David Deptula


David A. Deptula is the dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Power Studies, and a senior scholar at the U.S. Air Force Academy's Institute for Future Conflict. He transitioned from the U.S. Air Force in 2010 at the rank of lieutenant general after more than 34 years of service. Deptula was commissioned in 1974 as a distinguished graduate from The University of Virginia Air Force ROTC program, and remained to complete a master's degree in 1976. During his military career he took part in operations, planning, and joint warfighting at unit, major command, service headquarters and combatant command levels, and also served on two congressional commissions outlining America's future defense posture. He was a principal author of the original Air Force White Paper "Global Reach—Global Power". In the early 1990s he was instrumental in the formation and development of the concept later known as "effects-based operations", having successfully applied it in building the attack plans for the Operation Desert Storm air campaign. He has been cited as having "... fostered the most significant change in the conduct of aerial warfare since Billy Mitchell...Deptula’s framework influenced the successful air campaigns in Operations Allied Force, Iraqi Freedom, and Enduring Freedom. Today, joint targeting cells and Air Force doctrine reflect Deptula's theory of airpower and the changing nature of warfare." Deptula is one of 12 airmen singled out in Airpower Pioneers: From Billy Mitchell to Dave Deptula. He is also the subject of a more detailed review of his contributions to the development of airpower in America's Airman: David Deptula and the Airpower Moment.

Early life and education

Deptula attended Fairfax High School in Fairfax, Virginia, graduating in 1969. In 1974, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in astronomy from the University of Virginia. In 1976 he earned a Master of Science degree in systems engineering from the University of Virginia. In 1978 he graduated from the USAF Squadron Officer School and in 1981 he graduated from the U.S. Air Force Fighter Weapons School. In 1983, he graduated from the Air Command and Staff College. In 1988 he graduated from the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia. In 1994 he earned a Master of Science degree in national security strategy from the National War College at Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C.

Career

Deptula began his USAF career as a pilot earning his wings in 1977. Upon graduation, he was assigned an F-15C air superiority fighter, and went on to serve in fighter squadrons in a variety of roles to include duty as an F-15 aerial demonstration pilot. He attended the USAF Fighter Weapons School, and became a squadron, and then wing weapons officer. His first staff assignment was in USAF Legislative Liaison. The remainder of his career he spent alternating between operational assignments commanding fighter units and in joint operations, with staff assignments at Headquarters USAF, Major Air Force Commands, and with the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Notable assignments included: Policy and issues analyst, Secretary of the Air Force Policy Group; Principal offensive air campaign planner for Operation Desert Shield, and director, Iraq Target Planning Group, Operation Desert Storm; Commander, Combined/Joint Task Force for Operation Northern Watch, U.S. European Command; Director, 2001 Air Force Quadrennial Defense Review ; Director, Combined Air Operations Center, Operation Enduring Freedom 2001; Commander of the General George C. Kenney Warfighting Headquarters, and Vice Commander, Pacific Air Forces; Joint Force Air Component Commander —Operation Unified Assistance—the South Asia tsunami relief effort; and Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Headquarters USAF. An editorial on the impact of his military career appeared in the Air Force Times on August 2, 2010, and a more complete accounting of his military career can be found in Airpower Pioneers: From Billy Mitchell to Dave Deptula.

Leadership in combat and contingency operations

Deptula has experience in combat and leadership in several major joint contingency operations. He was the principal attack planner for the Desert Storm coalition air campaign in 1991. He has twice been a Combined/Joint Task Force Commander – in 1998/1999 for the Operation Northern Watch no-fly zone where he flew 82 combat missions as a general officer, and for Operation Deep Freeze in Antarctica. In 2001, he was director of the Combined Air Operations Center for Operation Enduring Freedom where he orchestrated air operations over Afghanistan in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. In 2005, he was the Joint Force Air Component Commander for Operation Unified Assistance, the South Asia tsunami relief effort, and in 2006 he was the standing JFACC for Pacific Command. He has piloted more than 3,000 flying hours, including multiple fighter aircraft command assignments in the F-15.

Intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and drone leadership

Deptula was the first Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance at Air Force Headquarters, and was involved in shaping and managing military use of unmanned aerial vehicles. Responsible for policy formulation, planning, and leadership of AF ISR and remotely piloted aircraft —also known as drones—he initiated and built the Air Force's first ISR Strategy, established the Air Force ISR Agency, and constructed an Air Force ISR flight plan that established processes to optimize ISR decisions to resource that strategy. He published the first USAF RPA/drone flight plan that together with the ISR strategy formed an ISR enterprise intended to transition the military from an era of industrial age warfare to the information age.

Post-military career

Deptula's post-military retirement life involves research, education, and advocacy on matters relating to national security. He has served as a senior scholar at the U.S. Air Force Academy Center for Character and Leadership Development, as well as in the Institute for Future Conflict, on the Defense Science Board task force on innovation for the future; participated in the crafting of "A New Defense Strategy for a New Era" as a member of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation Defense Advisory Committee; as a senior adviser to the Gemunder Center for Defense & Strategy; and as an adviser to the NATO Joint Air Power Competence Center future vector project. He has been a speaker at events hosted by the USAF; the Air Force Association; the Council on Foreign Relations; the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Affairs; the Center for a New American Security; the Center for Strategic and International Studies; Congressional Staff; the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs; The National Security Roundtable; the Bipartisan Policy Center; the U.S. Peace Institute; several universities; international security events, and testified multiple times to Congress as a defense expert.
As the inaugural holder of the position of dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies initiated in 2013, Lt Gen Deptula, built the institute into what has been cited as the “world’s leading aerospace power think tank.” Its impact has expanded with a growing number of video forums with senior aerospace defense leadership known as the ; ; and its moving into top U.S. rankings for aerospace content. Deptula established both a Space Power Advantage Center of Excellence in 2021 and a Center for Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle and Autonomy Studies in 2022 inside the Mitchell Institute to focus on emerging technologies, concepts, and capabilities.
In addition to his primary occupation as the dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, Deptula is a board member at a variety of institutions; an independent consultant; and is a commentator around the world on military issues; strategy; and ISR. He has appeared in numerous publications, on national and international television and radio, and authored articles in public, and professional magazines, journals, and books. Defense News magazine named Deptula one of the 100 most influential people in U.S. defense for 2014.
In 2014, Deptula was barred from conducting business with the government for over a year after attempting to prevent the cancellation of the TCOM Blue Devil project.

