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Major General DAVID A. MINEAU

Maj. Gen. David A. Mineau is the Commander, Air Forces Southern, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. As the Air Force component to U.S. Southern Command, Air Forces Southern conducts security cooperation and provides air, space, and cyberspace capabilities throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Air Forces Southern supports U.S. Southern Command to deter aggression, defeat threats, rapidly respond to crises and work with allies and partner nations to build regional capacity to ensure a secure, free and prosperous Western Hemisphere. 

Prior to this assignment, Maj. Gen. Mineau was the Deputy Commander, Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) and Deputy, Combined Forces Air Component Commander, U.S. Central Command, Southwest Asia. As Deputy Commander, he was responsible for the command and control of air operations and development and execution of contingency plans in a 21-nation area of responsibility covering Central and Southwest Asia. 

Maj. Gen. Mineau was commissioned in 1994 as a distinguished graduate from the U.S. Air Force Academy. He is a command pilot with more than 2,200 flying hours in the F-15C Eagle, F-16C Fighting Falcon, HH-60 Pave Hawk, KC-135 Stratotanker, E-3 Sentry and MQ-9 Reaper and a graduate of the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies. He has flown combat sorties over Iraq and Syria in support of Operations Southern Watch, Desert Fox and Inherent Resolve; has extensive operational and staff experience across the Middle East, Indo-Pacific, Europe, and Central and South America; and commanded an operational squadron, group and wing. 

EDUCATION
1994 Distinguished Graduate, Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1996 Master of Science, Aeronautical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle
2000 Distinguished Graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2006 Distinguished Graduate, Master of Science, Military Operational Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2007 Master of Science, Airpower Art and Science, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2013 Distinguished Graduate, Master of Strategic Studies, Marine Corps War College, Quantico, Va.
2020 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N.C.
2020 Capstone Executive Development Course, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2022 Transnational Issues, Alan L. Freed Associates, Inc., Washington, D.C.
2022 Combined Forces Air Component Commander Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2023 Combined/Joint Special Operations Component Commander Course, MacDill AFB, Fla.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1994–March 1996, Graduate Student, University of Washington, Seattle
2. April 1996–June 1997, Student, Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.
3. July 1997–January 1998, Student, F-15C Formal Training Unit, 95th Fighter Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
4. February 1998–February 2001, F-15C Flight Lead and Chief of Squadron Standardization and Evaluation, 60th Fighter Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla.
5. March 2001–September 2003, F-15C Instructor Pilot, Flight Commander, and Chief of Programing, 1st Fighter Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
6. September 2003–June 2005, F-15C Instructor Pilot and Flight Commander, 85th Operations Squadron, Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland
7. July 2005–June 2006, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
8. June 2006–June 2007, Student, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
9. June 2007–June 2009, Chief of Strategy and Deputy Chief of Combat Plans, 612th Air and Space Operations Center, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
10. June 2009–July 2012, Commander, 18th Operations Support Squadron and Chief of Safety, 18th Wing, Kadena Air Base, Japan
11. July 2012–July 2013, Student, Marine Corps War College, Quantico, Va.
12. July 2013–June 2014, Security Assistance Initiatives, Political-Military Affairs Liaison, and Chief, Air Force Security Assistance, Office of Security Cooperation, U.S. Embassy, Baghdad, Iraq
13. August 2014–July 2016, Commander, 18th Operations Group, Kadena AB, Japan
14. July 2016–July 2018, Commander, 354th Fighter Wing, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska
15. July 2018–June 2019, Director, Joint and National Security Council Matters, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
16. June 2019–August 2021, Director of Current Operations, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
17. August 2021–May 2023, Vice Commander, 15th Air Force, Shaw AFB, S.C.
18. June 2023–August 2024, Deputy Commander, Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central), Deputy, Combined Forces Air Component Commander, U.S. Central Command, Southwest Asia
19. September 2024–present, Commander, Air Forces Southern, U.S. Southern Command, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2013–June 2014, Security Assistance Initiatives, Political-Military Affairs Liaison, and Chief, Air Force Security Assistance, Office of Security Cooperation, U.S. Embassy, Baghdad, Iraq, as a colonel (frocked)
2. June 2023–present, Deputy Commander, Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central), Deputy, Combined Forces Air Component Commander, U.S. Central Command, Southwest Asia, as a brigadier general

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating:  command pilot
Flight hours:  more than 2,200
Aircraft flown:  F-15 A/C, F-16C, HH-60G, E-3, KC-135 and MQ-9

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
USAF General Jerome F. O’Malley Award Winner
Distinguished Graduate, United States Air Force Academy
Distinguished Graduate, Undergraduate Pilot Training
Distinguished Graduate, F-15C Initial Qualification Course
Distinguished Graduate, Squadron Officer School
Distinguished Graduate, Air Command and Staff College
Distinguished Graduate, Marine Corps War College

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 1, 1994
First Lieutenant June 1, 1996
Captain June 1, 1998
Major July 1, 2004
Lieutenant Colonel June 1, 2008
Colonel Sept. 1, 2014
Brigadier General Oct. 2, 2019
Major General Dec. 5, 2023

(Current as of September 2024)