Arlington, VA | December 14, 2022
The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies is pleased to announce that Lt Gen David Deptula, USAF (Ret.), Dean of the Mitchell Institute, now holds the PenFed Chair for Aerospace Studies. This Chair was established to support the mission of the Mitchell Institute as it works to inform national leaders and the public at large about the unique policy options that airpower and space power afford the country. This includes working to shape policy and budget decisions to fully leverage air and space capabilities now and in the future through empowering an informed dialogue with objective and independent analysis. PenFed Credit Union’s support of this position enhances Mitchell Institute’s capabilities, and capacity to fulfill these objectives.
Gen Deptula is a world-recognized leader and pioneer in conceptualizing, planning, and executing national security operations from humanitarian relief to major combat. He was the principal attack planner for the Operation Desert Storm air campaign; commander of no-fly-zone operations over Iraq in the late 1990s; director of the air campaign over Afghanistan in 2001; twice a joint task force commander; and was the air commander for the 2005 South Asia tsunami relief operations. He served on two congressional commissions charged with outlining America’s future defense posture. He is a fighter pilot with more than 3,000 flying hours—400 in combat—including multiple command assignments in the F-15. His last assignment was as the Air Force’s first chief of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), where he transformed America’s military ISR and drone enterprises, orchestrating the largest increase in drone operations in Air Force history. He retired from the Air Force in 2010 after more than 34 years of distinguished service. He has led Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies since 2013.
Reflecting upon this support, Gen Deptula remarked, “Given the threats facing our nation, it is more important than ever that we develop strategies and operational concepts that empower our airmen and guardians to succeed. This includes equipping them with modern, effective combat capabilities. It’s an honor to pursue this work and I can’t thank PenFed enough for their support.”
In providing this support, PenFed Credit Union President/CEO and PenFed Foundation CEO James Schenck explained: “PenFed exists to serve our members and the national defense community is at the core of our membership. We are proud to support The Mitchell Institute as it leads from the forefront, advocating for our nation’s security and what it takes for servicemembers to successfully realize their missions and get back home safe to their families.”
About The Mitchell Institute
The Mitchell Institute’s fundamental objective is to provide leading-edge, insightful policy options to better empower our nation’s security leaders. Quite often this involves questioning established doctrine, organizational constructs, and operational concepts in a quest to better meet desired goals. It also requires looking at the way in which technology can provide options that are more effective, resilient, and agile. More information is available at: https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/
About PenFed Credit Union
Established in 1935, Pentagon Federal Credit Union (PenFed) is America’s second-largest federal credit union, serving 2.8 million members worldwide with $35.9 billion in assets. PenFed Credit Union offers market-leading certificates, checking, credit cards, personal loans, mortgages, auto loans, student loans, and a wide range of other financial services. Our mission is to empower members of our community to achieve their financial well-being. PenFed Credit Union is federally insured by the NCUA and is an Equal Housing Lender. To learn more about PenFed Credit Union, visit PenFed.org, like us on Facebook and follow us @PenFed on Twitter. Interested in working for PenFed? Check us out on LinkedIn. We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.