Assignments

  • February 1976 – January 1977, student, undergraduate pilot training, Vance AFB, Oklahoma
  • February 1977 – December 1977, student, F-15 upgrade training, Luke AFB, Arizona
  • January 1978 – September 1979, F-15 flight lead, 7th Tactical Fighter Squadron, and wing training officer, 49th Tactical Fighter Wing, Holloman AFB, New Mexico
  • September 1979 – January 1983, F-15 flight commander, weapons and tactics officer, mission commander, instructor pilot and Pacific Air Forces F-15 aerial demonstration pilot, 67th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Japan
  • January 1983 – February 1984, staff officer, Air Staff Training Program, Weapons Systems Division, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force for Legislative Liaison, Washington, D.C.
  • February 1984 – April 1984, student, F-15 requalification training, Luke AFB, Arizona
  • April 1984 – July 1987, chief, Wing Weapons and Tactics Division, and instructor pilot, 325th Tactical Training Wing, Tyndall AFB, Florida
  • July 1987 – January 1988, student, Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Virginia
  • January 1988 – September 1989, action officer, Directorate of Warfighting Concepts Development, Doctrine Division, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
  • September 1989 – January 1992, policy and issues analyst, and Secretary of the Air Force Policy Group member, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, D.C.
  • February 1992 – March 1992, student, F-15 requalification training, Tyndall AFB, Florida
  • March 1992 – July 1993, Chief of Wing Safety, and Team Chief and lead pilot for William Tell 1992, 33rd Fighter Wing; later, deputy commander of 33rd Logistics Group, Eglin AFB, Florida
  • August 1993 – June 1994, student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
  • May 1994 – August 1995, team leader, Joint Warfighting and Deep Attack Issues, and professional staff member, Commission on Roles and Missions of the Armed Forces, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington, D.C.
  • August 1995 – September 1995, student, F-15 requalification training, Tyndall AFB, Florida
  • October 1995 – December 1996, commander, 33rd Operations Group, Eglin AFB, Florida
  • January 1997 – January 1998, senior Air Force representative, National Defense Panel, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington, D.C.
  • February 1998 – March 1998, student, F-15 requalification training, Tyndall AFB, Florida
  • April 1998 – October 1999, commander, Combined Task Force for Operation Northern Watch, U.S. European Command, Incirlik Air Base, Turkey
  • October 1999 – February 2000, Director for Expeditionary Aerospace Force Implementation, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
  • February 2000 – December 2001, director, Air Force Quadrennial Defense Review, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
  • December 2001 – October 2003, director of plans and programs, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Virginia
  • November 2003 – August 2005, Director of Air and Space Operations, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
  • September 2005 – July 2006, Commander of the General George C. Kenney Warfighting Headquarters, and Vice Commander, Pacific Air Forces, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
  • July 2006 – October 2010, Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.

    Joint assignments

  • August 1990 – March 1991, principal air campaign planner, Operation Desert Shield, and director, Iraq Target Planning Group, Operation Desert Storm, Joint Force Air Component Command, Saudi Arabia, as a lieutenant colonel
  • May 1994 – August 1995, team leader-Joint Warfighting Issues, and professional staff member, Commission on Roles and Missions of the Armed Forces, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington, D.C., as a colonel
  • January 1997 – January 1998, National Defense Panel staff member, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington, D.C., as a colonel
  • April 1998 – October 1999, commander, Combined/Joint Task Force Operation Northern Watch, U.S. European Command, Incirlik AB, Turkey, as a brigadier general
  • September 2001 – November 2001, director, Combined Air Operations Center, Operation Enduring Freedom, Saudi Arabia, as a major general
  • December 2004 – February 2005, Joint Force Air Component Commander, Operation Unified Assistance, Hickam AFB, Hawaii, as a major general
  • October 2005 – July 2006, commander, Joint Task Force Operation Deep Freeze, and standing Joint Force Air Component Commander for Pacific Command, Hickam AFB, Hawaii, as a lieutenant general

    Flight information

  • Rating: Command pilot
  • Flight hours: More than 3,000, including more than 400 combat hours
  • Aircraft flown: T-37 Tweet|T-37], T-38 Talon|T-38] and F-15A/B/C/D

