David L. Goldfein

David Lee Goldfein (born December 21, 1959) is a retired United States Air Force four-star general who last served as the 21st chief of staff of the Air Force. He previously served as the vice chief of staff of the Air Force and, prior to that, he served as the director of the Joint Staff, a position within the Joint Chiefs of Staff who assists the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Goldfein retired from the Air Force on October 1, 2020, after over 37 years of service.

Born at Laon-Couvron Air Base in France, Goldfein is the son of William Michael "Goldie" Goldfein (November 26, 1931 – June 19, 2019) and Mary Vanni Goldfein. His paternal grandfather, Boatswain's mate second class Joseph William Goldfein (June 25, 1896 – June 19, 1974), served in World War I with the United States Navy, and his father was a colonel in the Air Force from 1949 to 1982 and fought in the Vietnam War. His elder brother, Stephen M. Goldfein also served in the Air Force from 1978 to 2008, retiring as a major general; Stephen Goldfein also served as Director of the Joint Staff, a position his brother David would later hold. David Goldfein received his commission from the United States Air Force Academy, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in philosophy in 1983. He is also a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Weapons School at Nellis AFB. He is a Distinguished Eagle Scout and former ranger at the Philmont Scout Ranch.

Goldfein is a Command Pilot with more than 4,200 flying hours with the T-37, T-38, F-16C/D, F-117A, MC-12W, and MQ-9.

Goldfein commanded United States Air Forces Central, Shaw AFB, SC and Al Udeid AB, Qatar; 49th Fighter Wing, Holloman AFB, NM; 52d Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem AB, Germany; 366th Operations Group, Mountain Home AFB, ID; and the 555th Fighter Squadron, Aviano AB, Italy.

Goldfein flew combat missions during the Gulf War, and later deployed to the Vicenza Combined Air Operations Center for Operation Deliberate Force. As commander of the 555th Fighter Squadron, he led his squadron flying an F-16 fighter in Operation Allied Force. During that operation, on 2 May 1999, Goldfein's F-16 was shot down over western Serbia by a S-125 surface-to-air missile fired by the 3rd Battery of the 250th Air Defense Missile Brigade of the Yugoslav Air Force. Goldfein successfully ejected, and was subsequently rescued by NATO helicopters.

Air Force Chief of Staff

On April 26, 2016, Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced that President Obama had nominated Goldfein to succeed General Mark Welsh as the 21st Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. His confirmation hearing took place on June 16, and he succeeded Welsh on July 1, two days after his confirmation.The United States Senate unanimously confirmed General Charles Q. Brown Jr. to succeed Goldfein as the Chief of Staff of the Air Force on June 9, 2020.

Candidate for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Goldfein was the leading candidate to replace General Joseph Dunford as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2019. He was favored for the appointment by both Dunford and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis. However, President Donald Trump, who was feuding with Mattis, rebuked the recommendation and nominated General Mark Milley instead. Milley and Trump had formed a close personal relationship since Trump's assumption of office, with Milley's education at Ivy League universities being perceived as appealing to the president.

Three and a half months after retiring, Goldfein joined the investment firm Blackstone. This is not an uncommon path, as retired Army General David Petraeus joined the investment firm KKR, retired Army General Ray Odierno joined JPMorgan Chase, and retired Admiral James Stavridis joined The Carlyle Group.

1. October 1983 – October 1984, student, undergraduate pilot training, Sheppard AFB, Texas
2. October 1984 – February 1988, T-38 instructor pilot, 90th Flying Training Squadron, Sheppard AFB, Texas
3. February 1988 – January 1992, F-16 instructor pilot and flight commander, 17th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Shaw AFB, S.C.
4. January 1992 – June 1992, student, USAF Fighter Weapons Instructor Course, Nellis AFB, Nev.
5. June 1992 – July 1994, squadron weapons officer and Chief, Wing Weapons and Tactics, 366th Composite Wing, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho
6. July 1994 – June 1995, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
7. June 1995 – May 1996, special assistant to the Commander, Allied Air Forces Southern Europe and Sixteenth Air Force, Naples, Italy
8. May 1996 – August 1997, executive officer to the Commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
9. August 1997 – June 1998, operations officer, 555th Fighter Squadron, Aviano AB, Italy
10. June 1998 – July 2000, Commander, 555th Fighter Squadron, Aviano AB, Italy
11. July 2000 – June 2001, student, National Defense Fellow, State Department Senior Seminar, Arlington, Va.
12. July 2001 – July 2002, Deputy Division Chief, Combat Forces, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
13. August 2002 – July 2004, Commander, 366th Operations Group, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho
14. July 2004 – June 2006, Commander, 52d Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem AB, Germany
15. June 2006 – January 2008, Commander, 49th Fighter Wing, Holloman AFB, N.M.
16. January 2008 – August 2009, Deputy Director of Programs, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington D.C.
17. August 2009 – August 2011, Director of Operations, Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
18. August 2011 – July 2013, Commander, U.S. Air Forces Central Command, Southwest Asia
19. August 2013 – August 2015, Director, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
20. August 2015 – July 2016, Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
21. July 2016 – August 2020, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.