David D. Thompson

David Dean "DT" Thompson (born c. 1963) is a lieutenant general in the United States Air Force, currently serving as vice commander of the United States Space Force.[2][3] He was nominated on August 2020 for promotion to general of the U.S. Space Force and serve as its first Vice Chief of Space Operations.[4][5]

David D. Thompson
Birth name	David Dean Thompson[1]
Nickname(s)	"DT"
Born	c. 1963 Ambridge, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Air Force
Years of service	1985–present (35 years)
Rank	Lieutenant general
Commands held	Aerospace Data Facility-Colorado 45th Operations Group
Awards	Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit Bronze Star Medal Defense Meritorious Service Medal Meritorious Service Medal Air Force Commendation Medal Air Force Achievement Medal

Commissioned in 1985 as a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, he is a career space officer with assignments in operations, research and development, acquisition, and academia.[6] He has commanded operational space units at the squadron, group, and wing levels.

Early life and education

USAFA yearbook photo of Thompson

Born and raised in Ambridge, Pennsylvania, Thompson graduated in Ambridge Area High School in 1981.[7] He got his Bachelor of Science, majoring in astronautical engineering, from the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado and graduated in 1985. In 1989, he received his graduate degree of Master of Science in aeronautics and astronautics from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. He is also an Olmsted Scholar, graduate of the Senior Acquisition Course and a Level III-Certified Program Manager.

Military career

Thompson was commissioned in May 29, 1985 as a second lieutenant of the U.S. Air Force after graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy.

A month after his commission, he was assigned on July 1985 at the Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory at the Edwards Air Force Base, California. For three years after getting his graduate degree, he was an instructor on astronautics in the U.S. Air Force Academy, assigned as the executive officer of the Department of Astronautics of the academy. From 1995 to 1998, he served at Space and Missile Systems Center as program manager.

From July 2015 to July 2017, he served as the Air Force Space Command's then-two-star vice commander. That position was then renamed as AFSPC deputy commander in 2017 with Thomson serving as the special assistant to the AFSPC commander. In 2018, the AFSPC planned to revive the vice commander position, turning it into a position for a three-star general after Congress nixed plans on creating a deputy chief of staff for space operations position.[8] On April 4, 2018, he then assumed the retook his previous position as AFSPC vice commander, promoting him to a lieutenant general.[9]

With the redesignation of the AFSPC as the newly-created United States Space Force (USSF) on December 20, 2019, Thompson retained his position as vice commander of the USSF. In August 2020, he was nominated for transfer to the Space Force at his permanent rank of major general[10] with a new assignment at the rank of general[11] as the first Vice Chief of Space Operations (VCSO).[12]

Awards and decorations

Badge	Master Space Operations Badge
Badge	Basic Parachutist Badge
Badge	Master Acquisition and Financial Management Badge
1st row	Defense Superior Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster						Legion of Merit
2nd row	Bronze Star Medal				Defense Meritorious Service Medal				Meritorious Service Medal
3rd row	Air Force Commendation Medal				Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters				Air Force Meritorious Unit Award
4th row	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters				Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with oak leaf cluster				National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star
5th row	Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal				Global War on Terrorism Service Medal				Air Force Overseas Long Tour Service Ribbon
6th row	Air Force Longevity Service Award with silver and two bronze oak leaf clusters				Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon				Air Force Training Ribbon
Badge	Basic Missile Maintenance Badge

Effective dates of promotion

Rank	Date
Second lieutenant	May 29, 1985
First lieutenant	May 29, 1987
Captain	May 29, 1989
Major	August 1, 1996
Lieutenant colonel	May 1, 2000
Colonel	August 1, 2004
Brigadier general	June 18, 2010
Major general	October 10, 2013
Lieutenant general	April 4, 2018

References

1. Polaris (PDF). XXVII. Colorado Springs, Colorado: United States Air Force Academy. 1985. p. 84. Retrieved February 21, 2019. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
2. "Lieutenant General David D. Thompson". www.af.mil. February 2020. Retrieved May 22, 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
3. Pope, Charles (January 5, 2020). "Officials provide details on building the Space Force, its structure, and operating imperatives". US Space Force. Washington DC. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
4. Erwin, Sanra (August 8, 2020). "With Thompson's nomination, U.S. Space Force leadership takes shape". SpaceNews. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
5. "General Officer Announcement". United States Department of Defense. August 7, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
6. Schurr, Marjorie A. (June 18, 2019). "Steel foundation: Locally-born general comes home to tell AF story". Retrieved July 18, 2020.
7. Prose, J.D. (June 15, 2019). "Air Force Lt. Gen. David Thompson, an Ambridge native, tours RMU simulation center". Retrieved July 17, 2020.
8. Erwin, Sandra (January 17, 2018). "Air Force to create three-star 'vice commander' post to manage space activities". SpaceNews. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
9. "Air Force establishes Pentagon-based AFSPC vice commander position". af.mil. Retrieved May 22, 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
10. "PN2164 — Lt. Gen. David D. Thompson — Space Force". congress.gov. August 6, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
11. "PN2163 — Lt. Gen. David D. Thompson — Space Force". congress.gov. August 6, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
12. "General Officer Announcement". defense.gov. August 7, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2020.

External links

• Appearances on C-SPAN

Military offices
Preceded by David J. Buck	Vice Commander of the Air Force Space Command July 2015-July 2017	Position renamed
Preceded by Bruce H. McClintock	Special Assistant to the Commander, Air Force Space Command July 2017-April 2018	Succeeded by ???
New office	Vice Commander of the Air Force Space Command April 4, 2018–December 20, 2019	Unit redesignated
New office	Vice Commander of the United States Space Force December 20, 2019–present	Incumbent