Brig. Gen. David R. Lopez serves as the Deputy Director of Operations, U.S. Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. In his current role, he is responsible for developing contingency plans and assisting the Director of Operations and the Commander with overseeing joint operations across a 21-Nation area of responsibility including the Middle East, Central and South Asia, and the strategic waterways that surround them.
Gen. Lopez earned his commission through the ROTC program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1996. He is a Distinguished Graduate of Undergraduate Pilot Training, F-15C Initial Training, Squadron Officer School, and the College of International Security Affairs. The general was a member of the F/A-22 initial cadre in 2004 and later served as an Air Warfare Specialist on the Office of the Secretary of Defense Staff.
Gen. Lopez has commanded at the squadron, group, and wing levels and has deployed three times to the Middle East. The general is a Command Pilot with over 2,000 hours in the F-22 and F-15C, including 84 combat hours over Southwest Asia. In his previous assignment, the general served as Commander of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates.
EDUCATION
1996 Bachelor of Science, Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
2002 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2007 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2008 Master of Science, Aeronautics, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla.
2010 Master of Science, Joint Advanced Warfighting School, Norfolk, Va.
2016 Master of Arts and Chancellor’s Award for Excellence, College of International Security Affairs, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Va.
2016 Enterprise Perspective Seminar, Alan L. Freed Associates, Washington, D.C.
2018 Senior Manager Course in National Security Leadership, George Washington University, D.C
2019 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
2020 National Security Managers Course, Syracuse University, N.Y.
2021 Leading Strategically Seminar, Center for Creative Leadership, Colo.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. April 1997–May 1998, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, AETC Commander’s Trophy, Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas
2. May 1998–June 1998, Student, Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals, Sheppard AFB, Texas
3. June 1998–January 1999, Student, F-15C Formal Training Unit, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
4. February 1999–September 2001, F-15C Instructor Pilot, 58th Fighter Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla.
5. September 2001–May 2003, F-15C FTU Instructor Pilot and Academic Instructor, 325th Operations Support Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
6. May 2003–June 2004, F-15C FTU Instructor Pilot and Flight Commander, 1st Fighter Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
7. June 2004–May 2005, Student, F-22 FTU, 43rd FS, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
8. June 2005–September 2006, F-22 FTU Evaluator Pilot and Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, 43rd FS, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
9. September 2006–September 2008, F-22 Operational Test Pilot and Division Commander, 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
10. September 2008–July 2009, F-22 Operational Test Pilot and Assistant Director of Operations, 422nd TES, Nellis AFB, Nev.
11. July 2009–June 2010, Student, Joint Advanced Warfighting School, National Defense University, Norfolk, Va.
12. June 2010–July 2012, Joint Operational Planner and Chief, Training Division (J37), Headquarters Joint Enabling Capabilities Command, U.S. Transportation Command, Norfolk, Va.
13. September 2012–March 2013, Director of Operations, 1st Operations Support Squadron, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
14. March 2013–July 2015, Commander, 1st OSS, JB Langley-Eustis, Va.
15. July 2015–June 2016, Counter-Terrorism Fellow, College of International Security Affairs, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Va.
16. June 2016–June 2018, Air Warfare Specialist, Office of the Secretary of Defense Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
17. June 2018–June 2019, Commander, 1st Operations Group, JB Langley-Eustis, Va.
18. June 2019–July 2021, Commander, 1st Fighter Wing, JB Langley-Eustis, Va.
19. July 2021–June 2022, Senior Executive Officer to Commander, Air Combat Command, JB Langley-Eustis, Va.
20. June 2022–June 2023, Commander, 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates
21. June 2023–present, Deputy Director of Operations, U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2010–July 2012, Joint Operational Planner and Chief, Training Division (J37), Headquarters Joint Enabling Capabilities Command, U.S. Transportation Command, Norfolk, Va., as a major and lieutenant colonel
2. June 2016–June 2018, Air Warfare Staff Specialist, Office of the Secretary of Defense Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a lieutenant colonel and colonel
3. June 2023–present, Deputy Director of Operations, U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Fla., as a brigadier general
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 2,300 including 84 combat hours
Primary aircraft flown: F-22, F-15C
Other aircraft flown: T-38A, T-37 and AT-38
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit Medal with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Joint Meritorious Unit Award with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with three oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border and oak leaf cluster
(Current as of July 2023)