Lt. Gen. David J. Buck is Commander, 14th Air Force (Air Forces Strategic), Air Force Space Command; and Commander, Joint Functional Component Command for Space, U.S. Strategic Command, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. 

As Commander, 14th Air Force, the Air Force's operational space component to the U.S. Strategic Command, General Buck leads more than 19,500 personnel responsible for providing strategic missile warning, nuclear command, control and communication, position, navigation and timing, space situational awareness, satellite operations, space launch and range operations. As Commander, JFCC Space, he directs all assigned and attached USSTRATCOM space forces providing tailored, responsive and synchronized theater and global space effects in support of national security and combatant commander objectives. He is also responsible for protecting and defending critical U.S. and allied space capabilities.

General Buck received his commission in 1986 as a distinguished graduate of Officer Training School. His career spans a wide variety of command, operations, test and evaluation and staff assignments. He has commanded at the squadron, group and wing levels. His operational experience includes missile operations, space launch and range operations, satellite command and control, space force enhancement and space control. General Buck served on the Joint Staff as principal military adviser to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for Coalition Management. In 2010, he deployed to Southwest Asia as the Director of Space Forces for U.S. Air Forces Central. Following his deployment, General Buck was selected to be the Vice Commander, U.S. Air Force Warfare Center. Prior to assuming his current position, General Buck was first the Director for Operations, then Vice Commander, Air Force Space Command.

EDUCATION
1986 Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, Summa Cum Laude, Kansas Newman University, Wichita
1988 Master of Business degree in Administration, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, S.D.
1991 Distinguished Graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1997 Master of Science degree in National Security and Strategic Studies, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
2003 Distinguished Graduate, Master of Science degree in National Resource Strategy, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair Washington, D.C.
2007 Air Force Senior Leadership Course, Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, N.C.
2008 National Security Management, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
2009 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
2009 Program of Senior Executive Fellows, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.

2016 Pinnacle Fellow, National Defense University, Washington, D.C.
2016 Leadership at the Peak, Colorado Springs, Colo.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. October 1986 - September 1991, Missile Combat Crew Commander, Standardization Evaluation Combat Crew Commander and Emergency War Order Instructor, 44th Strategic Missile Wing, Ellsworth AFB, S.D.
2. September 1991 - August 1993, Top Hand Professional Development Program, 576th Test Squadron, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
3. August 1993 - July 1996, Aide-de-Camp, 20th Air Force, F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo.
4. July 1996 - June 1997, student, College of Naval Command and Staff, Newport, R.I.
5. June 1997 - June 1999, Chief, Current Force Application, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
6. June 1999 - June 2000, Speechwriter, Commander's Action Group, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
7. June 2000 - July 2002, Commander, 1st Space Launch Squadron, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
8. July 2002 - June 2003, student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
9. June 2003 - June 2005, Chief, Multilateral Affairs Division, (J5), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
10. June 2005 - June 2006, Commander, 821st Air Base Group, Thule Air Base, Greenland.
11. June 2006 - August 2007, Deputy Director of Strategic Plans and Programs, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
12. August 2007 - June 2008, Vice Commander, 50th Space Wing, Schriever AFB, Colo.
13. June 2008 - April 2010, Commander, 30th Space Wing, Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
14. May 2010 - May 2011, Director of Space Forces, U.S. Air Forces Central, Southwest Asia
15. June 2011 - May 2013, Vice Commander, U.S. Air Force Warfare Center, Nellis AFB, Nev.
16. May 2013 - August 2014, Director of Air, Space and Cyberspace Operations, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
17. August 2014 - August 2015, Vice Commander, Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
18. August 2015 - present, Commander, 14th Air Force (Air Forces Strategic), Air Force Space Command, and Commander, Joint Functional Component Command for Space, USSTRATCOM, Vandenberg AFB, Calif. 

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 2003 - June 2005, Chief, Multilateral Affairs Division, Directorate for Strategic Plans and Policy (J5), Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., as a colonel
2. August 2015 – present, Commander, 14th Air Force (Air Forces Strategic), Air Force Space Command, and Commander, Joint Functional Component Command for Space, USSTRATCOM, Vandenberg AFB, Calif., as a lieutenant general

BADGES
Master Space Operations Badge
Master Missile Operations Badge
Senior Cyberspace Operator Badge

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Distinguished Service Medal (Air Force) with oak leaf cluster
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2010 Air Force Association’s California Military Member of the Year
2013 Gen. Jerome F. O’Malley Distinguished Space Leadership Award
2016 Gen. Thomas D. White Space Award

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 10, 1986
First Lieutenant June 10, 1988
Captain June 10, 1990
Major Aug. 1, 1996
Lieutenant Colonel May 1, 2000
Colonel July 1, 2005
Brigadier General May 6, 2011
Major General Aug. 8, 2014
Lieutenant General Aug. 14, 2015

(Current as of December 2017)