Brigadier General David Sanford, USAF
United States Air Force
Commander, Defense Supply Center and Defense Logistics Agency Aviation
Commander, Defense Supply Center and Defense Logistics Agency Aviation
UPCOMING EVENT
Logistics Management November Division Meeting : Featured Speaker
Logistics Management November Division Meeting : Featured Speaker
Bio
Brig. Gen. David J. Sanford is the Commander of Defense Supply Center Richmond and Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Richmond, Virginia. DLA Aviation is a major subordinate command of DLA and is the agency’s combat logistics and supply chain manager for aviation and nuclear assets across the Department of Defense. DLA Aviation is headquartered in Richmond, Va. and operates at 18 geographically separated sites across the U.S. Brig. Gen. Sanford’s team is comprised of more than 3,800 civilian and military personnel supporting more than 13,500 joint aircraft, 450 intercontinental ballistic missiles and a host of other weapons systems. His command is the U.S. military’s integrated material manager for over 1.7 million weapon system items, managing an $8.5 billion supply chain enabling all aspects of the Services operational and depot-level repair actions. Additionally, he serves as base commander for Defense Supply Center Richmond, providing installation support, services and security to 20 tenants, which includes a two-star Virginia National Guard Joint Headquarters, and over 8,000 personnel.Brig. Gen. Sanford received his commission through the Air Force Officer Training School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, in 1995. He graduated from Georgia State University, Atlanta, with a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing. He is a Joint Qualified Officer who performed duties as the Chief, Distribution Division, United States Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. He has served at all levels of command to include flight, group, wing, major command and combatant command levels. Prior to this assignment, he served as the Associate Director at the Directorate of Resource Integration, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., where he assisted the director in strategy development, and the planning, programming and budgeting of weapons systems sustainment, vehicles and support equipment, logistics and installation resource requirements.
EDUCATION
1993 Bachelor of Arts, Marketing, Georgia State University, Atlanta
1998 Master of Science, Logistics Management, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
2000 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, Ala.
2005 Distinguished Graduate, Advanced Logistics Readiness Officer Course, Air Force Expeditionary Center, Fort Dix, N.J.
2007 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, Ala., by correspondence
2008 Distinguished Graduate, Master of Military Operational Art and Science, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2009 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, Ala., by correspondence
2013 Master of Science, National Security Studies, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. 2014 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School, Chapel Hill 2015 Leadership Enhancement Program, Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, N.C.
2019 Senior Acquisition Management Course, Defense Acquisition University, Fort Belvoir, Va.
2020 National and International Security Leadership Seminar, Alan Freed Associates, Washington, D.C.
2021 Enterprise Perspective Seminar, Alan Freed Associates, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 1995–May 1997, Flight Commander for Materiel Storage and Distribution and Flight Commander for Supply Readiness, 23rd Supply Squadron; and Executive Officer, 23rd Logistics Group, Pope Air Force Base, N.C.
2. May 1997–September 1998, Student, Air Force Institute of Technology, Graduate Logistics Management, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
3. September 1998–July 2001, Chief, Supply Programs and Analysis, Logistics System Research Program Manager, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
4. July 2001–July 2002, Flight Commander, Combat Operations Support Flight, 16th Supply Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
5. July 2002–June 2004, Flight Commander/Installation Deployment Officer, Readiness Flight, 16th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
6. July 2004–July 2005, Chief, Logistics Officer Development, Air Force Personnel Command, Randolph AFB, Texas
7. July 2005–July 2007, Chief, Logistics Readiness Officer Assignment Team, then Chief, Field Grade Officer Assignments, Randolph AFB, Texas
8. August 2007–June 2008, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
9. June 2008–July 2009, Commander, 332d Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron, Joint Base Balad, Iraq
10. August 2009–August 2011, Chief, Logistics Panel Programs, then Chief, Logistics Readiness Programs, and later Logistics Panel Chair, DCS for Logistics, Installations, and Mission Support, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
12. August 2011–July 2012, Chief, Corporate Branch, “AF Engine Room,” Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
13. August 2012–June 2013, Student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
14. June 2013–June 2014, Commander, 386th Expeditionary Mission Support Group, Southwest Asia
15. July 2014–July 2016, Chief, Distribution Division, United States Central Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.
16. July 2016–July 2018, Commander, 635th Supply Chain Operations Wing, Scott AFB, Ill.
17. July 2018–July 2019: Associate Director at the Directorate of Resource Integration, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering, and Force Protection, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
18. July 2019–present, Commander, Defense Supply Center Richmond and Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Richmond, Va., with detail April 2020–July 2021, as the Director, Supply Chain Task Force, White House Task Force for COVID-19 Response, Washington, D.C.
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2014–July 2016, Chief, Distribution Division, United States Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. as a colonel
2. July 2019–present, Commander, Defense Supply Center Richmond and Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Richmond, Va. (April 2020–June 2021), Director, White House Coronavirus Supply Chain Task Force, Washington, D.C.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Recognition Ribbon
Kosovo Campaign Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with bronze star
Iraq Campaign Medal with two bronze stars
Armed Forces Service Medal
Air and Space Campaign Medal
NATO Medal with bronze star
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 5, 1995
First Lieutenant May 5, 1997
Captain May 5, 1999
Major June 1, 2005
Lieutenant Colonel March 1, 2009
Colonel Oct. 1, 2013
Brigadier General Sept. 24, 2019
(Current as of September 2021)