Colonel David M. Skalicky is the Commander, 33rd Fighter Wing, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Previously, he served as the Chief, Force Application Division, Joint Staff, J8, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. In this position, he led twenty Joint Staff professionals to identify, assess, and prioritize programmed, projected, and potential Joint Force warfighting capability needs.
Colonel Skalicky entered the Air Force as a graduate of the Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Minnesota, while earning a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering & Mechanics. He also holds a master’s degree in international relations from Webster University and a master’s degree in National Security Strategy from the National War College.
Colonel Skalicky attended Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training at Sheppard AFB, Texas, and has served in a variety of positions at the squadron, group, and wing level, including the Commander of Air Combat Command’s F-22 Demonstration Team, Chief of Wing Safety, Commander of the 90th Fighter Squadron and Commander of the 354th Operations Group. He has deployed multiple times to the INDOPACOM and CENTCOM AORs and served as an Operations Inspector for the Air Combat Command Inspector General.
Colonel Skalicky is a combat-experienced Command Pilot with 2,800 hours in the F-35A, F-22A, F-15C/D, T-38, and T-37
EDUCATION
1999 Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering & Mechanics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn.
2002 Basic Officer School, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
2005 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2008 Air Command and Staff College (Correspondence), Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2012 Masters of Political Science in International Relations, Webster University, Mo.
2012 US Army Command & Staff College, Ft Leavenworth, Kan.
2014 Air War College (Correspondence), Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2019 Masters of National Security Strategy, National War College, Washington D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS or CAREER CHRONOLOGY
- May 1999 - January 2000, Squadron Executive Officer, 23rd Bomb Squadron, Minot AFB, N.D.
- January 2000 - August 2001, Student, Euro NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training, 80th Fighter Wing, Sheppard AFB, Texas
- August 2000 - April 2002, Student, F-15C Basic Course, 95th Fighter Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Fla
- April 2002 - February 2004, Weapons Imagery Officer, Flight Lead F-15C Pilot, 19th Fighter Squadron, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
- February 2004 - August 2005, Assistant Chief of Scheduling/F-15C Mission Commander, 19th Fighter Squadron, Elmendorf AFB, AK
- August 2005 - June 2006, Activity Security Manager/F-15C Instructor Pilot, 1st Fighter Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
- June 2006 - December 2006, Student, F-22 Transition/Instructor Course, 43rd Fighter Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
- December 2006 - April 2008, Chief of Safety, Flight Commander/F-22 Instructor Pilot, 43rd Fighter Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
- April 2008 – September 2008, Chief of Standardization and Evaluation/F-22 Evaluator Pilot, 43rd Fighter Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Fla
- September 2008 - January 2011, F-22 Demo Commander/F-22 Instructor Pilot, 1st Operations Group, JB Langley-Eustis, Va.
- January 2011 - June 2011, Wing Executive Officer/F-22 Instructor Pilot, 1st Fighter Wing, JB Langley-Eustis, Va.
- June 2011 - June 2012, Student, U.S. Army Command & General Staff College USA/CGSC, Ft. Leavenworth, Kan.
- June 2012 - June 2014, Fighter Operations Inspector/F-22 Pilot, HQ ACC/IG, JB Langley-Eustis, Va.
- June 2014 - September 2015, Director of Operations/F-22 Instructor Pilot, 525th Fighter Squadron, JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
- September 2015 - February 2016, Wing Chief of Safety/F-22 Evaluator Pilot, 3rd Wing, JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
- February 2016 - February 2018, Commander/F-22 Evaluator Pilot, 90th Fighter Squadron, JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
- February 2018 - July 2018, Deputy Commander/F-22 Evaluator Pilot, 3rd Operations Group, JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
- August 2018 - July 2019, Student, National War College, National Defense University, Ft. McNair, Washington D.C.
- September 2019 - May 2021, Commander/F-35A Pilot, 354th Operations Group, Eielson AFB, Alaska
- June 2021 - June 2023, Chief, Force Application Division, Joint Staff, J8, Pentagon, Washington D.C.
- June 2023 - Present, Commander, 33d Fighter Wing, Eglin AFB, Fla.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: More than 2,800
Aircraft flown: F-15C, F-15D, F-22A, F-35A, T-37, and T-38
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with six oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant April 3, 1999
First Lieutenant April 1, 2001
Captain April 1, 2003
Major Oct. 1, 2008
Lt Colonel April 1, 2014
Colonel March 1, 2019
(Current as of June 2023)