B.S. – AEROSPACE ENGINEERING ’93
Major General David A. Harris Jr. graduated with a bachelor of science in aerospace engineering and received his commission in the U.S. Air Force from The University of Alabama in 1993. In March of 1994 he then began Undergraduate Space Training at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the beginning of an illustrious path of educating himself and leading airmen at home and internationally. This path took him from a second lieutenant to a major general.
From 1995 to 1999 Harris spent time at Hurlbert Field, Florida, as an instructor navigator in the 4th Special Operations Squadron. From 2002 to 2005 he served as chief of squadron standards and evaluations of the 7th Special Operations Squadron and the nan evaluator navigator and chief of the Group Information Office, 352nd Special Operations Group, Royal Air Force Mildenhall in the United Kingdom. In 2007 Harris became director of operations for the 550th Special Operations Squadron based out of Kirtland AFB and a year later he became commander of that squadron.
July 2010 saw Harris become deputy director of operations for the Joint Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, and two years later he became commander of the449th Air Expeditionary Group in the Republic of Djibouti. He became a senior analyst at the Pentagon in 2014. His next assignment was as commander of the 1stExpeditionary Special Operations Wing at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. He became vice super intendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy, then returned to Hurlbert Field as director of strategic plans, programs, and requirements for Air Force Special Operations Command. Major General Harris is now the director of the Integration and Innovation Center, deputy chief of staff for Strategy, Integration, and Requirements at the U.S. Air Force Headquarters in the Pentagon.
During his military career Harris received several major awards and decorations, including the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross with “V” device, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, and the Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters. He and his wife Ashley, have two children: Delaney and Scott. Every member of the family either attended or is attending The University of Alabama.