MAJOR GENERAL DAVID P. BURFORD

Deputy Commander for Mobilization and Reserve Affairs, United States Special Operations Command

Major General David P. Burford began his current joint assignment as Deputy Commander for Mobilization and Reserve Affairs, United States Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Base Florida in January 2007. In late 2009, he was also asked to serve concurrently as Special Assistant to the Chief, National Guard Bureau, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia.

General Burford's military service began in 1973 when he was commissioned as a Regular Army Field Artillery officer after completing Reserve Officer Training Corps coursework and graduating from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia as a Distinguished Military Graduate. He served initially on active duty at Fort Riley Kansas and latter joined the Alabama Army National Guard, serving at all levels of command within the 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne) and in several positions on the State staff. In 1991, he was mobilized for Desert Storm with the 20th Special Forces Group. In September 2001, he was mobilized for the Global War on Terrorism as Deputy Commanding General, Army Special Forces Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina where he was second in command of Army's 9,000 man inventory of Green Beret Soldiers, consisting of five active duty Special Forces Groups and two National Guard Special Forces Groups. In mid-2003, General Burford also served as Acting Commanding General, Army Special Forces where he was deployed to several combat theaters. Following this assignment at Fort Bragg, General Burford then served as Assistant to the Director, Army National Guard where he oversaw deployment issues, served as the Director's interface with the Army staff and represented Army National Guard issues before Congress and on Capitol Hill. In addition, General Burford has served on the Secretary of the Army's Reserve Forces Policy Committee (ARFPC) since 2006, meeting with and advising the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Army as to the status of our nation's operational reserve force.

EDUCATION:

1973 Georgia Institute of Technology, Bachelor of Chemical Engineering, Atlanta, Georgia
1997 United States Army War College, by correspondence
2005 Harvard University, School of Government, National and International Security, Boston, Massachusetts
2006 Joint / Combined Force Air Component Commanders Course (J/CFACC), Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Alabama
2010 George Washington University, Elliott School of Government, Defense Policy Seminar, Washington DC

ASSIGNMENTS:

1. November 1973 - November 1973, Reconnaissance & Survey Officer, A Battery, 3rd Battalion, 6th Field Artillery (8" Self-propelled), 1st Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Riley, Kansas
2. November 1973 - May 1974, "Unit of Choice" Recruiter, 1st Infantry Division (Mechanized), US Army Recruiting Command, Lansing, Michigan
3. May 1974 - July 1974, Reconnaissance & Survey Officer, A Battery, 3rd Battalion, 6th Field Artillery (8" Self-propelled), 1st Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Riley, Kansas
4. July 1974 - January 1975, Assistant Executive Officer & Special Weapons Team Leader, A Battery, 3rd Battalion, 6th Field Artillery (8" Self-propelled), 1st Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Riley, Kansas
5. January 1975 - March 1975, Assistant Executive Officer & Special Weapons Team Leader, B Battery, 3rd Battalion, 6th Field Artillery (8" Self-propelled), 1st Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Riley, Kansas
6. March 1975 - September 1976, Director of Instruction, Nuclear Biological Chemical Defense School & G-3 Operations Division, Chemical Staff Officer, Headquarters, 1st Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Riley, Kansas
7. September 1976 - October 1977, Aide-de-Camp, 3rd Reserve Officer Training Corps Region Headquarters, Fort Riley,Kansas
8. October 1977 - November 1982, United States Army Reserve Control Group - Reinforcing/Annual Training, St. Louis, Missouri
9. November 1982 - December 1983, Platoon Leader, Administrative Services, Service Company, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Alabama Army National Guard, Birmingham, Alabama
10. December 1983 - October 1985, Executive Officer, Service Company, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Alabama Army National Guard, Birmingham,Alabama
11. November 1985 - October 1986, S-5 Plans Officer, Headquarters, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Alabama Army National Guard, Birmingham, Alabama
12. October 1986 - October 1988, Commander, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Alabama Army National Guard, Birmingham, Alabama
13. October 1988 - November 1990, Chemical Officer, Headquarters, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Alabama Army National Guard, Birmingham, Alabama
14. November 1990 - February 1991, S-3 Operations, 1st Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Alabama Army National Guard, Huntsville, Alabama
15. February 1991 - May 1991, S-3 Operations, 1st Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, US Army Special Forces Command (Airborne), Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Fort Bragg, North Carolina,
16. May 1991 - November 1991. S-3 Operations, 1st Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Alabama Army National Guard, Huntsville, Alabama
17. November 1991 - July 1992, Executive Officer, 1st Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Alabama Army National Guard, Huntsville, Alabama
18. August 1992 - September 1992, Deputy Commander, Headquarters, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Alabama Army National Guard, Birmingham, Alabama
19. September 1992 - October 1992, Executive Officer, Headquarters, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Alabama Army National Guard, Birmingham, Alabama
20. November 1992 - October 1993, Deputy Commander, Headquarters, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Alabama Army National Guard, Birmingham, Alabama
21. November 1993 - October 1994, Assistant State Training Officer, Headquarters, State Area Command, Alabama Army National Guard, Montgomery, Alabama
22. October 1994 - March 1997, Commander, 1st Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Alabama Army National Guard, Huntsville, Alabama
23. March 1997 - July 1997, Materiel Management Officer/Electronics Division Chief, 167th Materiel Management Center, Alabama Army National Guard, Birmingham, Alabama
24. July 1997 - April 1998, Automation Management Officer, 167th Materiel Management Center, Alabama Army National Guard, Birmingham, Alabama
25. April 1998 - April 1998, Director of Mobilization and Readiness, Headquarters, State Area Command, Alabama Army National Guard, Montgomery, Alabama
26. April 1998 - June 1999, Director of Information Management, Headquarters, State Area Command, Alabama Army National Guard, Montgomery, Alabama
27. June 1999 - February 2001, Commander, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Alabama Army National Guard, Birmingham, Alabama
28. February 2001 - September 2001, Deputy Commanding General, US Army Special Forces Command (Airborne), Fort Bragg,North Carolina
29. September 2001 - November 2005, Deputy Commanding General and Acting Commanding General, US Army Special Forces Command (Airborne), Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
30. November 2005 - January 2007, Assistant to the Director, Army National Guard, Army National Guard Readiness Center, Arlington, Virginia
31. January 2007 - Present, Deputy Commander for Mobilization and Reserve Affairs, US Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:

