Lt. Gen. David D. Thompson is Vice Commander, Air Force Space Command, Washington, D.C. He is responsible to the commander of Air Force Space Command in carrying out Air Force space missions and integrating space policy, guidance, coordination and synchronization of space-related activities, and issue resolution for Air Force Space Command and the Department of the Air Force.

Air Force Space Command organizes, trains, equips and maintains mission-ready space forces and provides missile warning, positioning, navigation and timing, and communications for North American Aerospace Defense Command, U.S. Strategic Command and the other functional and geographic combatant commands. The command comprises approximately 30,000 space professionals worldwide.

General Thompson was commissioned in 1985 as a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. He is a career space officer with assignments in operations, acquisition, research and development, and academia. He has commanded operational space units at the squadron, group and wing levels. The general is also an Olmsted Scholar, graduate of the Senior Acquisition Course and Level III-Certified Program Manager. Prior to his assignment as Vice Commander, General Thompson was the Special Assistant to the Commander, Air Force Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado.

EDUCATION 
1985 Bachelor of Science degree in Astronautical Engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. 
1989 Master of Science degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind. 
1990 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 
1998 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 
2000 Advanced Program Managers Course, Defense Systems Management College, Fort Belvoir, Va. 
2001 Air War College, by seminar 
2005 Master of Science degree in National Security Industrial Policy, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. 

ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1985 - May 1988, Experimental Rocket Propulsion Engineer and Chief, Motor/ Component Operations Section, Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory, Edwards AFB, Calif. 
2. June 1988 - July 1989, Graduate Student, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind. 
3. August 1989 - October 1992, Instructor of Astronautics, Assistant Professor and Executive Officer, Department of Astronautics, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. 
4. October 1992 - May 1993, Student, Defense Language Institute, Presidio of Monterey, Calif. 
5. June 1993 - July 1995, Olmsted Scholar, Johannes Kepler University, Linz, Austria 
6. August 1995 - July 1997, Program Manager, Advanced MILSATCOM Program, MILSATCOM Joint Program Office, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, Calif. 
7. August 1997 - June 1998, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 
8. July 1998 - August 2000, Spacelift Requirements Officer and Chief, Spacelift Vehicle Requirements Branch, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs, Colo. 
9. September 2000 - April 2002, Deputy Director, Commander's Action Group, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo. 
10. June 2002 - July 2004, Operations Officer and Commander, 2nd Space Launch Squadron, Vandenberg AFB, Calif. 
11. August 2004 - June 2005, Student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. 
12. June 2005 - July 2007, Commander, 45th Operations Group, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. 
13. August 2007 - May 2009, Commander, Aerospace Data Facility - Colorado, Buckley AFB, Colo. 
14. June 2009 - June 2010, Director of Space Forces, U.S. Air Forces Central, Southwest Asia 
15. July 2010 - May 2011, Vice Commander, U.S. Air Force Warfare Center, Nellis AFB, Nev. 
16. May 2011 - March 2012, Director of Air, Space and Cyberspace Operations, Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo. 
17. March 2012 – January 2014, Deputy Director of Global Operations, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb. 
18. January 2014 – June 2015, Director of Plans and Policy, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb. 
19. July 2015 –July 2017, Vice Commander, Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
20. July 2017 – April 2018, Special Assistant to the Commander, Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
21. April 2018 – present, Vice Commander, Air Force Space Command, Washington, D.C.

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS 
August 2007 - May 2009, Commander, Aerospace Data Facility - Colorado, Buckley AFB, Colo., as a colonel 
March 2012 - January 2014, Deputy Director of Global Operations (DJ3), U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb., as a brigadier general and major general
January 2014 – July 2015, Director of Plans and Policy (J5), U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb., as a major general 

BADGES 
Command Space Wings 
Parachute Badge 
Master Acquisition Badge 
Missile Maintenance Badge 

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit 
Bronze Star Medal 
Defense Meritorious Service Medal 
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters 
Air Force Commendation Medal 
Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters 

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION 
Second Lieutenant May 29, 1985 
First Lieutenant May 29, 1987 
Captain May 29, 1989 
Major Aug. 1, 1996 
Lieutenant Colonel May 1, 2000 
Colonel Aug. 1, 2004 
Brigadier General June 18, 2010 
Major General Oct. 10, 2013 
Lieutenant General April 4, 2018

(Current as of July 2018)