Brig. Gen. David W. Hicks is the Commanding General, Train, Advise, Assist Command-Air and Commander, 438th Air Expeditionary Wing, Kabul, Afghanistan. The mission of the 438th Air Expeditionary Wing is to set the conditions for a professional, fully independent, operationally capable air force ready to meet the security requirements of Afghanistan today ... and tomorrow. TAAC-Air has two air advisory groups throughout the country: at the Hamid Karzai International Airport and Kandahar Airfield.

General Hicks is a 1989 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. His assignments include flying duties as an A-10 pilot, instructor pilot, weapons officer and operational test pilot. He has commanded at the squadron and wing levels. General Hicks has extensive operational experience in Southwest Asia, Far East Asia and Alaska as well as combat tours in Operations Southern Watch, Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. He is a command pilot with over 3,800 flying hours, including over 500 combat hours, more than 3,600 of which are in the A-10. Prior to his current assignment, General Hicks was the Vice Commander, 1st Air Force (Air Forces Northern), Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, and served as the Deputy Joint Forces Air Component Commander for U.S. Northern Command. He was the principal advisor to the commander and assisted in organizing, equipping and operating air defense forces for aerospace warning and control in support of the Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command.

EDUCATION
1989 Bachelor of Science, Engineering Mechanics, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1995 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2002 Air Command & Staff College, by correspondence
2004 Master of Science, Systems Engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson
Air Force Base, Ohio
2007 Air War College, by correspondence

ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 1989 - December 1990, Student, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Columbus AFB, Miss.
2. January 1991 - May 1991, A-10 fighter training course, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.
3. May 1991 - July 1992, A-10 Fighter Pilot, 74th and 76th Tactical Fighter Squadron, England AFB, La.
4. July 1992 - May 1995, A/OA-10 Instructor Pilot, 11th Tactical Air Support Squadron and 355th Fighter Squadron, Eielson AFB, Alaska
5. May 1995 - March 1998, A-10 Operational Test Pilot, Chief of A-10 Operational Test, 422 Test and Evaluation Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
6. March 1998 - June 1999, 51st Fighter Wing Chief of A-10 Weapons and Tactics, Osan AB, South Korea
7. June 1999 - June 2002, A-10 Weapons Instructor Pilot, Assistant Director of Operations, 66th Weapons Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.                             8. June 2002 - August 2003, Executive Officer to the Commander, U.S. Air Force Warfare Center, Nellis AFB, Nev.
9. August 2003 - September 2004, Student, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
10. September 2004 - May 2006, Deputy Chief of Weapons and Tactics Branch, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va.
11. May 2006 - June 2007, Director of Operations, 66th Weapons Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
12. June 2007 - January 2009, Commander, 66th Weapons Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev.
13. January 2009 - June 2009, Deputy Commandant, U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev.
14. June 2009 - June 2010, Secretary of Defense Corporate Fellow, General Dynamics
15. June 2010 - July 2011, 451st Expeditionary Operations Group Commander, Kandahar AB, Afghanistan
16. July 2011 - June 2013, Commander, 53rd Wing, Eglin AFB, Fla.
17. June 2013 - May 2014, Vice Director of Operations, Headquarters North American Aerospace Defense Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
18. June 2014 - June 2016, Vice Commander, 1st Air Force (Air Forces Northern), Tyndall AFB, Fla.
19. June 2016 – present, Commanding General, Train, Advise, Assist Command-Air (TAAC-Air) and Commander, 438th Air Expeditionary Wing, Kabul, Afghanistan

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: command pilot
Flight hours: more than 3,800 hours
Primary aircraft flown: T-37, T-38, AT-38, A-10A, OA-10, A-10C, A-29
Other aircraft flown: F-15, F-16, B-1, HH-60, HC-130, C-130, MQ-1, MQ-9, MC-12

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster Bronze Star
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters Joint Service Achievement Medal
Meritorious Unit Award with Valor device and three oak leaf clusters National Defense Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Korean Defense Service Medal

EFFECTIVE DATE OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 1, 1989
First Lieutenant May 1, 1991
Captain May 1, 1993
Major Aug. 1, 2000
Lieutenant Colonel April 1, 2005
Colonel Sept. 1, 2009
Brigadier General Nov. 10, 2014
(Current as of June 2016)