Major General David J. Scott, U.S. Air Force – Retired, was recently Deputy Director, Center for Special Operations, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.  The Center for Special Operations plans, synchronizes, and executes special operations in the conduct of the Global War on Terrorism in order to disrupt, defeat and destroy terrorist networks that threaten the United States, its citizens, and interests worldwide.

Major General Scott previously served as Deputy Commanding General, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, before assuming his current position in April 2006.  He has commanded flying operations forces at the squadron, group, and wing levels, and served on Major Command (MAJCOM), Headquarters Air Force, and Unified Command staffs with overseas postings in Germany, the United Kingdom, Panama, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

Major General Scott graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in General Engineering.  He attended Squadron Officer School in 1981, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in 1989, and Air War College in 1996.  He also earned a Master of Science Degree in Political Science from Auburn University at Montgomery in 1996.

Major General Scott’s decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with one oak leaf cluster, the Bronze Star with one oak leaf cluster, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters, the Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with five oak leaf clusters, the Combat Readiness Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the National Defense Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Air Force Expeditionary Service Medal with gold border and one oak leaf cluster, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, and the NATO Medal.

The General is a command pilot with more than 5,500 flying hours primarily in the MC-130E and H.