Legion of Merit (with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster)
Meritorious Service Medal (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters)
Army Commendation Medal (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters)
Army Achievement Medal
Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal (with 1 Silver Oak Leaf Cluster)
National Defense Service Medal (with 2 Bronze Service Stars)
Afghanistan Campaign Medal (with one Campaign Star)
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with Gold Hourglass, "M" Device and Numeral "2")
Army Service Ribbon
Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon (with Numeral 3)
Florida National Guard Distinguished Service Medal
Alabama National Guard Operation Desert Storm Ribbon
Alabama National Guard Veterans Service Medal
Alabama National Guard Faithful Service Medal (with one Silver Saint Andrew's Cross)
Ranger Tab
Special Forces Tab
Air Assault Badge
Master Parachutists Badge
Combat Infantrymans Badge
Army Staff Identification Badge
Spanish Parachutists Badge
German Parachutists Badge

CIVILIAN OCCUPATION:

Manager of Nuclear Fleet Security for Southern Nuclear Operating Company in Birmingham Alabama; Southern Company's nuclear electric utility subsidiary. Mr. Burford manages compliance under the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's 10CFR73 statutes for Southern's three-site nuclear fleet, oversees the site defensive strategies and Nuclear Security Officer force.

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS:

Language qualified, Spanish
Honor Graduate, Field Artillery Officer Basic Course
Distinguished Honor Graduate, Chemical Staff Officer Course
Distinguished Graduate, Army Command and General Staff Officer Course
General John J. Pershing Award, Army Command and General Staff Officer Course
Member, Secretary of the Army's Reserve Force Policy Committee, since 2006
Member, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Joint Terrorism Task Force, Birmingham, Alabama

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:

Second Lieutenant, USAR, 16 March 1973
Second Lieutenant, AUS, 24 March 1973
Second Lieutenant ,RA, 26 March 1973
First Lieutenant, AUS, 24 March 1975
First Lieutenant, RA, 24 March 1976
Captain, AUS, 24 March 1977
Captain, USAR, 4 October 1977
Captain, ARNG, 10 November 1982
Major, ARNG, 7 November 1985
Lieutenant Colonel, ARNG, 1 August 1992
Colonel, ARNG, 15 April 1998
Brigadier General (LINE), ARNG, 21 March 2002
Major General (LINE), ARNG, 5 January 2007