    Awards and decorations

Effective dates of promotion

Publications

  • "," War on the Rocks, December 9, 2022
  • "," November 30, 2022
  • "," FORBES, November 27, 2022
  • "," FORBES, November 1, 2022
  • "," FORBES, October 7, 2022
  • "," Defense Opinion, September 13, 2022
  • "," Mitchell Institute Policy Paper, Vol 37, September 12, 2022
  • "," FORBES, July 25, 2022
  • "," FORBES, June 9, 2022
  • "," FORBES, May 31, 2022
  • "" Defense News, May 17, 2022
  • "," FORBES, March 31, 2022
  • "," FORBES, March 16, 2022
  • "," THE HILL, March 14, 2022
  • "," FORBES, February 10, 2022
  • "," Aether: A Journal of Strategic Airpower & Spacepower, 2022
  • "," THE JOURNAL OF CHARACTER & LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, Fall 2021
  • "," FORBES, November 11, 2021
  • "," FORBES, November 4, 2021
  • "," FORBES, October 25, 2021
  • "," THE HILL, October 11, 2021
  • "," FORBES, September 16, 2021
  • "," Breaking Defense, September 20, 2021
  • "," FORBES, July 23, 2021
  • "," Mitchell Institute Forum Paper, Number 41, July 21, 2021
  • "," Mitchell Institute Policy Paper, Vol 28, July 20, 2021
  • "," FORBES, July 6, 2021
  • "," FORBES, Jun 23, 2021
  • "," Mitchell Institute Study, May 18, 2021
  • "," FORBES, May 3, 2021
  • "," Air & Space Forces Magazine, April 23, 2021
  • "," FORBES, March 29, 2021
  • "," War on the Rocks, March 1, 2021
  • "," Mitchell Institute Policy Paper, Vol 25, February 2021
  • "," FORBES, January 28, 2021
  • "," Balloons to Drones, January 21, 2021
  • "," A Special Report by the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, January 17, 2021
  • "," FORBES, December 22, 2020
  • "," FORBES, December 14, 2020
  • "," FORBES, November 18, 2020
  • "," Air & Space Forces Magazine, September 1, 2020
  • "," The Hill, August 16, 2020
  • "" The Hill, August 5, 2020
  • "," Breaking Defense, July 22, 2020
  • "," FORBES, July 20, 2020
  • "," FORBES, July 13, 2020
  • "," C4ISRNET, July 9, 2020
  • "," Mitchell Institute Policy Paper, Vol 23, July 8, 2020
  • "," FORBES, June 9, 2020
  • "," FORBES, May 18, 2020
  • "," The American Spectator, May 13, 2020
  • "," Breaking Defense, May 4, 2020
  • "," FORBES, March 2, 2020
  • "," FORBES, February 14, 2020
  • "," FORBES, February 12, 2020
  • "," Breaking Defense, January 23, 2020
  • "T ," FORBES, January 6, 2020
  • "," Mitchell Institute Study, December 1, 2019
  • "," FORBES, November 20, 2019
  • "," FORBES, October 5, 2019
  • "," Mitchell Institute Study, September 11, 2019
  • "," Air & Space Forces Magazine, September 1, 2019
  • "," FORBES, July 26, 2019
  • "," FORBES, July 17, 2019
  • "" FORBES, June 25, 2019
  • "" FORBES, June 19, 2019
  • "," FORBES, May 5, 2019
  • "," Mitchell Institute Policy Paper, Vol 20, April 18, 2019
  • "," FORBES, April 10, 2019
  • "," FORBES, March 26, 2019
  • "," Mitchell Institute Policy Paper, Vol 19, March 6, 2019
  • "," FORBES, February 27, 2019
  • "," FORBES, February 26, 2019
  • "," Foreign Policy, March 18, 2019
  • "," Mitchell Institute Policy Paper, Vol 18, February 27, 2019
  • "," Mitchell Institute Study, February 14, 2019
  • "," FORBES, February 11, 2019
  • "," RAF Airpower Review, Winter 2018
  • "," Defense News, January 16, 2019
  • "," FORBES, January 10, 2018
  • "," FORBES, November 26, 2018
  • "," FORBES, November 5, 2018
  • "," FORBES, October 25, 2018
  • "," FORBES, October 19, 2018
  • "," FORBES, October 5, 2018
  • "," Mitchell Institute Study, September 20, 2018
  • "," Mitchell Institute Policy Paper, Vol 16, August 8, 2018
  • "," Mitchell Institute Policy Paper, Vol 15, July 10, 2018
