Lieutenant General David G. “Baja” Shoemaker is Deputy Commander, U.S. Forces Korea; Commander, Air Component Command, United Nations Command; Commander, Combined Air Component Command, Combined Forces Command; and Commander, Seventh Air Force, Pacific Air Forces, Osan Air Base, South Korea. He is also the U.S. representative to the joint committee for the Status of Forces Agreement between the two countries.

General Shoemaker received his commission in 1994 from the U.S. Air Force Academy. He held a variety of operational and staff assignments, including command of the 8th Fighter Wing “Wolf Pack.”

General Shoemaker is a command pilot with more than 2,000 pilot hours in the T-37, T-38, and F-16. He has flown in operations JOINT FORGE, JOINT GUARDIAN, PROVIDE COMFORT, NORTHERN WATCH, SOUTHERN WATCH, IRAQI FREEDOM, AND ENDURING FREEDOM, logging 100 combat sorties in the F-16. Prior to his current assignment, he served as Deputy Commander, 9th Air Force (Air Forces Central) and Deputy Commander, Combined Forces Air Component Command, United States Central Command, Southwest Asia.

EDUCATION

1994 Bachelor of Science, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2002 Distinguished Graduate, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2006 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2007 Master of Military Art and Science, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
2008 Joint and Combined Warfighting School, Norfolk, Va.
2010 Superior Graduate, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2015 Master of Strategic Studies, School of Advanced Military Studies (Advanced Operational Studies Fellowship), Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
2016 Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N.C.
2019 Combined Forces Maritime Component Commander Course, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
2021 CAPSTONE General and Flag Officer Course, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington D.C.
2024 Joint Flag Officer Warfighting Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2024 Combined Forces Air Component Commander Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.

ASSIGNMENTS

1. September 1994 – March 1995, Student, Undergraduate Controller Training, Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.
2. March 1995 – June 1999, Evaluator Air Surveillance Officer, 964th Airborne Air Control Squadron, Tinker AFB, Okla.
3. June 1999 – January 2001, Student, Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training and Fighter Introduction, Sheppard AFB, Texas
4. January 2001 – October 2001, Student, F-16 Replacement Training, Luke AFB, Ariz.
5. October 2001 – October 2005, Flight Commander and Instructor Pilot, 510th Fighter Squadron, Aviano Air Base, Italy
6. October 2005 – December 2006, Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, 8th Operations Group, Kunsan AB, South Korea
7. January 2007 – December 2007, Student, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
8. December 2007 – July 2010, Instructor and Director of Operations, Air Force Element, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
9. July 2010 – August 2011, Director of Operations, 35th Fighter Squadron, Kunsan AB, South Korea
10. September 2011 – May 2012, Chief of Safety, 388th Fighter Wing, Hill AFB, Utah
11. May 2012 – June 2014, Commander, 421st Fighter Squadron, Hill AFB, Utah
12. June 2014 – June 2015, Advanced Operational Studies Fellow, School of Advanced Military Studies, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
13. July 2015 – May 2017, Vice Commander, 56th Fighter Wing, Luke AFB, Ariz.
14. May 2017 – June 2018, Commander, 8th Fighter Wing, Kunsan AB, South Korea
15. June 2018 – June 2019, Executive Assistant to the Commander, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
16. June 2019 – June 2020, Chief of Staff, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Hickam AFB, Hawaii
17. June 2020 – July 2023, Deputy Director of Operations, Headquarters, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii
18. August 2023 – April 2025, Director of Operations, Headquarters, Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va.
19. April 2025 – May 2026, Deputy Commander, Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central), Shaw AFB, S.C., and the Deputy Combined Forces Air Component Commander for U.S. Central Command, Southwest Asia
20. May – August 2026, Special Assistant to the Commander, Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va.
21. August 2026 – present, Deputy Commander, United States Forces Korea; Commander, Air Component Command, United Nations Command; Commander, Air Component Command, Combined Forces Command; and Commander, Seventh Air Force, Pacific Air Forces, Osan AB, South Korea

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS

1. December 2007 – July 2010, Instructor and Director of Operations, Air Force Element, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan., as a lieutenant colonel
2. June 2020 – August 2023, Deputy Director for Operations, Headquarters, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii, as a brigadier general

FLIGHT INFORMATION

Rating: Command pilot
Flight hours: More than 4,000
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-38, F-16A/B/C/D, E-3B/C (aircrew)

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Defense Meritorious Service Medal Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal Outstanding Unit Award with “V” Device
Republic of Korea Order of National Security Merit (Samil Medal)

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION

Second Lieutenant June 1, 1994
First Lieutenant June 1, 1996
Captain June 1, 1998
Major September 1, 2004
Lieutenant Colonel August 1, 2009
Colonel July 1, 2015
Brigadier General July 3, 2020
Major General December 5, 2023
Lieutenant General August 7, 2026

(Current as of August 2026)