Lt. Gen. David S. Nahom is the Commander, Alaskan Command, United States Northern Command; Commander, Eleventh Air Force, Pacific Air Forces; and Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command Region, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. He is the senior military officer in Alaska, responsible for the integration of all military activities in the Alaskan joint operations area, synchronizing the activities of more than 21,000 active-duty and reserve forces from all services. As Commander of the Alaskan Region of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, Lt. Gen. Nahom directs operations to ensure effective surveillance, monitoring, and defense of the region’s airspace. He is also responsible for the planning and execution of all homeland defense operations within the area of responsibility, including security and civil support actions. Lt. Gen. Nahom also commands Eleventh Air Force, overseeing the training and readiness of five wings and Air Force installations located in Alaska, Hawaii, and Guam.
Lt. Gen. Nahom was commissioned through the Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Colorado and is a distinguished graduate of both undergraduate navigator training and Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training. During his 33-year active duty Air Force career, the general commanded at the squadron, group and wing level and is a command pilot with more than 3,400 hours in the F-22A Raptor, F-15A/B/C/D Eagle and F-111F Aardvark.
In addition to his flying and command experience, Lt. Gen. Nahom is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and the NATO Defense College. He has held headquarters-level assignments at NATO Combined Air Operations Center Six, U.S. Forces Korea, Pacific Air Forces, Headquarters Air Force and Air Forces Central Command. Prior to his current assignment, Lt. Gen. Nahom was the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia.
EDUCATION
1988 Bachelor of Arts, Economics, University of Colorado, Boulder
1993 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2001 Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
2001 Master of Military Operational Arts and Science, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
2006 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2009 NATO Defense College, Rome, Italy
ASSIGNMENTS OR CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. November 1988–August 1989, Student, Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training, Mather Air Force Base,
Calif.
2. September 1989–October 1989, Student, AT-38 Fighter Lead-In Training, 436th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron,
Holloman AFB, N.M.
3. November 1989–May 1990, Student, F-111 Replacement Training Unit, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho
4. June 1990–February 1993, F-111F Weapons Systems Officer, 492nd TFTS, RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom
5. March 1993–July 1994, Student, Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training, Sheppard AFB, Texas
6. August 1994–October 1994, Student, Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals, Columbus AFB, Miss.
7. November 1994–June 1995, Student, F-15C Fighter Training Unit, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
8. July 1995–September 1997, Aircraft Commander, Mission Commander, 71st Fighter Squadron, Joint Base Langley
Eustis, Va.
9. September 1997–December 1999, Flight Lead, Chief Squadron Scheduler, Operations Support Squadron, JB
Langley-Eustis, Va.
10. December 1999–June 2000, F-15C Instructor Pilot, Assistant Director of Operations, 95th FS, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
11. June 2000–July 2001, Student, Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
12. September 2002–June 2003, Chief Wing Training, F-15C Instructor Pilot, 33rd Operations Support Squadron, Eglin
AFB, Fla.
13. June 2003–August 2005, Assistant Director of Operations, Director of Operations, 60th FS, Eglin AFB, Fla.
14. August 2005–June 2006, Chief of Wing Safety, 33rd Fighter Wing, Eglin AFB, Fla.
15. June 2006–August 2008 Commander, Deputy Commander for Maintenance Group, 60th FS, Eglin AFB, Fla.
16. July 2008–January 2009, Student/Senior Course Member, NATO Defense College, Rome, Italy
17. June 2010–July 2012, Commander, 18th Operations Group, Kadena Air Base, Japan
18. July 2012–March 2013, Executive Officer to Commander Pacific Air Forces, JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
19. March 2013–August 2014, Commander, 3rd Wing, JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
20. September 2014–October 2015, Director of Regional Affairs, Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, International
Affairs, Headquarters Air Force, Arlington, Va.
21. November 2016–April 2017, Deputy Director of Plans, Programs and Requirements, JB Langley-Eustis, Va.
22. April 2017–May 2018, Deputy Commander, US Air Forces Central Command; Deputy, Combined Force Air
Component Commander, US Central Command, Southwest Asia
23. May 2018–September 2019, Director of Programs, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs,
Headquarters Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
24. September 2019–August 2022, Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Programs, Headquarters Air Force, the Pentagon,
Arlington, Va.
25. August 2022–Present, Commander, Alaskan Region, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Commander,
Alaskan Command, U.S. Northern Command and Commander, Eleventh Air Force, Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base
Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2001–July 2002, Chief of Fighter Operations, NATO Combined Air Operations Six, Eskisehir, Turkey, as a
major
2. February 2009–June 2010, Chief J37 Training, Readiness, and Exercises Division, U.S. Pacific Command, Yon
San, Seoul, South Korea, as a colonel
3. August 2022–Present, Commander, Alaskan Region, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Commander,
Alaskan Command, U.S. Northern Command and Commander, Eleventh Air Force, Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base
Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, as a lieutenant general
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 3,400
Aircraft flown: F-22A, F-15 A-D, AT-38, T-38, T-37 and F-111A/F
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Achievement medal with two oak leaf clusters
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant August 13, 1988
First Lieutenant August 13, 1990
Captain August 13, 1992
Major December 01, 1999
Lieutenant Colonel April 01, 2004
Colonel July 01, 2009
Brigadier General October 17, 2014
Major General June 02, 2018
Lieutenant General September 04, 2019
(CURRENT AS OF SEPTEMBER 2023)