Maj. Gen. David J. Sanford serves as the Director of Logistics Operations (J3) and Commander of Joint Regional Combat Support for the Defense Logistics Agency, Fort Belvoir, Virginia. DLA Logistics Operations is responsible for the end-to-end supply chain management of DLA’s nine supply chains, providing logistics and material process management policy, guidance, oversight and monitoring supply chain performance. DLA logistics operations oversee the daily operation of DLA’s field activities in supporting 2,300 weapon systems and engages customers around the world to maximize readiness and logistics combat power by leveraging enterprise solutions. Maj. Gen. Sanford also serves as the Commander, Joint Regional Combat Support, overseeing DLA’s three regional commands that provide unified DLA interfaces for warfighters in the United States Europe and Africa Command, United States Central Command and Special Operations Command, and United States Indo-Pacific Command areas of responsibility.
Maj. Gen. Sanford received his commission in 1995 through the Air Force Officer Training School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. He graduated from Georgia State University, Atlanta, with a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing. He is a Joint Qualified Officer who performed duties as the Chief, Distribution Division, United States Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. He has served at all levels of command to include flight, group, wing, major command and combatant command levels. Prior to his current assignment, he served Director of Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. He was responsible for policy, guidance, training and resources in support of more than 49,000 total-force logistics, civil engineering and force protection personnel, and 1,074 aircraft at 10 major installations in the United States and nearly 100 locations worldwide.
EDUCATION
1993 Bachelor of Arts, Marketing, Georgia State University, Atlanta
1998 Master of Science, Logistics Management, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
2000 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, Ala.
2005 Distinguished Graduate, Advanced Logistics Readiness Officer Course, Air Force Expeditionary Center, Fort Dix, N.J.
2007 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, Ala., by correspondence
2008 Distinguished Graduate, Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2009 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, Ala., by correspondence
2013 Master of Science, National Security Studies, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2014 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School, Chapel Hill
2015 Leadership Enhancement Program, Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, N.C.
2019 Senior Acquisition Management Course, Defense Acquisition University, Fort Belvoir, Va.
2020 National and International Security Leadership Seminar, Alan Freed Associates, Washington, D.C.
2021 Enterprise Perspective Seminar, Alan Freed Associates, Washington, D.C.
2022 Executive Program in Logistics and Technology (LOGTECH), University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School, Chapel Hill
2023 Continuous Improvement and Innovation for Executives, Institute for Defense and Business, Duke University, N.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 1995–May 1997, Flight Commander for Materiel Storage and Distribution and Flight Commander for Supply Readiness, 23rd Supply Squadron and Executive Officer, 23rd Logistics Group, Pope Air Force Base, N.C.
2. May 1997–September 1998, Student, Air Force Institute of Technology, Graduate Logistics Management, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
3. September 1998–July 2001, Chief, Supply Programs and Analysis, Logistics System Research Program Manager, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
4. July 2001–July 2002, Flight Commander, Combat Operations Support Flight, 16th Supply Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
5. July 2002–June 2004, Flight Commander/Installation Deployment Officer, Readiness Flight, 16th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
6. July 2004–July 2005, Chief, Logistics Officer Development, Air Force Personnel Command, Randolph AFB, Texas
7. July 2005–July 2007, Chief, Logistics Readiness Officer Assignment Team, then Chief, Field Grade Officer Assignments, Randolph AFB, Texas
8. August 2007–June 2008, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
9. June 2008–July 2009, Commander, 332nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron, Joint Base Balad, Iraq
10. August 2009–August 2011, Chief, Logistics Panel Programs, then Chief, Logistics Readiness Programs, and later Logistics Panel Chair, DCS for Logistics, Installations, and Mission Support, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
11. August 2011–July 2012, Chief, Corporate Branch, “AF Engine Room,” Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Programs, HAF, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
12. August 2012–June 2013, Student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
13. June 2013–June 2014, Commander, 386th Expeditionary Mission Support Group, Southwest Asia
14. July 2014–July 2016, Chief, Distribution Division, United States Central Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.
15. July 2016–July 2018, Commander, 635th Supply Chain Operations Wing, Scott AFB, Ill.
16. July 2018–July 2019, Associate Director at the Directorate of Resource Integration, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering, and Force Protection, HAF, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
17. July 2019–July 2022, Commander, Defense Supply Center Richmond and Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Richmond, Va., with detail April 2020–July 2021, as the Director, Supply Chain Task Force, White House Task Force for COVID-19 Response, Washington, D.C.
19. July 2022–July 2024, Director, Logistics, Engineering, and Force Protection, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
20. July 2024–present, Director, Logistics Operations; Commander, Joint Regional Combat Support, Headquarters Defense Logistics Agency, Fort Belvoir, Va.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2014–July 2016, Chief, Distribution Division, United States Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., as a colonel
2. July 2019–July 2022, Commander, Defense Supply Center Richmond and Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Richmond, Va., Concurrent Detail, April 2020–June 2021, Director, White House Coronavirus Supply Chain Taskforce, Washington, D.C. as a brigadier general
3. July 2024–present, Director, Logistics Operations and Commander, Joint Regional Combat Support, Headquarters Defense Logistics Agency, Fort Belvoir, Va. as a major general
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Recognition Ribbon
Kosovo Campaign Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with bronze star
Iraq Campaign Medal with two bronze stars
Armed Forces Service Medal
Air and Space Campaign Medal
NATO Medal with bronze star
(Current as of November 2024)