Maj. Gen. David A. Piffarerio is the Mobilization Assistant to the Deputy Commander, Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. PACAF is responsible for Air Force activities spread over half the globe in a command that supports over 46,000 Airmen serving principally in Japan, South Korea, Hawaii, Alaska and Guam.
Maj. Gen. Piffarerio was commissioned in 1994 as an honor graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. He served 13 years in the active-duty Air Force in a variety of F-15E, F-22 and F-16 operational and test assignments. He has commanded at the Squadron, Fighter Group, Wing and Installation level. He has flown combat missions in support of operations Northern Watch, Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom and Noble Eagle. Maj. Gen. Piffarerio was the first pilot in the U.S. Air Force to reach 1,000 flight hours in the F-22 Raptor and is a command pilot with more than 3,500 flying hours in multiple fighter aircraft.
Prior to his current assignment, Maj. Gen. Piffarerio served as the MA to Alaskan Command, a Sub-Unified Combatant Command under USNORTHCOM, responsible for the integration of all military activities in the Alaskan joint operations area. He also served as Combined/Joint Force Air Component Commander ALCOM- C/JFACC when designated.
EDUCATION
1994 Honor Graduate, Bachelor of Science, Biology, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.
2000 Distinguished Graduate, Weapons Instructor Course, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.
2002 Distinguished Graduate Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2004 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2005 Master of Business Administration, Touro University, Vallejo, Calif.
2011 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2012 Naval War and Strategy Course, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
2013 Reserve Component National Security Course, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C.
2017 Master of Arts, National Security Strategy, National War College, Washington, D.C.
2020 Joint Forces Air Component Commander course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2022 Continuous Process Improvement for Executives, Duke University, Chapel Hill, N.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. December 1994–March 1996, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training and AT-38 Fighter Lead-In, Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.
2. April 1996–December 1996, Student, F-15E Conversion Training, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
3. January 1997–July 2000, F-15E Mission Commander and Instructor Pilot, 336th Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
4. July 2000–December 2000, Student, F-15E Weapons Instructor Course, Nellis AFB, Nev.
5. January 2001–July 2003, Weapons Officer, 90th Fighter Squadron, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
6. July 2003–August 2007, F-22 Operational Test Director, 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
7. August 2007–August 2008, Assistant Director of Operations, 302nd Fighter Squadron, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
8. September 2008–August 2009, Chief Weapons and Tactics, 3rd Operations Support Squadron, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
9. August 2009–September 2010, Director of Operations, 90th Fighter Squadron, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
10. October 2010–January 2013, Commander, 302nd Fighter Squadron, JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
11. January 2013–March 2015, Deputy Commander 477th Fighter Group, JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
12. March 2015–July 2016, Commander, 477th Fighter Group, JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
13. July 2016–June 2017, Student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C
14. July 2017–August 2018, Command Center Director, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
15. August 2018–July 2020, Commander, 482nd Fighter Wing, Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla.
16. July 2020–November 2022, Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command Region, North American Aerospace Defense Command; Commander, Alaskan Command, U.S. Northern Command; Commander, Eleventh Air Force, Pacific Air Force, JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
17. November 2022–present, Mobilization Assistant to the Deputy Commander, Pacific Air Forces, JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2017–August 2018, Command Center Director, North American Aerospace Defense Command/U.S. Northern Command, Colorado Springs, Colo., as a colonel
2. July 2020–November 2022, Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command Region, North American Aerospace Defense Command; Commander, Alaskan Command, U.S. Northern Command; Commander, Eleventh Air Force, Pacific Air Force, JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska as a brigadier general
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight Hours: more than 3,500, including 269 combat hours
Aircraft Flown: T-37, A/T-38, F-15E, F-22A and F-16C/D
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Force Commendation Medal
Air and Space Force Achievement Medal
Combat Readiness Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with oak leaf cluster
Global War on Terror Medal
Korean Defense Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Medal
(Current as of March 2024)