David Tillotson III, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is Director, National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. As Museum Director, Mr. Tillotson manages the world's largest and oldest military aviation museum, portraying the heritage and traditions of the Air Force through specialized exhibits. He oversees nearly one million square feet of exhibit space with more than 350 aerospace vehicles and missiles and thousands of other artifacts. He also provides technical and professional guidance to the U.S. Air Force Heritage Program, which includes more than 2,400 aerospace vehicles and over 46,000 other artifacts, on loan to nearly 780 domestic and international military heritage activities, civilian museums, cities, municipalities and veterans' organizations.
Prior to his current assignment he was the Assistant Deputy Chief Management Officer for the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Mr. Tillotson was commissioned upon graduation from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1975. His assignments included ground theater air control system units with Tactical Air Command and U.S. Air Forces in Europe, as well as at headquarters level with USAFE, U.S. Air Force and the North American Aerospace Defense Command. Mr. Tillotson has served twice as a unit commander with responsibility for conventional air defense employment and counterdrug operations with international law enforcement and airspace control authorities.
At the staff level, Mr. Tillotson has been responsible for air defense planning and system requirements, including air defense and air control systems integration, in both NATO and North American settings. Following assignments in operations, Mr. Tillotson moved to the Air Force acquisition corps, where he initially served as the Deputy Mission Area Director, Information Dominance, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition. He was assigned to the Electronic Systems Center at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, as Chief of Experimentation with the Integrated Command and Control System Program Office and was responsible for the Air Force's Joint Expeditionary Experiment series. He then became the System Program Director for the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Integration Program Office.
Mr. Tillotson entered the Senior Executive Service in November 2002, following retirement from active duty. As a senior executive, Mr. Tillotson served as a Director in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Warfighting Integration; as the Deputy Chief, Warfighting Integration and Deputy Chief Information Officer, Headquarters U.S. Air Force; as the first Air Force Deputy Chief Management Officer. He served as the Assistant Deputy Chief Management Officer for the Office of the Secretary of Defense before taking his current position.
EDUCATION
1975 Bachelor of Political Science, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1976 Master of International Relations, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa.
1979 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1987 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1992 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1999 Advanced Program Managers Course, Defense Systems Management College, Fort Belvoir, Va.
CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. July 1971 - June 1975, Student, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2. August 1975 - June 1976, Graduate Student, Air Force Institute of Technology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa.
3. July 1976 - July 1977, 728th Tactical Control Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.
4. July 1977 - January 1980, 606th Tactical Control Squadron, Bremerhaven, Germany
5. January 1980 - January 1983, Directorate of Combat Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
6. January 1983 - July 1986, Directorate of Operations, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
7. July 1986 - July 1987, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
8. July 1987 - September 1988, 667th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, Hofn Naval Yard Installation, Iceland
9. September 1988 - July 1991, 729th Tactical Control Squadron, Hill AFB, Utah
10. July 1991 - July 1996, Chief, Ground Environment and Chief, Plans, Headquarters North American Aerospace Defense Command, Colorado Springs, Colo.
11. July 1996 - July 1997, Student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
12. July 1997 - December 1998, Information Dominance Directorate, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
13. December 1998 - July 2000, Program Manager, Joint Expeditionary Forces Experiment, Electronic Systems Center, Hanscom AFB, Mass.
14. July 2000 - January 2002, System Program Director, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Integration, Hanscom AFB, Mass.
15. January 2002 - May 2009, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Warfighting Integration, Headquarters United States Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
16. May 2009 - May 2014, Deputy Chief Management Officer, Office of the Under Secretary of the Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
17. May 2014 - November 2018, Assistant Deputy Chief Management Officer, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Department of Defense, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
18. November 2018 - present, Director, National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
AWARDS AND HONORS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Army Commendation Medal
2006 Meritorious Executive Presidential Rank Award
Department of the Air Force Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service
Secretary of Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service
Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Civilian Service
(Current as of January 2024)