Brig. Gen. David G. Ehrhart is Staff Judge Advocate, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. He is the principal legal adviser to the AFMC Commander and staff. The command's 77,000 people manage $47 billion annually in research, development, test and evaluation while providing the acquisition management services and logistics support required to develop, procure and sustain Air Force weapon systems. He oversees more than 330 attorneys and nearly 200 paralegals at 18 locations. His responsibilities included all Air Force litigation before the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals, having a case value approaching $2 billion.
General Ehrhart was born in Topeka, Kan., and raised in Omaha, Neb. He graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1975 and first served as a design engineer and contract programmer. His litigation experience includes assignments as a Prosecutor, Circuit Defense Counsel and as a government contracts litigator. He was Commandant of the Air Force Judge Advocate General School and Commander of the Air Force Legal Services Agency. The general has also served as Staff Judge Advocate for a fighter wing, an air logistics center and Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe. Prior to his current assignment, he was Assistant Judge Advocate General for Military Law and Operations at Headquarters U.S. Air Force.
EDUCATION
1975 Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1977 Master's degree in business administration and management, University of Utah, Salt Lake City
1981 Juris Doctor, cum laude, Creighton University School of Law, Omaha, Neb.
1994 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 1975 - August 1978, design engineer, 56th Civil Engineering Squadron, MacDill AFB, Fla.
2. August 1978 - July 1981, student, Air Force Institute of Technology, Creighton University, Omaha, Neb.
3. July 1981 - July 1983, Assistant Staff Judge Advocate, Lowry Technical Training Center, Lowry AFB, Colo.
4. July 1983 - August 1984, Circuit Defense Counsel, Lowry AFB, Colo.
5. August 1984 - August 1986, contract law attorney, later, executive officer, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, Headquarters Air Force Logistics Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
6. August 1986 - July 1988, Deputy Chief, Eastern Trial Division, Air Force Contract Law Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
7. July 1988 - January 1991, Staff Judge Advocate, 32nd Tactical Fighter Group, Soesterberg Air Base, Netherlands
8. January 1991 - August 1993, Staff Judge Advocate, 833rd Air Division and, later, the 49th Fighter Wing, Holloman AFB, N.M.
9. August 1993 - June 1994, student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
10. June 1994 - July 1996, Deputy Legal Adviser, Headquarters U.S. European Command, Stuttgart, Germany
11. August 1996 - June 1998, Staff Judge Advocate, San Antonio Air Logistics Center, Kelly AFB, Texas
12. June 1998 - July 2000, Commandant, Air Force Judge Advocate General School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
13. July 2000 - June 2001, Deputy Staff Judge Advocate, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
14. June 2001 - June 2003, Staff Judge Advocate, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein AB, Germany
15. June 2003 - June 2005, Commander, Air Force Legal Services Agency, Bolling AFB, Washington, D.C.
16. June 2005 - June 2006, Assistant Judge Advocate General for Military Law and Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
17. June 2006 - present, Staff Judge Advocate, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with silver and bronze oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with four oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with bronze star
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
BAR ADMISSIONS
Supreme Court of Nebraska
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2001 Outstanding Senior Judge Advocate of the Year, Air Force Association
2006 Creighton University School of Law Alumni Merit Award
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 4, 1975
First Lieutenant June 4, 1977
Captain June 4, 1979
Major Nov. 1, 1985
Lieutenant Colonel Nov. 1, 1991
Colonel Feb. 1, 1996
Brigadier General Sept. 1, 2005
Retired January 01, 2009
(Air Force Biography, Current as of December 2008)
