Colonel David Och is a faculty member at the Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, DC. Prior to this assignment, he deployed for a year to serve as the Director of Intelligence, Operations, Plans, and Programs for the 332d Air Expeditionary Wing, United States Air Forces Central, in support of Operations INHERENT RESOLVE and SPARTAN SHIELD. Prior to his deployment, he served as a Senior Plans Advisor to the Secretary of Defense in the Office of the Under Secretary for Defense for Policy, where his portfolio included United States Indo-Pacific Command and United States Strategic Command plans.
Colonel Och commanded the 389th Fighter Squadron where he oversaw all aspects of operations and maintenance in a 21-jet F-15E squadron. A Command Pilot with more than 2,700 hours in the F-15E, Colonel Och has flown more than 800 combat hours in Operations IRAQI FREEDOM and INHERENT RESOLVE. In addition to his operational flying assignments, he served as both a Formal Training Unit and Operational Test and Evaluation instructor pilot.
Col Och is a distinguished Graduate of the United States Air Force Academy where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Management. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Pittsburgh, a Master of Philosophy in Military Strategy from the United States Air Force School of Advanced Air and Space Studies and was a Distinguished Graduate of the National War College, earning a Master of Science degree in National Security Strategy.