Maj. Gen. David J. Meyer is the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. He is responsible to the Secretary of the Air Force and the Chief of Staff for formulating policy supporting air, irregular warfare, counterproliferation, homeland defense, weather and cyber operations. Maj. Gen. Meyer determines operational requirements, capabilities and training necessary to support national security objectives and military strategy.
Maj. Gen. Meyer earned his commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1987. He is also a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Fighter Weapons School. Maj. Gen. Meyer is a command pilot with more than 4,300 F-16 flying hours in Pacific Air Command, Air Combat Command and the Air National Guard. He has served as an F-16 instructor pilot, operational test pilot, and flight evaluator, and flew more than 70 combat missions in operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and Southern Watch.
Maj. Gen. Meyer has commanded at the group and wing level. His staff and joint experience include assignments at Headquarters Air Force, the National Guard Bureau, and United States European Command. Prior to his current position, Maj. Gen. Meyer was the Deputy Commander, Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central), and Deputy, Combined Force Air Component Commander, U.S. Central Command, Southwest Asia.
EDUCATION
1987 Bachelor of Science, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1994 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1994 U.S. Air Force Fighter Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
2003 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2007 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2014 Joint Task Force Commander Course, United States Northern Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
2016 Defense Support of Civil Authorities Course, Peterson AFB, Colo.
2017 Fellow, Senior Manager Course in National Security Leadership, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
2017 Senior Leadership Orientation Course, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
2018 Fellow, National Security Studies Management Course, Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y.
2018 Senior Executive Seminar, George C. Marshall Center, Garmisch, Germany
2019 Fellow, Capstone General and Flag Officer Course, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2021 Combined Force Air Component Commander Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1987–June 1988, Student Pilot, 50th Flying Training Squadron, Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.
2. July 1988–June 1989, Student Pilot, F-16 Fighting Falcon Flying Training Unit, MacDill AFB, Fla.
3. July 1989–July 1990, F-16 Pilot, 35th Fighter Squadron, Kunsan Air Base, South Korea
4. July 1990–January 1993, F-16 Instructor Pilot, 421st and 34th Fighter Squadron, Hill AFB, Utah
5. February 1993–July 1996, F-16 Instructor Pilot and Operational Test and Evaluation Project Officer, Chief of Weapons and Test Management, 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron, Chief of Flight Safety, Air Warfare Center, Eglin AFB, Fla.
6. August 1996–May 1999, F-16 Instructor Pilot, Flight Commander, later, Assistant Director of Operations, F-16 Division of U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
7. June 1999–June 2001, F-16 Instructor Pilot, Chief Wing Weapons and Tactics, 20th Operational Support Squadron, Assistant Director of Operations, 77th Fighter Squadron, Shaw AFB, S.C.
8. June 2001–March 2010, F-16 Instructor Pilot and Weapons and Tactics Officer, later, Assistant Director of Operations, later, Director of Operations 157th Fighter Squadron, McEntire Joint National Guard Base, S.C.
9. March 2010–May 2011, Vice Commander, 169th Fighter Wing, McEntire Joint National Guard Base, S.C.
10. May 2011–April 2014, Commander 169th Operations Group, McEntire Joint National Guard Base, S.C. and (April 2012– August 2012 Deputy Commander 451st Expeditionary Operations Group, Kandahar Air Base, Afghanistan)
11. May 2014–May 2016, Commander, 169th Fighter Wing, McEntire Joint National Guard Base, S.C.
12. May 2016–June 2017, Chief, Current Operations, National Guard Bureau J-3/7, Arlington Hall, Va.
13. June 2017–September 2017, Special Assistant to the Director Air National Guard for Headquarters Air Force, Air National Guard Assistant for Training and Readiness, Arlington, Va.
14. October 2017–October 2019, Deputy Director of Plans and Operations, United States European Command, Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany
15. October 2019–May 2021, Headquarters North American Aerospace Defense Command Deputy Director of Operations, Peterson AFB, Colo.
16. May 2021–July 2022, Deputy Commander, Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central), Deputy Combined Force Air Component Commander, U.S. Central Command, Southwest Asia
17. July 2022-present, Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Total flight hours: more than 4,300
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-38, AT-38 and F-16A/C/CG/CJ/CM
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with silver and bronze oak leaf cluster
Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with “V” device and bronze oak leaf cluster
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award
Combat Readiness Medal with two silver oak leaf clusters
Southwest Asia Service Medal with bronze service star
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with bronze service star
Iraq Campaign Medal with bronze service star
Korean Defense Service Medal
Air Force Overseas Ribbon Short with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with gold border and oak leaf cluster
Air Force Longevity Service with silver and bronze oak leaf clusters
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with three “M” devices NATO Medal for Afghanistan
Kuwait Liberation Medal Government of Kuwait
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 27, 1987
First Lieutenant May 27, 1989
Captain May 27, 1991
Major Dec. 1, 1998
Lieutenant Colonel Dec. 9, 2003
Colonel March 30, 2011
Brigadier General June 16, 2017
Major General Feb. 27, 2020
(Current as of September 2022)