Colonel Jim Davitch is an Air Force intelligence officer and a faculty member at the Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, National Defense University, Washington, D.C., where he specializes in strategic leadership. He is married to Colonel Mindy Davitch who is an Eisenhower School graduate and the Mission Support Group commander in the 316th Wing at Joint Base Andrews. They have three fantastic kids.
Before joining the Eisenhower School, Colonel Davitch served as the Deputy Executive Secretary for two Secretaries of Defense within the Office of the Secretary of Defense. In this critical role, he advised senior leadership, managed high-level correspondence, and coordinated interagency requests on behalf of the Department of Defense. Prior to his OSD assignment, he completed a United States Air Force Academy-sponsored Ph.D. and wrote a dissertation that explored the intersection of technology, defense strategies, and international relations. He is a graduate of and former instructor at the U.S. Air Force Weapons School. Colonel Davitch also previously served on the faculty of the United States Air Force Academy, teaching courses on joint military planning with the Military & Strategic Studies Department and principles of negotiation with the Law Department. He holds a B.A. from Pennsylvania State University, an M.A. from the University of Oklahoma at Norman, an M.S. in Strategy and Technology Integration from the Blue Horizons research fellowship at Air University, and a Ph.D. in Governance and Globalization from the School of Public and International Affairs at Virginia Tech University.
Colonel Davitch's extensive career in intelligence encompasses diverse roles, including as a fighter squadron intelligence officer, intelligence Weapons Officer and USAF Weapons School instructor, intelligence officer functional manager, and deputy chief of intelligence for Air & Space Operations Centers both in garrison and deployed locations. He has also held staff positions at the Major Command, Headquarters Air Force, and OSD levels. His research and publications frequently explore critical topics such as information warfare, critical thinking in military strategy, metacognition and decision-making, and the geopolitical implications of air defense strategies.