Maj. Gen. David L. Commons is the Chief, U.S. Military Training Mission to Saudi Arabia, U.S. Central Command, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
General Commons graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering. He flew the T-38 and F-16 before being released from active duty in 1988 after 13 years of service. Following a year and a half flying the A-7 in the Ohio Air National Guard, General Commons entered the Air Force Reserve unit program flying the F-16. He has served as an instructor pilot, flight examiner, flight commander, operations officer and squadron commander. General Commons is a command pilot with more than 3,900 hours of flight time including combat missions in Bosnia.
EDUCATION
1975 Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1981 Distinguished graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1982 Marine Corps Command and Staff College
1983 Air Command and Staff
1999 Air War College
2006 Capstone, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2006 Combined Force Air Component Commander Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2007 Senior Joint Information Operations Applications Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2008 Joint Force Maritime Component Commander Course, Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 1976 - May 1977, student, undergraduate pilot training, Williams AFB, Ariz.
2. June 1977 - December 1981, T-38 instructor pilot, Williams AFB, Ariz.
3. January 1982 - November 1982, Air Staff Training officer, Legislative Liaison, Washington, D.C.
4. December 1982 - April 1983, student, fighter lead-in training, Holloman AFB, N.M.
5. May 1983 - October 1983, student, F-16 Replacement Training Unit, MacDill AFB, Fla.
6. November 1983 - October 1984, F-16 pilot, Nellis AFB, Nev.
7. November 1984 - December 1986, pilot and operations officer, F-16 aerial demonstration team the Thunderbirds, Nellis AFB, Nev.
8. January 1987 - January 1988, F-16 flight commander, Kunsan Air Base, South Korea
9. February 1988 - February 1989, action officer, Current Operations, Headquarters Tactical Airlift Command, Langley AFB, Va.
10. March 1990 - September 1991, A-7D pilot, Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Ohio
11. October 1991 - March 1996, F-16 flight commander, Bergstrom Air Reserve Base, Texas
12. April 1996 - February 1997, F-16 pilot, New Orleans Naval Air Station, La.
13. March 1997 - June 1999, operations officer, 701st Combat Operations Squadron, March ARB, Calif.
14. July 1999 - December 2002, Commander, 701st Combat Operations Squadron, March ARB, Calif.
15. January 2003 - June 2005, mobilization assistant to the Commander, Air Force Command and Control, and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center, Langley AFB, Va.
16. June 2005 - January 2006, mobilization assistant to the Director of Aerospace Operations, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va.
17. January 2006 - August 2007, mobilization assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Air, Space and Information Operations, Plans and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
18. September 2007 - January 2010, mobilization assistant to the Commander, Pacific Air Forces, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
19. February 2010 - May 2011, mobilization assistant to the Chief of the Air Force Reserve, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
20. May 2011 - present, Chief, U.S. Military Training Mission to Saudi Arabia, U.S. Central Command, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: More than 3,900
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-38, F-16 A/B/C/D and A-7D
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Flying Cross
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award
Combat Readiness Medal
National Defense Service Medal with bronze star
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with hourglass
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1981 Commander-in-Chief's Award, Squadron Officer School
1983 Top Gun Award, fighter lead-in training
1983 Top Gun Award, F-16 RTU
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 4, 1975
First Lieutenant June 4, 1977
Captain June 4, 1979
Major May 1, 1985
Lieutenant Colonel June 4, 1996
Colonel Feb. 29, 2000
Brigadier General Sept. 13, 2005
Major General May 12, 2009
Retired September 01, 2013
(Air Force Biography, Current as of May 2011)
