Brig. Gen. David C. Epperson is the Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff of the Air Force for Great Power Competition Implementation, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. In this role, he leads the Implementation Task Force which is responsible for the development and standup of the Unit of Action defining the future Force Presentation model for the Air Force.
Brig. Gen. Epperson received his commission in 1997 through the United States Air Force Academy. Throughout his career, he employed combat airpower from Kunsan Air Base, Shaw Air Force Base, Hill AFB, Nellis AFB, Bagram AB, and Spangdahlem AB. He commanded the 16th Weapons Squadron, the 455th Expeditionary Operations Group, the 455th and 405th Air Expeditionary Groups, and the 52nd Fighter Wing. Brig. Gen. Epperson previously served as the Director of Checkmate and on the Joint Staff as the Special Projects and Innovation Division Chief.
Prior to assuming his current position, he was Director of Current Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. He is a command pilot with more than 3,000 flying hours and is a graduate of the United States Air Force Weapons School and the Marine Corps School of Advanced Warfighting. He has flown combat missions in operations Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom, Freedom’s Sentinel and NATO’s Resolute Support mission.
EDUCATION
1997 Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, United States Air Force Academy, Colo. 2002 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2005 United States Air Force Weapons Instructor Course, F-16, Nellis AFB, Nev. 2007 Master of Science in Management, American Military University, Charles Town, W.Va.
2007 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2010 Masters of Military Operational Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 2011 Master of Operational Studies, School of Advanced Warfighting, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va.
2012 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2016 Master of Science in National Resource Strategy, Eisenhower School, NDU, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2018 Foreign Politics, International Relations, and the National Interest Fellowship, Seminar XXI, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
2021 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 1997–January 1998, Special Assistant to the Commander, 715th Air Mobility Squadron, Travis Air Force Base, Calif.
2. February 1998–May 1999, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Laughlin AFB, Texas
3. June 1999–February 2000, Student F-16 Fighting Training Unit, Luke AFB, Ariz.
4. March 2000–March 2001, F-16 Pilot, Assistant Air-to-Ground Weapons, 80th Fighter Squadron, Kunsan Air Base, Republic of South Korea
5. March 2001–January 2004, F-16 Instructor Pilot, Functional Check Pilot, Chief of Scheduling, Assistant Chief of Weapons and Tactics, 79th Fighter Squadron, Shaw AFB, S.C.
6. January 2004–August 2006, F-16 Standardization and Evaluation Pilot, Instructor Pilot, Functional Check Flight Pilot, Chief of Weapons and Tactics, Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, 34th Fighter Squadron, Hill AFB, Utah
7. August 2006–July 2009, F-16 Weapons Instructor Course Instructor Pilot, Chief of USAF Weapons School Safety, Flight Commander, Chief of Weapons and Tactics (332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, Balad Air Base, Iraq), 16th Weapons Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
8. July 2009–June 2010, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
9. July 2010–June 2011, Student, School of Advanced Warfighting, Marine Core Base Quantico, Va.
10. June 2011–September 2012, Checkmate Airpower Strategist, Headquarters Air Force/A5XK, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
11. September 2012–July 2015, Commander, Director of Operations, 16th Weapons Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
12. August 2015–June 2016, Student, Eisenhower School, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington D.C.
13. July 2016–July 2018, Chief Special Projects and Innovation Division, Deputy Division Chief Counter Proliferation Unified Collection, J39, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
14. August 2018–March 2019, Commander, 455th Expeditionary Operations Group, Bagram AB, Afghanistan
15. March 2019–June 2019, Commander, 455th Air Expeditionary Group, Bagram AB, Afghanistan
16. June 2019–September 2019, Commander, 405th Air Expeditionary Group, Bagram AB, Afghanistan
17. September 2019–July 2021, Commander, 52nd Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem AB, Germany
18. August 2021–June 2023, Director, Checkmate, A3, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
19. June 2023–July 2024, Director, Current Operations, A3, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
20. July 2024–present, Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff for the Air Force for Great Power Competition Implementation, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2016–July 2018, Chief Special Projects and Innovation Division, Deputy Division Chief Counter Proliferation Unified Collection, J39, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command Pilot
Flight hours: more than 3,000 with 731 combat hours
Aircraft Flown: AT-38B, C-130J, EC-130H, F-15, F-16C/CG/CJ/CM, T-37, T-38A
Primary Aircraft: F-16
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters with three “C” devices
Aerial Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
(Current as of July, 2024)