutenant Colonel Feb. 1, 2006
Colonel July 1, 2011
(Current as of September 2019)