Brig. Gen. David E. Baker is vice director, operational plans and interoperability (J-7), the Joint Staff, Washington, D.C. He is accountable to the director in providing assistance to the chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, by increasing the warfighting capabilities of the combatant commands through improvements in the interoperability of the services in all aspects of joint doctrine, tactics, techniques and procedures. In addition, he is responsible for improving and developing joint training, exercises, war planning and simulations. He is also deputy director, Joint Staff, for military education, and reports to the director of the Joint Staff.
The general entered the Air Force and was commissioned in 1969 at Officer Training School, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. While serving in Vietnam as a forward air controller, he was shot down by surface-to-air missiles and was interned until the conclusion of the war in 1973. He was the only Air Force prisoner to be repatriated from Cambodia. He was an initial cadre instructor in the F-15E and served as deputy commander for operations at a composite fighter wing during Operation Desert Storm. Prior to assuming his current position, he served as director, operations, plans and programs, Air National Guard, Washington, D.C.
EDUCATION
1968 Bachelor of business administration degree, Hofstra University, N.Y.
1974 Squadron Officer School
1974 Master of business administration degree in human resource management, University of Hawaii (Beta Gamma Sigma)
1978 Air Command and Staff College
1983 Armed Forces Staff College
1987 Air War College
1992 National Defense College of Canada, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
1994 CAPSTONE, National Defense University, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1969 - June 1970, student, pilot training, Webb Air Force Base, Texas
2. June 1970 - October 1971, EC-121 pilot, Detachment 1, 552nd Airborne Early Control Wing, McCoy Air Force Base, Fla.
3. October 1971 - January 1972, AT-33 combat crew training, Cannon Air Force Base, N.M.
4. January 1972 - February 1973, O-2A forward air controller, 21st Tactical Air Support Squadron, Tan Son Nhut Air Base, South Vietnam
5. August 1973 - September 1974, student, Air Force Institute of Technology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu
6. September 1974 - September 1979, T-38 instructor pilot, 97th Flying Training Squadron; later, flight commander, assistant section commander, chief of standardization and evaluation, 82nd Flying Training Wing, Williams Air Force Base, Ariz.
7. September 1979 - January 1983, F-15 fighter pilot; later assistant operations officer, chief, F-15 standardization and evaluation, 32nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, Camp New Amsterdam, Netherlands
8. January 1983 - July 1983, student, Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.
9. July 1983 - December 1986, international program manager, Africa; later chief, international programs, Egypt, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
10. December 1986 - January 1991, F-15 instructor pilot; later assistant deputy commander for operations, 405th Tactical Training Wing, Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.
11. January 1991 - August 1991, deputy commander for operations, 4th Tactical Fighter Wing (Provisional) and 4404th Tactical Fighter Wing (Provisional), Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia
12. August 1991 - August 1992, student, National Defense College of Canada, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
13. August 1992 - September 1994, director, operations, plans and programs, Air National Guard, National Guard Bureau, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
14. October 1994 - present, vice director, operational plans and interoperability directorate (J-7), the Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: More than 4,000
Aircraft flown: EC-121, AT-33, O-2A, T-38 and F-15 A/C/E
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster
Bronze Star Medal with "V" device and oak leaf cluster
Purple Heart
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Army Commendation Medal
Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Prisoner of War Medal
Vietnam Service Medal with two service stars
Southwest Asia Service Medal with two service stars
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with bronze star
Kuwait Liberation Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 15, 1969
First Lieutenant Oct 15, 1970
Captain May 15, 1972
Major Oct 10, 1979
Lieutenant Colonel Feb 1, 1985
Colonel Dec 1, 1990
Brigadier General Oct 1, 1994
(Current as of November 1994)