  • "," Breaking Defense, June 22, 2018
  • "," Breaking Defense, June 22, 2018
  • "," Mitchell Institute Policy Paper, Vol 12, June 12, 2018
  • "," Fox News Opinion, June 11, 2018
  • "," Mitchell Institute Policy Paper, Vol 10, March 23, 2018
  • "," Texas National Security Review, December 21, 2017
  • "," Cipher Brief, August 8, 2017
  • "," Breaking Defense, July 12, 2017
  • "," Breaking Defense, June 28, 2017
  • "," Mitchell Institute Study, June 28, 2017
  • "," Breaking Defense, April 13, 2017
  • "," A Special Report by the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, March 1, 2017
  • "," Breaking Defense, January 31, 2017
  • "," Breaking Defense, December 13, 2016
  • "," Breaking Defense, October 11, 2016
  • "," Mitchell Institute Policy Paper, Vol 4, September 16, 2016
  • "," Mitchell Institute Policy Paper, Vol 2, September 6, 2016
  • "," Breaking Defense, May 16, 2016
  • "," Breaking Defense, April 8, 2016
  • "," Breaking Defense, March 18, 2016
  • "," Mitchell Institute Policy Paper, Vol 1, March 1, 2016
  • "," Breaking Defense, January 20, 2016
  • "How to Defeat the Islamic State," The Washington Post, 5 Jun 2015
  • "Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance in the Information Age," Leading Edge—Airpower in Theory & Practice, 9 Jun 2015
  • "Airmindedness," Leading Edge—Airpower in Theory & Practice, 1 May 2015
  • "The Russians Have Us Over A Rocket," Wall Street Journal, 23 Oct 2014
  • "How To Defeat ISIL: It’s All About The Strategy," Breaking Defense, 5 Sep 2014
  • "A New Era for Command and Control of Aerospace Operations," Air & Space Power Journal, Jul-Aug 2014
  • "A Reinvigorated Beacon of Aerospace Advocacy," Wingman Magazine, May 2014
  • "Sending a Bunker-Buster Message to Iran," Wall Street Journal, 7 Apr 2014
  • "Toward A Balanced Combat Air Force," CSBA, Mar 2014
  • "Drones Best Weapons We've Got For Accuracy, Control, Oversight," AOL Defense, Mar 2013
  • "New Capabilities, New Constraints Call For New Concepts," AOL Defense, Jan 2013
  • "Missing From Our Two Wars: Clear Goals, Joint Forces," in AOL Defense, Oct 2012
  • "Afghan War Lessons: U.S. Must Make Strategic Choices As Budgets Shrink," AOL Defense, Oct 2011"Integration Nation," C4ISR Journal, Apr 2012
  • "ISR Will Lead the Fight by 2020," AOL Defense, Jun 2011
  • "The Future of Air Power," in Global Air Power, 2011
  • "Information-age Warfare Demands New Approaches to ISR," Armed Forces Journal International, Nov 2010
  • "Global Distributed ISR Operations: The Changing Face of Warfare," Joint Forces Quarterly 54, 2009
  • "A House Divided: The Indivisibility of ISR," Air & Space Power, Summer 2008
  • "Toward Restructuring National Security," Strategic Studies Quarterly Vol 1, No. 2, 2007
  • "Transforming Air and Space Power Organization in the Pacific," High Frontier Magazine, 2006
  • "Direct Attack: Enhancing Counterland Doctrine & Jnt Air-Ground Operations," Air & Space Power Journal, Winter 2003
  • "Transforming Joint Air-Ground Operations for 21st Century Battlespace," Field Artillery Mag, Jul-Aug 2003
  • "Embracing Change: US Air Force Transformation," Armed Forces Journal International, October 2001
  • "Effects-based Operations: Change in the Nature of War," Aerospace Education Foundation, 2001
  • "Air Exclusion Zones: Instruments of Security Policy in a New Era," RAAF Proceedings, 2000
  • "Parallel Warfare—What is it? Where did it come from? Why Is It Important?" Eagle in the Desert, 1996
  • "Firing for Effect: Change in the Nature of Warfare," AFA Defense and Airpower Series, 1995