Colonel David N. (Neal) Unruh is the Director of Air National Guard Forces (CG), Headquarters Air Combat Command (ACC), Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. ACC is the lead Major Command (MAJCOM) for the Combat Air Forces (CAF). Colonel Unruh leads a staff of ANG personnel embedded in the Intelligence (A2); Operations (A3); Maintenance (A4); Plans, Programs, and Requirements (A5/8/9); and Inspector General (IG) divisions. His additional duties include maintaining currency as an F-15C instructor pilot.
Colonel Unruh spent 11 years in the Regular Air Force and 7 years in the Oregon Air National Guard before joining the Title 10 Statutory Tour Program in 2014. His other assignments include Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, and Kingsley Field, Oregon. He has been deployed numerous times in support of contingency operations throughout the world including, most recently, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He graduated from Baylor University, Waco, Texas in 1995.
Prior to his selection as the Director, Col. Unruh was the ANG Advisor to ACC Director of Operations (A3). Previously, he served as the Chief of the ANG Fifth Generation Fighter Branch, serving in ACC Plans, Programs, and Requirements (A589) working in the F-35 System Management Office (F-35 SMO) which is the central clearing house and process owner of F-35 system development and demonstration for ACC. He also served as the 173d Fighter Wing Chief of Advanced Programs and the 173d Operations Support Flight Chief of Training where he directly supervised the 173d Fighter Wing’s multi-million dollar aircraft simulators and training contracts employing multiple contractors.
EDUCATION
1995 Bachelor of Science (BS), Aviation Science, Baylor University, Waco, Texas
2005 Squadron Officer School, In Residence
2008 Air Command and Staff College, Correspondence
2011 Master of Arts (MA), Church History, Newburgh Theological Seminary
2012 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Apologetics, Newburgh Theological Seminary
2013 Doctor of Theology (ThD), Newburgh Theological Seminary
2015 Air War College, Correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS
1. Mar 1997 - May 1997, student, Enhanced Flight Screening Program, Hondo, Texas
2. June 1997 - Sept 1997, student, Officer Training Scholl, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
3. Oct 1997 - Oct 1998, student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Vance AFB, Oklahoma
4. Nov 1998 - Feb 1999, student, T-38 Pilot Instructor Training, Randolph AFB, Texas
5. Apr 1999 - Apr 2002, T-38 Instructor Pilot, Vance AFB, Oklahoma
6. May 2002 - Jul 2002, student, Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals, Sheppard AFB, Texas
7. Aug 2002 - Feb 2003, student, F-15C Formal Training Unit, Tyndall AFB, Florida
8. Mar 2003 - June 2006, F-15C Flight Commander, 12 Fighter Squadron, 3d Fighter Wing, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
9. Jul 2006 - May 2008, F-15C Instructor Pilot, 2d Fighter Squadron, 325th Fighter Wing, Tyndall AFB, Florida
10 Jun 2008 - Sept 2008, Chief if Syllabus Development, 114th Fighter Squadron, Kingsley Field Air National Guard Base, Klamath Falls, Oregon
11. Oct 2008 - Sept 2010, Flight Commander, 114th Fighter Squadron, Kingsley Field Air National Guard Base, Klamath Falls, Oregon
12. Oct 2010 - Jan 2011, Chief of Scheduling,114th Fighter Squadron, Kingsley Field Air National Guard Base, Klamath Falls, Oregon
13. Feb 2011 - Oct 2013, Chief of Training, 173d Operations Support Flight, Kingsley Field Air National Guard Base, Klamath Falls, Oregon
14. Nov 2013 - Nov 2014, Chief of Advanced Programs, 173d Fighter Wing, Kingsley Field Air National Guard Base, Klamath Falls, Oregon
15. Nov 2014 - Jul 2016, Chief, Air National Guard Fifth Gen Fighter Branch - F-35 Systems Management Office (F-35 SMO), ACC/A5F, Langley Air Force Base, Hampton, Virginia
16. Aug 2016 - Mar 2017, Air National Guard Advisor to the Director of Air and Space Operations, ACC/A3G, Langley Air Force Base, Hampton, Virginia
17. Apr 2017 - Present, Director of Air National Guard Forces, Headquarters Air Combat Command, ACC/CG, Langley Air Force Base, Hampton, Virgina
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: 3400 hours
Aircraft flown: F-15 A/B/C/D, T-38
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal (1 device)
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (7 devices)
Combat Readiness Medal
Air Force Recognition Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Air Force Overseas Ribbon Long
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border
Air Force Longevity Service (3 devices)
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with 1 'M' Device
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon (1 device)
Air Force Training Ribbon
Oregon National Guard Superior Unit Citation
Oregon Faithful Service Medal with 'M' Device
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant, September 1997
First Lieutenant, September 1999
Captain, September 2001
Major, June 2007
Lieutenant Colonel, December 2011
Colonel, September 2016
(Current as of July 2017)